sober backdrop

Movies with sober vibe

Australia

1. Australia

Adventure Romance Drama Adventure Epic Romantic Epic
6.6
20082h 45min

Overview

Set in northern Australia before World War II, an English aristocrat who inherits a sprawling ranch reluctantly pacts with a stock-man in order to protect her new property from a takeover plot. As the pair drive 2,000 head of cattle over unforgiving landscape, they experience the bombing of Darwin by Japanese forces firsthand.

Themes

Duty vs desire, Trust under pressure, Land ownership conflict, Economic monopoly, Racial prejudice and kinship, War disruption and evacuation

Available on

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

Manderlay

2. Manderlay

Drama Historical Drama
7.2
20052h 19min

Overview

In 1933, a young woman and her father discover an Alabama plantation whose inhabitants live as if slavery had never been abolished. Feeling a sense of duty to those behind the heavy gates, she stays to liberate the people and see them through their first harvest. With four of her father's colleagues and a lawyer, she faces the daunting task of resurrecting the place known as Manderlay.

Themes

Post abolition governance, Labor ownership reversal, Racial equality rhetoric, Economic power struggle, Trust and authority fractures, Community self rule

Available on

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

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

3. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

Adventure Fantasy Action Epic Fantasy Survival Adventure
9.0
20033h 21min

Overview

As armies mass for a final battle that will decide the fate of the world--and powerful, ancient forces of Light and Dark compete to determine the outcome--one member of the Fellowship of the Ring is revealed as the noble heir to the throne of the Kings of Men. Yet, the sole hope for triumph over evil lies with a brave hobbit, Frodo, who, accompanied by his loyal friend Sam and the hideous, wretched Gollum, ventures deep into the very dark heart of Mordor on his seemingly impossible quest to destroy the Ring of Power.​

Themes

Volcano setting destiny, Giant spider danger, Bravery under siege, King's authority challenged, Ring as burden, Wizard guidance under pressure

Available on

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

Overview

In a dystopian future, insurance fraud investigator William Gold arrives in Shanghai to investigate a forgery ring for "papelles", futuristic passports that record people's identities and genetics. Gold falls for Maria Gonzalez, the woman in charge of the forgeries. After a passionate affair, Gold returns home, having named a coworker as the culprit. But when one of Gonzalez's customers is found dead, Gold is sent back to Shanghai to complete the investigation.

Themes

Deception within institutions, Forbidden romance, Biopolitical class divide, Papeles governance, Memory erasure ethics, Surveillance borders

Available on

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

The Life of David Gale

5. The Life of David Gale

Drama Thriller Crime Legal Drama Courtroom Thriller
7.5
20032h 10min

Overview

A man against capital punishment is accused of murdering a fellow activist and is sent to death row.

Themes

Deception and framing, Institutional bias, Death penalty debate, Media accountability, Activism vs punishment, Reputation vulnerability

Available on

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

City by the Sea

6. City by the Sea

Crime Drama Mystery Police Procedural Tragic Drama
6.1
20021h 48min

Overview

Vincent LaMarca is a dedicated and well-respected New York City police detective who has gone to great lengths to distance himself from his past, but then makes the terrible discovery that his own son has fallen into a life of crime.

Themes

Legacy of violence, Loyalty under pressure, Family duty vs career, Toll of crime on kin, Protective instincts vs duty, Estranged kin dynamics

Available on

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

The Crimson Rivers

7. The Crimson Rivers

Crime Mystery Thriller Serial Killer Crime Investigation Mystery
6.9
20001h 46min

Overview

Two French policemen, one investigating a grisly murder at a remote mountain college, the other working on the desecration of a young girl's grave by skinheads, are brought together by the clues from their respective cases. Soon after they start working together, more murders are committed, and the pair begin to discover just what dark secrets are behind the killings.

Themes

Graveyard desecration, Skinhead violence, Intellectual elitism vs village, Mountain isolation, Inbreeding consequences, Ritual murder motifs

Available on

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

Erin Brockovich

8. Erin Brockovich

Drama Legal Drama
7.5
20002h 11min

Overview

A twice-divorced mother of three who sees an injustice, takes on the bad guy and wins -- with a little help from her push-up bra. Erin goes to work for an attorney and comes across medical records describing illnesses clustered in one nearby town. She starts investigating and soon exposes a monumental cover-up.

Themes

Investigative persistence, Environmental injustice, Community mobilization, Corporate negligence, Legal accountability

Available on

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