documentary-style backdrop

Movies with documentary-style vibe

Juliet, Naked

1. Juliet, Naked

Comedy Drama Romance Romantic Comedy Relationship Drama
6.6
20181h 37min

Overview

Annie is stuck in a long-term relationship with Duncan – an obsessive fan of obscure rocker Tucker Crowe. When the acoustic demo of Tucker's hit record from 25 years ago surfaces, its discovery leads to a life-changing encounter with the elusive rocker himself.

Themes

Private life vs artistic fame, Fandom drives relationship strain, Communication through correspondence challenges trust, Anonymous critique shapes perception, Emotional distance amid fame, Artistic integrity under public gaze

Available on

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

Blindspotting

2. Blindspotting

Comedy Crime Drama Dark Comedy Family Drama
7.4
20181h 35min

Overview

Collin must make it through his final three days of probation for a chance at a new beginning. He and his troublemaking childhood best friend, Miles, work as movers, and when Collin witnesses a police shooting, the two men’s friendship is tested as they grapple with identity and their changed realities in the rapidly-gentrifying neighborhood they grew up in.

Themes

Loyalty under pressure, Gentrification and belonging, Urban displacement and change, Identity and community, Racial tension and policing

Available on

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

Three Identical Strangers

3. Three Identical Strangers

Documentary Biographical Documentary
7.6
20181h 37min

Overview

New York, 1980. Three complete strangers accidentally discover that they're identical triplets, separated at birth. The 19-year-olds' joyous reunion catapults them to international fame, but also unlocks an extraordinary and disturbing secret that goes beyond their own lives – and could transform our understanding of human nature forever.

Themes

Class differences, Separation at birth, Differing parenting styles, Nature vs nurture, Mental health challenges, Human subject research

Available on

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

Life of the Party

4. Life of the Party

Comedy Adult Comedy
5.6
20181h 45min

Overview

When her husband suddenly dumps her, longtime dedicated housewife Deanna turns regret into re-set by going back to college... landing in the same class and school as her daughter, who's not entirely sold on the idea. Plunging headlong into the campus experience, the increasingly outspoken Deanna – now Dee Rock – embraces freedom, fun, and frat boys on her own terms, finding her true self in a senior year no one ever expected.

Themes

Intergenerational bridges, Family vs self, Age and belonging, Financial autonomy, Adulthood reinvention, Female friendship

Available on

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

RBG

5. RBG

Documentary Biographical Documentary
7.6
20181h 38min

Overview

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg now 84, and still inspired by the lawyers who defended free speech during the Red Scare, Ginsburg refuses to relinquish her passionate duty, steadily fighting for equal rights for all citizens under the law. Through intimate interviews and unprecedented access to Ginsburg’s life outside the court, RBG tells the electric story of Ginsburg’s consuming love affairs with both the Constitution and her beloved husband Marty—and of a life’s work that led her to become an icon of justice in the highest court in the land.

Themes

Gender equality under law, Women in the judiciary, Public service perseverance, Political scrutiny and controversy, Landmark gender-rights cases, Lifelong commitment to the law

Available on

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

Behind the Curve

6. Behind the Curve

Documentary Social & Political Documentary
6.5
20181h 36min

Overview

Meet the growing, worldwide community of theorists who defend the belief that the Earth is flat while living in a society who vehemently rejects it.

Themes

Belief vs evidence, Conspiracy theory appeal, Science literacy gap, Identity through belief, Critical thinking erosion, Online community dynamics

Available on

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

The Rider

7. The Rider

Drama Western Coming-of-Age Drama Modern Western
7.4
20181h 43min

Overview

Once a rising star of the rodeo circuit, and a gifted horse trainer, young cowboy Brady is warned that his riding days are over after a horse crushed his skull at a rodeo. In an attempt to regain control of his own fate, Brady undertakes a search for a new identity and what it means to be a man in the heartland of the United States.

Themes

Economic hardship, Masculinity under pressure, Family obligation vs independence, Disability and agency, Work and identity, Caregiver strain

Available on

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

Utøya: July 22

8. Utøya: July 22

History Drama Historical Event Tragic Drama
7.2
20181h 32min

Overview

A teenage girl fights for survival and to locate her young sister during the 2011 terrorist attack at a political summer camp on the Norwegian island of Utøya.

Themes

Memory and trauma, Survival under threat, Warnings about far-right beliefs, Group resilience under duress, Extremism and societal impact, Crisis response and uncertainty

Available on

Viaplay Amazon Channel
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Vanishing of Sidney Hall

9. The Vanishing of Sidney Hall

Drama Mystery Romance Coming-of-Age Drama Whodunit
6.8
20181h 57min

Overview

Over the course of 12 years, and three stages of life, Sidney Hall falls in love, writes the book of a generation and then disappears without a trace.

Themes

Deception and betrayal, Romance under strain, Fame under pressure, Creative ambition and consequence, Family abuse cycle, Obsessive fandom

Available on

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

Eighth Grade

10. Eighth Grade

Comedy Drama Coming-of-Age Drama Awkward Comedy
7.3
20181h 34min

Overview

Thirteen-year-old Kayla endures the tidal wave of contemporary suburban adolescence as she makes her way through the last week of middle school — the end of her thus far disastrous eighth grade year — before she begins high school.

Themes

Coming of age pressures, Social media pressure, Peer acceptance challenges, Adolescent self image, Privacy and deception, Family connection strain

Available on

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