The 8th annual Tribeca Film Festival starts this Wednesday and runs through May 3rd. Since inhuman amounts of cash flow, stamina, time, and loneliness are required to see the 150 festival films, we’ve narrowed it down for you. Here are five films worth seeing, or at least worth name dropping into pretentious film conversations. See them after the jump.

The Girlfriend Experience

Steven Soderbergh’s new film is a fictional five-day case study of a Manhattan high-class escort played by porn star Sasha Grey. The 22-year old call girl gives society’s oldest profession a new twist, promising “the girlfriend experience” to her clients. This experience is exactly what it sounds like: a mix of sex and sentiment that includes hanging out and watching TV, having meaningful conversations, and copious amount of sex. To me, paying a prostitute to tell you about her day seems like a poor investment, but it seems to be addictive for the troubled Wall Street suits that populate this film. With a $2,000 dollar-an-hour business and a somehow understanding boyfriend, Grey seems like a twisted success story, until it starts to fall apart. This film is a mainstream breakthrough for Grey, an award winning adult film star–one being “Best Oral Performance” in 2008’s Babysitters–but males be warned! For a film about a prostitute played by a porn star there is a surprisingly small amount of sex.

The Good Guy

As the ideal Wall Street lives of the nation’s Patrick Batemans and Gordon Gekkos collapse, The Good Guy reflects on the nauseatingly perfect lives pretty boy brokers used to have. Tommy is one of those chosen individuals. He is charming, wealthy, and successful, has a beautiful girlfriend, and was probably the quarterback in high school. As Tommy continues to ascend the company ladder, his life just becomes more heavenly. Then Daniel arrives at the firm: shy, uncertain, and not a frequent shopper at Brooks Brothers. Tommy is determined to make kind ugly duckling Daniel into a heartless deal negotiating swan. As Daniel evolves both make their shameful climbs to the top, life intervenes and the idea of what is “good” in the Wall Street world is questioned.

House of the Devil

College students concoct an array of ways to save and earn quick cash: living in Bobst, posing semi-nude for American Apparel, scamming bearded hipster by saying you have cancer. Samantha decides to take a babysitting job see she on an on campus flyer. But the babysitting becomes more Rosemary’s Baby when she arrives at house find a bizarre old couple in place of a child. The couple, eager to celebrate the equally bizarre lunar eclipse, convinces Samantha to stand guard for the night. House of the Devil is a celebration of 1980s horror, mastering the suspense of ringing phones, creaking doors, satanic rituals, and a vulnerable baby sitter, instead of feasting on modern horror’s rancid gore and shock value.

Black Dynamite

Black Dynamite is a parody/tribute to the blaxploitation films of the 70’s, where movies such as Blacula (Dracula’s soul brother) were seen as suitable entertainment. Black Dynamite is a former CIA agent and all-time lady pleaser who finds himself influenced to fight crime again after the murder of his brother. The fight becomes more than personal when the murderer starts pedaling drugs in the orphanage and selling bad 40’s. Black Dynamite fights back with groovy results.

Burning Down the House: The Story of CBGB

CBGB, the retired New York club far more influential and legitimate than Misshapes, finally gets a film tribute. Mandy Stein’s documentary provides a gritty a look into the iconic hot spot and how it became extinct. As a generation deprived of the ultimate punk rock experience, concert footage of The Ramones, Patti Smith, and Talking Heads serve as the best replacement.

Don’t feel like paying for the Tribeca film experience? Then check out the free “drive-in” events:

The 25th Anniversary Celebration of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

This event includes a screening of the 1990 film and an appearance by the half-shell heroes. Beware of many pizza-eating children.

Thursday, April 23
World Financial Center Plaza
Tribeca Drive-in opens at 6:00 p.m.
Film screenings start at dusk (approx. 8:15 p.m.)

Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid

Friday, April 24
World Financial Center Plaza
Tribeca Drive-in opens at 6:00 p.m.
Film screenings start at dusk (approx. 8:15 p.m.)

Tickets go on sale today for $15 a show. Downtown residents and American Express card members did get first pick, which could leave some sparse choices. If the film you want to see has already been ransacked, I suggest trying for rush tickets. All information about films, locations, show times, and tickets can be found here.