Indie Game: The Movie
An intimate documentary follows independent game creators through the exhilarating, painful gamble of turning deeply personal projects into public releases.
Overview
Explore the passionate journeys of indie game developers as they bring their dreams to life.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- intimate
- anxious
- earnest
- gaming night
- creative inspiration
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film's emotional access, compelling underdog narrative, and editing while noting concerns about its one-sided portrayal of Jason DeGroot.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Edmund McMillen, Tommy Refenes, and Phil Fish discuss anxiety, self-doubt, financial pressure, and exposure while completing their games.
The film builds toward the developers releasing their games and confronting player and critical response.
The developers describe their games as deeply personal projects and experience success or failure as judgments of themselves.
Interviews with the developers emphasize tears, fear, frustration, and private emotional reactions alongside development footage.
Films like Indie Game: The Movie, and why
Jodorowsky's Dune
Behind-the-scenes documentary filmmaking, creative pressure, and intimate portraits of artists pursuing ambitious work
The Pixar Story
Documentary exploration of creators, artistic obsession, and the emotional stakes of making an unconventional project
The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters
Warm, personal documentary portrait of creative outsiders overcoming uncertainty and professional obstacles
Objectified
Process-focused documentary about independent creators, artistic identity, and release into a skeptical world
Movie Details
- Directors
- James Swirsky, Lisanne Pajot
- Release Date
- 2012-05-18
- Runtime
- 103 min
- Rating
- 7.5 / 10 (502)
Cast
- Edmund McMillen
- Tommy Refenes
- Phil Fish
- Jonathan Blow
- Anthony Carboni
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Indie Game: The Movie about?
- An intimate documentary follows independent game creators through the exhilarating, painful gamble of turning deeply personal projects into public releases.
- What is Indie Game: The Movie like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Indie Game: The Movie as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Indie Game: The Movie violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Indie Game: The Movie.
- What did critics think of Indie Game: The Movie?
- Critics broadly praised the film's emotional access, compelling underdog narrative, and editing while noting concerns about its one-sided portrayal of Jason DeGroot.
- Which films are like Indie Game: The Movie?
- Films with a similar feel include Jodorowsky's Dune, The Pixar Story, The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters, and Objectified.
- How long is Indie Game: The Movie?
- Indie Game: The Movie runs 103 minutes.
- Where can I watch Indie Game: The Movie?
- In United States, Indie Game: The Movie is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube.
