Honestly, I don’t think this was a very good summer for mainstream movies. “Star Trek into Darkness” failed to capture my imagination, “Man of Steel” turned out to be just another mindless action movie. And “Monsters University” felt more like a cash-in that never needed to exist.

Whether this was just a bad selection, my taste in movies suddenly changed overnight or Hollywood is simply starting to decline in quality continues to perplex me. Luckily, I found a saving grace in the form of independent movies that were satisfying alternatives to their blockbuster counterparts. Watching such spectacular film making gave me plenty of characters to root for, things to laugh at, and even a few thrills. Basically, it was everything I had hoped for this summer.

1. “Stories We Tell”

Director Sarah Polley’s first foray into documentary film making is immediately a powerful and unforgettable experience where any viewer can probably find personal meaning on some level. It tells the biographical story of her mother Diane’s life through her relationships and acting career, followed by the revelation that the director herself was actually conceived in an extramarital affair.

Various interviews with family members and past moments recreated as home video footage comprise an overall picture of her family and their experiences, which is something we begin to inevitably compare to our own lives. The film is a mystery that gradually unfolds with every story told to the camera and essentially forces us to contemplate the very nature of our reality. Each person has their own memories of Diane and their shared experiences with her but this film says that because of this, there is no guaranteed way of knowing exactly how things happened since their perspectives are relative.

2. “Much Ado About Nothing”

After many years of working on films and television known for catering almost exclusively to nerds for director Joss Whedon, I think the last thing anyone expected him to tackle would be Shakespearean comedy. The result, however, is a funny and suitably innovative adaptation that just proves the director is capable of handling films of any size and scope. It also happens to be shot in gorgeous black and white and was filmed at the Whedon’s house. Nathan Fillion plays Dogberry in a bravura performance that is immediately hilarious and easily among his best work.

Love and sex are common themes throughout the story, and there is plenty of satire directed towards it that feels very much like an “anti-romantic comedy.” Thanks to these various creative touches, people don’t have to enjoy the source material to understand the dialogue or have a really good time. Perhaps these various elements juxtaposed with a classical style are what make “Much Ado About Nothing” such a delightful treat, or maybe it just proves that whatever Whedon creates is just plain irresistible.

3. “Before Midnight”

Seeing the conclusion to Richard Linklater’s “Before” trilogy feels not so much like watching a final installment as it feels like finishing a good novel you have been reading most of your life. It is a powerful and endearing love story 18 years in the making that chronicles the relationship of two unique individuals over the course of real time. Set nine years after their reunion in “Before Sunset”, Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy) have officially become a couple and parents to twin girls. However, their relationship is far from perfect, as Celine begins to question whether they are still the same people who fell in love 18 years ago and Jesse struggles to maintain a relationship with his teenage son. Only during an end-of-summer trip to Greece will the answers be revealed. Hawke and Delpy’s chemistry is absolutely stirring and there is no shortage of wit that comes from their long, meaningful conversations while walking through dazzling scenery. This is not another happily ever after kind of movie but rather a passionate romance with a realistic spin.

4. “Fruitvale Station”

On the early morning of Jan. 1, 2009, Oscar Grant III was fatally shot by a police officer after being detained at the Fruitvale BART station in Oakland, California.

The incident was caught on cameras and cell phones by several witnesses and became a media sensation. Fruitvale Station is about the last day of Oscar’s life and depicts a young man who has served two prison terms for drug dealing, struggles to provide for his girlfriend and 4-year old daughter, while trying to right his past wrongs.

His fate is revealed in the opening scene, and what follows is perfectly emotional story cursed with dramatic irony. Director Ryan Coogler propels the narrative with skill and precision that conveys suspense up until the climactic moment and well beyond. This is easily one of the great American independent films of our time.

5. “The Wolverine”

The Wolverine was everything I’d come to hope for in a modern action movie and by far one of the best installments in the X-Men series.

A significant improvement over its predecessor, it features a new take on the character that fondly evokes the qualities we enjoy while also making it more edgy.

Jackman plays his role with astounding dramatic intensity and there are some stellar performances from the supporting cast. Several years after the events of X-Men: The Last Stand, Logan (Hugh Jackman) has been living as a hermit in the Canadian wilderness, haunted by visions of Jean Grey (Famke Janssen).

He is later found and invited to Japan by an elderly business man as thanks for saving his life decades earlier during the atomic bombing of Nagasaki.

However, a mysterious new villain emerges and takes away Logan’s healing factor, leaving him vulnerable for the first time and against an army of brutal assassins. More of a sophisticated thriller than the usual eye-popping extravaganzas we’ve come to expect from superhero movies, there is plenty of martial arts style fight scenes and character development that makes the film a refreshing change of pace.

Until now, it feels like previous films have kept the Wolverine character restrained, and witnessing his full force unleashed is a sight to behold.