Indulge in 3 New Indie Foodie Films This Week

Monday Blues? Let's make fun of TikTokers via Fast Food + Snacks

Apr 29, 2024

Running Film Flavor has been nothing short of a pleasure, but indeed I have run it by the sweat of my brow.

Like the great auteur that I am, I diligently spent this week plucking the following food-filled-films out of my milieu solely for your enjoyment.

First, I walked dozens if not hundreds of feet to my nearest movie theater to view my first indie-food-film of the week.
I then proceeded to stream half a dozen films on my Apple TV with the new homepods I got for my birthday, ensuring no on-screen bite, lick, or crunch went unheard.
Finally, I indefatigably scrolled through the vast expanse of my Film Flavor Instagram and Letterboxd feeds, tuning out the riff-raff to study the independent cinema nerds in their natural environment. Watching what they watched, seeing what they saw.
Once my independent cinema binge of the week was — at long last — complete, it was time to write this post. After a few tussles with Photoshop and Substack, the result of my blood, sweat, and tears finally came together.

Today, you, yes YOU, can enjoy the fruits of my labor.

And so, whether you have a case of the Mondays or nary an evening plan for the week, you will find at least one spoiler-free indie food film recommendation that suits your fancy below.

Drugstore June (2024)

When I discovered comedian Esther Povitsky in 2017 through her podcast Glowing Up, it was clear she was the most astute observer of girl-culture I’d ever seen. As of 2024, she makes TikToks where she self-identifies as the “Jane Goodall of Hot Girls” and posts clips from her stand-up specials, TV shows, and her daily activities such as driving an hour away for the perfect coffee. Povitsky’s dedication to the art of adult girlhood is dutifully on full display in her latest venture: co-writing, producing and starring in the feature film Drugstore June.

The film centers on the small world of wannabe-influencer June, a grown adult who lives with her parents, works at a local drugstore, is obsessed with her ex-boyfriend, and regularly live streams on social media to her small follower base. Things in June’s relatively small existence take a turn when the pharmacy is robbed, and the sleuth in June jumps out.

The film boasts a star-studded cast — Haley Joel Osment, Miranda Cosgrove, Bobby Lee, Bill Burr, Jackie Sandler, Bhad Barbie (!) — but the real scene stealer of this movie is the food.

June believes she is gluten-intolerant yet scarfs down bunned-burgers like there’s no tomorrow. Popcorn, french fries, and cupcakes all play pivotal roles. And let’s not forget the dream sequences filled with gummy bear children! (The makers of Cheese Dog: The Movie would love it!)

Available to rent on Amazon Prime, Youtube, Apple TV, and more, Drugstore June (Dir. Nicholaus Goossen) is the perfect comedic movie to throw on mid-week to get you through to the weekend.

Hundreds of Beavers (2024)

After screening this film, leaving the theater, I heard customers asking the concession stand cashier, “Hundreds of Beavers? What’s that about?”

“It’s… exactly what it sounds like,” the cashier replied.

Essentially, the entire premise of the film is a broke, hungry man’s struggle to meet Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Therefore, a large portion of the film is centered around one hungry man’s journey for food. We watch in fits of laughter as our hero, a broke applejack salesman, hungry and down on his luck, becomes one of the greatest fur trappers known to man.

There were but six other people in my screening, yet there was many a hoot and holler. Hundreds of Beavers is a wickedly funny, impressive, camp and inspiring feat of low-budget independent cinema. A must-watch for anyone who loves to giggle.

Fans of old-school slapstick comedy, classic cartoons, the video game Don’t Starve, Neil Cicierega (beyond his Potter Puppet Pals fame), and Rube Goldberg machines will love Hundreds of Beavers. Needless to say, I am at the center of this Venn diagram.

Full disclosure: After my screening, I found out many an old NYU classmate of mine had worked on this film, chiefly the sound! I love that I watched it before realizing my degrees of connections, because I can honestly say the film was a true delight!

Hundreds of Beavers (Dir. Mike Cheslik) is currently playing in select theaters across the US and is available to rent on Apple TV, Amazon Prime, and via streaming on Fandor. #GapToothRepresentation

Flux Gourmet (2022)

Fans of the British horror/black comedy film director Peter Strickland must have been expecting Flux Gourmet, but newcomers to his work — such as myself — will leave the film flabbergasted.

The film follows a band of experimental culinary performers through their “sonic catering” ventures while struggling with gastrointestinal issues and artistic integrity. These artists play with a smorgasbord of food like a DJ with vinyl, but are pushed to their limits by their art program’s unsettling director.

I certainly can’t say I recommend to everyone, per se, but I can picture artists who are also offbeat independent horror fans getting a kick out of this.

Flux Gourmet (Dir. Peter Strickland) is available to stream via Hulu and AMC+.

Bonus Food Movie: Amadeus: The Director’s Cut (1984)

Of course, the 1984 Academy Award Best Picture Winner Amadeus is not a new film. Still, it was technically an independent food-filled film, and Netflix has refused to stop advertising the director’s cut to me since 2024 began. A film centered around two of the greatest musical composers of all time, I cannot overstate how integral food is to the on-screen lives of composers Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Antonio Salieri.

While I’m sure I will be dedicating a future Film Flavor post to this cinematic feat, I must implore any of you with three free hours on your hands to view the film at your earliest convenience.