The Miss Independent Podcast

And here we are, our season 3 finale! This week, we’re closing out the season with Sentimental Value ( Affeksjonsverdi ), a 2025 Norwegian drama directed by Joachim Trier. The film follows two sisters, Nora and Agnes, as they navigate the sudden return of their filmmaker father, Gustav, who abandoned them years prior. Starring Stellan Skarsgård, Elle Fanning, Renate Reinsve, and Inga Ibsdotter Lil...

It’s hard to believe next Tuesday is our season three finale! To celebrate, we’re wrapping up the season with two indie films that dominated this past awards circuit. This week, we’re diving into the 2025 film, Hamnet . The story follows William Shakespeare and his wife, Agnes, as they celebrate the birth of their son, Hamnet. However, when tragedy strikes and Hamnet dies young, it inspires Shakes...

Join us in celebrating our 50th episode!  Good Grief from 2023, written and directed by Dan Levy, was the very first indie film we experienced together in theaters three years ago - and it will forever hold a special place in our podcast history as the film that started it all. Good Grief is an intimate story about love, loss, and the messy process of moving forward. It follows Marc as he navigate...

Petite Maman (2021), directed by Céline Sciamma, is a French fantasy drama that follows 8 year old Nelly as she copes with the loss of her grandmother. While helping her parents clear out her grandmother's home, Nelly meets a mysterious girl who resembles her mother as a child, giving her a unique window into her parent's past. We've paired Petite Maman with Pedroncelli Dry Creek Valle...

Let’s dim the lights and step inside something a little more revealing with Good Luck to You, Leo Grande; a sharp, funny, and surprisingly moving story about what it means to rediscover yourself and start again. At its heart, this film is about women reclaiming their power - owning their desires, their bodies, and their right to feel joy without apology.  It challenges agism, reframes the idea of...

This week, we're taking it back to 2016 and discussing the New Zealand comedy-drama Hunt for the Wilderpeople . Directed by Taika Waititi and starring Julian Dennison, Sam Neill, and Rima Te Wiata, the film follows Ricky Baker, a rebellious foster kid who finally finds a loving home with Bella and her gruff husband, Hec. Following Bella's sudden death, a national manhunt ensues when Ricky...

Some films stay with you long after the credits roll, Gruff is one of them. This remarkable short from Righteous Robot blends handmade paper sets, puppetry, and “gekimation” to create an animation style that feels entirely its own. Every frame reflects the care, craftsmanship, and heart that went into bringing this story to life. We’re thrilled to see Gruff getting the recognition it deserves. Uni...

What if the most powerful mob story… wasn’t about the mob bosses? What if the real power lies in the silence that surrounds them. In today’s episode we’re talking about Fresh Kills , Jennifer Esposito’s incredible film set in Staten Island in the late ’80s and ’90s. Rather than centering the men who run the mob, the story follows two sisters growing up within that world - navigating loyalty, famil...

This week, we're discussing I Used To Be Funny (2023). The film follows stand up comedian Sam as she navigates life with PTSD and considers joining the search for a missing teenage girl she once nannied. The film stars Rachel Sennot, Caleb Hearon, Olga Petsa, and Sabrina Jalees, and makes the feature writing and directorial debut of Ally Pankiw. We paired the film with Element[AL] Pinot Noir f...

Would you look at that...It's Tuesday again! This week, we're discussing 2015's The Lure . Set in 1980s Warsaw, Poland, the film follows two mermaid sisters, named Golden and Silver, who are recruited into a nightclub. What starts off as exciting and exotic turns into a haunting tale of identity and survival. We paired The Lure with The Prophecy Rosé from the South of France. With note...

In today’s episode, we’re unpacking Twinless , the 2025 dramedy that transforms grief, identity crises, awkward humor, and emotional chaos into something unexpectedly tender and deeply relatable. Darkly funny and quietly devastating, the film explores the impossible task of redefining yourself after losing your built-in best friend, balancing absurd comedy with raw vulnerability as it peels back l...

This week, we're diving into Terrence Malick's 2011 film, The Tree of Life . Starring Brad Pitt, Jessica Chastain, and Sean Penn, this movie centers on a family in Waco, Texas, viewed through the eyes of their eldest son, Jack. It's a journey through the loss of innocence, the struggle between his parents' conflicting views, and the complexities of growing up. To balance the film&#...

