cerebral backdrop

Movies with cerebral vibe

Trance

1. Trance

Thriller Crime Drama Mystery Mind Game Thriller
6.9
20131h 41min

Overview

A violent gang enlists the help of a hypnotherapist in an attempt to locate a painting which somehow vanished in the middle of a heist.

Themes

Deception and manipulation, Betrayal and trust, Risk and consequence, Memory manipulation, Coercive persuasion, Blurred loyalties

Available on

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

The Best Offer

2. The Best Offer

Drama Romance Crime Relationship Drama Passionate Romance
7.8
20132h 11min

Overview

Virgil Oldman is a world renowned antiques expert and auctioneer. An eccentric genius, he leads a solitary life, going to extreme lengths to keep his distance from the messiness of human relationships. When appointed by the beautiful but emotionally damaged Claire to oversee the valuation and sale of her family’s priceless art collection, Virgil allows himself to form an attachment to her – and soon he is engulfed by a passion which will rock his bland existence to the core.

Themes

Auctioneer manipulation, Confidence game in art, Isolation and intimacy, Art world norms, Forgery and authenticity, Agoraphobia and enclosure

Available on

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

A Late Quartet

3. A Late Quartet

Music Drama Narrative Musical Relationship Drama
7.1
20121h 46min

Overview

When the beloved cellist of a world-renowned string quartet is diagnosed with a life threatening illness, the group's future suddenly hangs in the balance as suppressed emotions, competing egos and uncontrollable passions threaten to derail years of friendship and collaboration. As they are about to play their 25th anniversary concert — quite possibly their last — only their intimate bond and the power of music can preserve their legacy.

Themes

Intergenerational conflict, Creative collaboration under strain, Role renegotiation, Illness as pressure, Ego vs loyalty, Deception and boundaries

Available on

Apple TV
Starz Apple TV Channel
Amazon Prime Video Free with Ads
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Hannah Arendt

4. Hannah Arendt

Drama Historical Drama
7.1
20121h 53min

Overview

A portrait of the genius that shook the world with her discovery of “the banality of evil.” After she attends the Nazi Adolf Eichmann’s trial in Jerusalem, Arendt dares to write about the Holocaust in terms no one has ever heard before. Her work instantly provokes a furious scandal, and Arendt stands strong as she is attacked by friends and foes alike. But as the German-Jewish émigré also struggles to suppress her own painful associations with the past, the film exposes her beguiling blend of arrogance and vulnerability — revealing a soul defined and derailed by exile.

Themes

Ordinary people and evil, Bureaucratic rationalization of evil, Censorship and public outrage, Journalism's role in moral debate, Memory and guilt after trauma, Exile and intellectual isolation

Available on

Apple TV
Kanopy
Hoopla
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Side by Side

5. Side by Side

Documentary Biographical Documentary
7.6
20121h 39min

Overview

Since the invention of cinema, the standard format for recording moving images has been film. Over the past two decades, a new form of digital filmmaking has emerged, creating a groundbreaking evolution in the medium. Keanu Reeves explores the development of cinema and the impact of digital filmmaking via in-depth interviews with Hollywood masters, such as James Cameron, David Fincher, David Lynch, Christopher Nolan, Martin Scorsese, George Lucas, Steven Soderbergh, and many more.

Themes

Digital vs film, Future vision, Artistic revolution, Workflows and craft, Artistic legacy, Technological impact

Available on

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

Game Change

6. Game Change

TV Movie Drama Comedy History Political Drama
7.4
20121h 58min

Overview

During the Republican run of the 2008 Presidential election, candidate John McCain picks a relative unknown, Alaskan governor Sarah Palin, to be his running mate. As the campaign kicks into high gear, her lack of experience, in both political and media savvy, becomes a drain upon McCain and his strategists.

Themes

Media scrutiny, Image vs competence, Base appeal vs mainstream, Rapid vetting pressures, Negative campaigning tactics, Leadership credibility under fire

Available on

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

We Are Legion: The Story of the Hacktivists

7. We Are Legion: The Story of the Hacktivists

Documentary Social & Political Documentary
7.2
20121h 33min

Overview

Takes us inside the world of Anonymous, the radical "hacktivist" collective that has redefined civil disobedience for the digital age. The film explores early hacktivist groups like Cult of the Dead Cow and Electronic Disturbance Theater, then moves to Anonymous' raucous beginnings on the website 4chan. Through interviews with current members, people recently returned from prison or facing trial, writers, academics, activists and major players in various "raids," the documentary traces Anonymous’ evolution from merry pranksters to a full-blown movement with a global reach, the most transformative civil disobedience of our time.

Themes

Digital activism, Copyright abuse critique, Online civil disobedience, Decentralized protest dynamics, Privacy vs surveillance, Anti censorship battles

Available on

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

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol

8. Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol

Action Thriller Adventure Spy Action Political Thriller
7.4
20112h 13min

Overview

Ethan Hunt and his team are racing against time to track down a dangerous terrorist named Hendricks, who has gained access to Russian nuclear launch codes and is planning a strike on the United States. An attempt to stop him ends in an explosion causing severe destruction to the Kremlin and the IMF to be implicated in the bombing, forcing the President to disavow them. No longer being aided by the government, Ethan and his team chase Hendricks around the globe, although they might still be too late to stop a disaster.

Themes

Deception and betrayal, Identity and disguise, Team cohesion under threat, Institutional disavowal, Secrecy and oversight, Global pursuit under pressure

Available on

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

Unknown

9. Unknown

Action Mystery Thriller Spy Action Mindbender Mystery
6.8
20111h 53min

Overview

A man awakens from a coma, only to discover that someone has taken on his identity and that no one, (not even his wife), believes him. With the help of a young woman, he sets out to prove who he is.

Themes

Deception under pressure, False appearances, Trust and doubt, Covert networks and manipulation, Identity and agency, Information as leverage

Available on

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

Black Swan

10. Black Swan

Drama Thriller Horror Psychological Drama Mind Game Thriller
8.0
20101h 48min

Overview

A committed dancer struggles to maintain her sanity after winning the lead role in a production of Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake".

Themes

Obsession and control, Competition pressure, Hallucination vs reality, Paranoia under scrutiny, Theater dynamics, Pointe shoes discipline

Available on

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