bleak backdrop

Movies with bleak vibe

Reasonable Doubt

1111. Reasonable Doubt

Crime Thriller Courtroom Thriller Serial Killer Crime
5.7

20141h 31min

United States, Germany

Director: Peter Howitt

When up-and-coming District Attorney Mitch Brockden commits a fatal hit-and-run, he feels compelled to throw the case against the accused criminal who was found with the body and blamed for the crime. Following the trial, Mitch's worst fears come true when he realizes that he acquitted a guilty man, and he soon finds himself on the hunt for the killer before more victims pile up.

Themes

Moral compromise under pressure, Public scrutiny and duty, Deception within justice, Risk of overreach, Trust vs accountability, Collateral consequences of decisions

Available on

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

The Love Punch

1112. The Love Punch

Comedy Romance Drama Romantic Comedy Workplace Comedy
5.7

20141h 34min

United Kingdom, France

Director: Joel Hopkins

Retirement at last! Middle-aged and divorced, company owner Richard Jones is looking forward to a worry-free existence as he arrives at his office on his last day of work. Much to his dismay, he discovers that the management buyout of his company was fraudulent. The company is now bankrupt and the employee pension fund — including his own — has been embezzled. Enlisting the help of his ex-wife Kate, Richard sets out to track down the shady businessman behind the fraud.

Themes

Time pressure, Fraud exposure, Evidence driven pursuit, Retirement vulnerability, Financial betrayal, Ex-spouse collaboration

Available on

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

The Physician

1113. The Physician

Adventure Drama History Globetrotting Adventure Historical Drama
7.2

20132h 35min

Germany

Director: Philipp Stölzl

England, 1021. Rob Cole, a boy born in a miserable mining town, swears to become a physician and vanquish disease and death. His harsh path of many years, a quest for knowledge besieged by countless challenges and sacrifices, leads him to the remote Isfahan, in Persia, where he meets Ibn Sina, the greatest healer of his time.

Themes

Ethical boundaries in science, Resilience through adversity, Knowledge versus faith, Cross cultural medicine, Plague-driven hygiene, Mentorship and apprenticeship

Available on

Amazon Prime Video
Kanopy
Hoopla
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Belle and Sebastian

1114. Belle and Sebastian

Adventure Coming-of-Age Adventure
6.9

20131h 44min

France

Director: Nicolas Vanier

Belle and Sebastian is set high in the snowy Alps during the Second World War. The resourceful Sebastian is a lonely boy who tames and befriends a giant, wild mountain dog, Belle – even though the villagers believe her to be ‘the beast’ that has been killing their sheep.

Themes

Loyalty under pressure, Human animal bond, Wartime civilian resilience, Moral ambiguity in protection, Refugee aid and escape, Intergenerational guardianship

Available on

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

Walking with Dinosaurs

1115. Walking with Dinosaurs

Animation Family Adventure Family Animation Coming-of-Age Adventure
5.2

20131h 27min

Australia, India

Director: Neil Nightingale

In a time when dinosaurs rule the Earth, the smallest dinosaur of the herd, a playful Pachyrhinosaurus named Patchi, embarks on the biggest adventure of his life. As he tries to find his place in a spectacular world filled with fun-loving friends and a few dangerous foes, Patchi will discover the courage he needs to become the leader of the herd and a hero for the ages.

Themes

Loss and resilience, Loyalty under threat, Survival through cooperation, Mentor-mentee dynamics, Leadership pressure, Inter-group conflict

Available on

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

47 Ronin

1116. 47 Ronin

Drama Action Fantasy Epic Action Quest Fantasy
6.2

20131h 59min

Japan, United States

Director: Carl Rinsch

Kai—an outcast—joins Oishi, the leader of 47 outcast samurai. Together they seek vengeance upon the treacherous overlord who killed their master and banished their kind. To restore honour to their homeland, the warriors embark upon a quest that challenges them with a series of trials that would destroy ordinary warriors.

Themes

Honor under duress, Ronin loyalty under pressure, Revenge as social order, Half breed belonging, Samurai sword ethics, Shogun era tensions

Available on

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

Human Capital

1117. Human Capital

Drama Relationship Drama
7.2

20131h 51min

Italy

Director: Paolo Virzì

The destinies of two families are irrevocably tied together after a cyclist is hit off the road by a jeep in the night before Christmas Eve.

Themes

Care decisions under pressure, Interconnected families, Social disruption from accident, Fateful collision, Public perception and liability, Privilege and responsibility

Available on

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

The Railway Man

1118. The Railway Man

Drama History Historical Drama Biographical History
7.1

20131h 56min

Australia, France

Director: Jonathan Teplitzky

A victim from World War II's "Death Railway" sets out to find those responsible for his torture. A true story.

Themes

Trauma and endurance, Revenge vs restraint, Psychological scars of war, Survival after torture, Brainwashing and memory

Available on

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

Still Life

1119. Still Life

Drama Professional Drama
7.4

20131h 32min

Italy, United Kingdom

Director: Uberto Pasolini

A council case worker looks for the relatives of those found dead and alone.

Themes

Bureaucratic detachment, Loneliness and care, Compassion through ritual, Memory versus oblivion, Funeral ritual under strain, Absent kinship networks

Available on

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

Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom

1120. Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom

Drama History Historical Drama Biographical History
7.1

20132h 21min

France, South Africa

Director: Justin Chadwick

A chronicle of Nelson Mandela's life journey from his childhood in a rural village through to his inauguration as the first democratically elected president of South Africa.

Themes

Education as empowerment, Confinement to leadership, Racial injustice, Long term resilience, Reform in divided society, Public service commitment

Available on

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