Happy New Year, Miss Independent Podcast listeners! After taking some time off to enjoy the holidays with family and friends, we're thrilled to be back with brand new episodes. This week, we're discussing Didi (2024), a comedy-drama written, directed, and produced by Sean Wang. The film follows a 13 year old Taiwanese American boy as he learns how to skate, how to flirt, and how to love hi...

Happy Holidays, Miss Indie listeners! For this week's midseason finale, we're discussing the 2008 film, Lovely Still . The film follows Robert, an elderly bachelor, whose quiet life is disrupted when his new neighbor, Mary, asks him out, and an unexpected romance begins to bloom. This week, we paired Lovely, Still with the 2017 Chardonnay from Mon Frère Winery. This wine offers delicate go...

In this episode, we explore Past Lives , the tender A24 film that delves into the fascinating concept of InYun—the belief that the threads of connection between people stretch across lifetimes. We unpack how identity, longing, and the notion of soulmates shape the characters’ journeys, and why this story resonates so deeply with anyone who’s ever wondered about the paths not taken. Join us as we e...

This week, we're diving into the 2025 film Hedda . Writer-director Nia DaCosta brings a bold, contemporary edge to Henrik Isben's classic play, crafting a story that's intimate and unsettling. At its center is Hedda, played by Tessa Thompson, a woman caught between the haunting pull of an old love and the quiet suffocation she feels in her life with her husband, George. We paired Hedda...

This week, we’re unpacking the emotional messiness of Sorry, Baby : the bond between friends, the trauma that simmers in silence, and how the film portrays healing through connection. Expect character deep dives, standout scenes, and our take on how the movie handles pain…plus the usual chaos and unfiltered laughter. And because every great film deserves the perfect pour, we paired Sorry, Baby wit...

This one's for all the musicians and creatives out there! This week, we're diving into Sing Street (2016). Set in recession-era Dublin during the 1980's, the film follows Conor, a teen who's uprooted from his private school and thrown into a rougher inner-city environment. While navigating new challenges, he finds escape and identity by starting a band. What follows is a story filled with humor, h...

This week, we're discussing the 1997 comedy-drama action film Postman Blues . The story follows Sawaki, a quiet postman who is mistakenly identified as a criminal, setting off a chain of chaos. As he drifts into the wrong places at the wrong times, we watch him stumble into danger, unexpected connections, and even a bit of love. We paired Postman Blues with Val de Mer's French Sparkling Br...

Buckle up! This week, we’re talking Daddio (2023) - a film that takes place almost entirely in a New York taxi, where two strangers venture into a conversation that’s anything but small talk. We unpack its one-location intensity, the complications of an affair with a married man, and why the truth can be easier to face when it comes from someone you’ll never see again.  Along for the ride is Bacch...

👻Happy Halloween, you saints and sinners!🎃 This week, we're diving into A Dark Song (2016), a haunting tale about a determined young woman, Sophia, and a damaged occultist, Joseph, who risk their lives and souls to perform a dangerous ritual that promises to grant them their deepest desires. And what better pairing for this eerie indie film than a spooky, bold red? We're sipping on The 7...

This week, we're diving into Frank , the offbeat underground film about a mysterious frontman who sings his thoughts, hides behind a mask, and leads a band held together by chaos, genius, and just a little bit of madness. We talk about: how pain is often mistaken for art, what it means to perform vulnerability and whether true creativity can survive outside the walls of isolation. From Don’s s...

And just like that, it's Tuesday again! This week, we're cooking up a conversation about Chef (2014), Jon Favreau's heartwarming story of rediscovering creativity and connection through food. Our pairing is The Critic Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley, a bold and smooth wine with notes of blackberry, plum, and mocha notes. It's the perfect reminder to slow down, savor the moment,...

In this episode, we unpack On Becoming a Guinea Fowl - a layered and visually striking A24-style drama set in Zambia. Through stunning cinematography and overlapping dialogue, the film explores generational trauma, the silences surrounding sexual abuse, and the journey of becoming, not just a bird, but a fully seen human being. To pair, we’re pouring the Babylonstoren Red Blend, a wine as complex...

This week, we’re riding shotgun into one of 2025’s most gripping thrillers. Starring Taron Egerton and Ana Sophia Heger, She Rides Shotgun follows a newly released ex-con who must protect his daughter at all costs from a corrupt sheriff and a dangerous gang. And for our wine pairing? We decided to shake things up: Walked into the wine store, grabbed a random bottle, and came out with Chateau La Gr...