Movies with documentary-style vibe

Vibe

Tense Dry Clinical Relentless Fast-paced

Overview

A cover-up that spanned four U.S. Presidents pushed the country's first female newspaper publisher and a hard-driving editor to join an unprecedented battle between journalist and government. Inspired by true events.

Themes

Publisher pressure and journalistic independence, Public-interest journalism vs government cover-up, Newspaper ethics under legal threat, Vietnam war context shaping reporting, Pentagon papers as disclosure precedent

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Vibe

Tense Claustrophobic Dry Relentless Unsentimental

Overview

After an inspiring chance encounter with his idol, rookie journalist Jay Bahadur uproots his life and moves to Somalia looking for the story of a lifetime. Hooking up with a local fixer, he attempts to get embedded with the local Somali pirates, only to quickly find himself in over his head.

Themes

Embedded journalism ethics, Media gatekeeping and censorship, Risk in field reporting, Outsider influence on piracy, Ethics of portraying crime, Recognition of cultural complexity

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Vibe

Realistic Tense Claustrophobic Bleak Restrained

Overview

Katja's life collapses after the deaths of her husband and son in a bomb attack. After a time of mourning and injustice, Katja seeks revenge.

Themes

Revenge and consequences, Trauma and coping, Racism and violence, Political extremism and fear, Vigilantism versus justice, Social fragmentation in cities

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Vibe

Dry Clinical Minimalist Measured High-pressure

Overview

Álvaro, a man obsessed with the idea of writing what he brands as “high literature,” manipulates the lives and feelings of the people around him to write about the consequences caused by his devious acts.

Themes

Obsession with high literature, Reality as material, Manipulation of others, Consequences of fiction, Ethical ambiguity in craft, Boundary violation

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Vibe

Realistic Intimate Intense Measured Charged

Overview

In contemporary Los Angeles, two millennials navigating a social media–driven hookup culture begin a relationship that pushes both emotional and physical boundaries.

Themes

Open relationship strain, Dinner party dynamics, Hookup culture pressures, Dating app culture, Open relationship jealousy

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Vibe

Realistic Tense Raw Claustrophobic Sun-drenched

Overview

The story of a precocious six year-old and her ragtag group of friends whose summer break is filled with childhood wonder, possibility and a sense of adventure while the adults around them struggle with hard times.

Themes

Economic precarity, Parent-child tension, Informal economy survival, Vulnerable youth communities, Child autonomy and safety, Social services pressure

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Vibe

Realistic Tense Intimate Raw Claustrophobic

Overview

Sixteen year-old Nisha lives a double life. At home with her family she is the perfect Pakistani daughter, but when out with her friends, she is a normal Norwegian teenager. When her father catches her in bed with her boyfriend, Nisha's two worlds brutally collide. To set an example, Nisha's parents decide to kidnap her and place her with relatives in Pakistan. Here, in a country she has never been to before, Nisha is forced to adapt to her parents' culture.

Themes

Gendered expectations, Family honor, Parental control, Cultural conflict, Reputational pressure, Forced marriage

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Vibe

Immersive Tense Dynamic Atmospheric Gritty

Overview

Members of the Granite Mountain Hotshots battle deadly wildfires to save an Arizona town.

Themes

Trauma and resilience, Leadership under scrutiny, Work obsession vs family, Heroism under danger, Loss and survivor guilt, Memorialization and memory

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Vibe

Intimate Dry Deliberate Clinical Stylish

Overview

Offbeat documentarian Chris Smith provides a behind-the-scenes look at how Jim Carrey adopted the persona of idiosyncratic comedian Andy Kaufman on the set of Man on the Moon.

Themes

Authenticity vs performance, Manipulation of perception, Backstage influence on audience, Obsession with persona, Blurring self and role, Memory shaping public image

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Vibe

Realistic Tense Claustrophobic Bleak Fast-paced

Overview

May, 1980. Man-seob is a taxi driver in Seoul who lives from hand to mouth, raising his young daughter alone. One day, he hears that there is a foreigner who will pay big money for a drive down to Gwangju city. Not knowing that he’s a German journalist with a hidden agenda, Man-seob takes the job.

Themes

Economic precarity under unrest, Duty to witness, Collective solidarity among strangers, Risk to family life, State violence and media, Democratic movement pressure

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