subdued backdrop

Movies with subdued vibe

Win Win

1. Win Win

Drama Comedy Relationship Drama
7.1
20111h 46min

Overview

When down-on-his-luck part-time high school wrestling coach Mike agrees to become legal guardian to an elderly man, his ward's troubled grandson turns out to be a star grappler, sparking dreams of a big win -- until the boy's mother retrieves him.

Themes

Family obligation, Financial instability, Custody dispute, Guardianship ethics, Estate dispute, Talent-driven opportunity

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Debt

2. The Debt

Drama Thriller Historical Drama Cover-Up Thriller
6.8
20101h 53min

Overview

Rachel Singer is a former Mossad agent who tried to capture a notorious Nazi war criminal – the Surgeon of Birkenau – in a secret Israeli mission that ended with his death on the streets of East Berlin. Now, 30 years later, a man claiming to be the doctor has surfaced, and Rachel must return to Eastern Europe to uncover the truth. Overwhelmed by haunting memories of her younger self and her two fellow agents, the still-celebrated heroine must relive the trauma of those events and confront the debt she has incurred.

Themes

Loyalty under pressure, Haunting memories and guilt, Legacy of wartime violence, Deception and cover stories, Public heroism vs private cost, Accountability and denial

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Mary and Max

3. Mary and Max

Animation Comedy Drama Adult Animation Dark Comedy
8.1
20091h 32min

Overview

A tale of friendship between two unlikely pen pals: Mary, a lonely, eight-year-old girl living in the suburbs of Melbourne, and Max, a forty-four-year old, severely obese man living in New York.

Themes

Solace through letters, Loneliness through isolation, Friendship across distance, Family neglect effects, Identity through diagnosis, Resilience through connection

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Hulu
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Tokyo Sonata

4. Tokyo Sonata

Drama Family Drama
7.5
20082h

Overview

Every morning, salaryman Ryuhei Suzuki straightens his tie, leaves his modest Tokyo home, and pretends he still belongs to the orderly corporate world that has quietly discarded him. As his secret unemployment collides with Takashi’s restless rebellion and young Kenji’s hidden piano lessons, their carefully arranged family routine begins an inexorable slide toward heartbreak and reckoning.

Themes

Class inequality, Economic precarity, Emotional isolation, Parental distance, Secrecy and ambition, Family disintegration

Available on

Amazon Video
Tubi TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Waltz with Bashir

5. Waltz with Bashir

Drama Animation War Documentary Tragic Drama
8.0
20081h 30min

Overview

An Israeli film director interviews fellow veterans of the 1982 invasion of Lebanon to reconstruct his own memories of his term of service in that conflict.

Themes

Memory as defense, War memory fragmentation, Trauma and testimony, Veterans and civilians impact, Witnessing and recollection, Media and memory ethics

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Persepolis

6. Persepolis

Animation Drama Historical Drama
8.0
20071h 35min

Overview

In 1970s Iran, Marjane 'Marji' Satrapi watches events through her young eyes and her idealistic family of a long dream being fulfilled of the hated Shah's defeat in the Iranian Revolution of 1979. However as Marji grows up, she witnesses first hand how the new Iran, now ruled by Islamic fundamentalists, has become a repressive tyranny on its own.

Themes

Coming of age under totalitarian regime, Civil war backdrop and growth, Exile and displacement, Punk rock as self-expression, Gender norms under fundamentalists

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Squid and the Whale

7. The Squid and the Whale

Comedy Drama Coming-of-Age Drama Awkward Comedy
7.3
20051h 21min

Overview

Based on the true childhood experiences of Noah Baumbach and his brother, The Squid and the Whale tells the touching story of two young boys dealing with their parents' divorce in Brooklyn in the 1980s.

Themes

Deception and betrayal, Divorce and custody, Parental conflict, Creative ambition vs family, Generational tension, Public success vs private life

Available on

Netflix
Amazon Video
Apple TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Look at Me

8. Look at Me

Comedy Drama Coming-of-Age Drama Awkward Comedy
6.8
20041h 50min

Overview

Talented 20-year-old Lolita dreams of a singing career. But her self-esteem is low due to her weight problem and her narcissistic father, Étienne, a literary star with scant interest in his daughter's life. Lolita finds little comfort in the attentions of her vocal coach, suspecting the woman is using her to meet her influential father. Étienne's second wife proves to be Lolita's only trustworthy ally in her private battle to find a sense of worth.

Themes

Author arrogance, Overweight woman self-esteem, Woman director visibility, Falling in love dynamics, Complex relationship dynamics

Available on

Netflix
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Before Sunset

9. Before Sunset

Drama Romance Relationship Drama Passionate Romance
8.1
20041h 20min

Overview

Nine years later, Jesse travels across Europe giving readings from a book he wrote about the night he spent in Vienna with Celine. After his reading in Paris, Celine finds him, and they spend part of the day together before Jesse has to again leave for a flight. They are both in relationships now, and Jesse has a son, but as their strong feelings for each other start to return, both confess a longing for more.

Themes

Enduring longing across years, Memory shaping relationships, Private longing in public life, Commitments vs possibilities, Life-path divergence, Past encounters influence present

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Radio

10. Radio

Drama Family Drama
6.9
20031h 49min

Overview

In the racially divided town of Anderson, South Carolina in 1976, football coach Harold Jones spots a mentally disabled African-American young man nicknamed Radio near his practice field and is inspired to befriend him. Soon, Radio is Jones' loyal assistant, and he becomes a student at T.L. Hanna High School. But things start to sour when Coach Jones begins taking guff from parents and fans who feel that his devotion to Radio is getting in the way of the team's quest for a championship.

Themes

Racial tension, Institutional pressure, Mentorship obligation, Disability inclusion, Parental skepticism, Community loyalty

Available on

Netflix
Amazon Video
Apple TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.