Forget the Multiplex: 6 Franchise-Free Movies You Need to See this Summer

At WIRED, we've got nothing but love for robots, aliens, and mutants. (Really! You should see our lobby sometime!) But as the summer-movie season hits the midway point, we find ourselves longing for a break from the sort of big-budget, bigger-body-count films that seem to open every three days or so. Here are six excellent movies that deserve your attention—and, perhaps, a place on your end-of-the-year best-of list.