bleak backdrop

Movies with bleak vibe

Rust and Bone

1251. Rust and Bone

Drama Romance Tragic Drama Bittersweet Romance
7.4

20122h 3min

France, Belgium

Director: Jacques Audiard

Put in charge of his young son, Ali leaves Belgium for Antibes to live with his sister and her husband as a family. Ali's bond with Stephanie, a killer whale trainer, grows deeper after Stephanie suffers a horrible accident.

Themes

Economic precarity, Surveillance and control, Parental responsibility, Trauma and recovery, Disability adaptation

Available on

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

Hick

1252. Hick

Comedy Drama Coming-of-Age Drama Dark Comedy
5.5

20121h 39min

United States

Director: Derick Martini

A pistol-packing teen meets an unstable rebel and a cocaine-snorting drifter as she hitchhikes her way out West.

Themes

Deception and manipulation, Displacement and belonging, Dangerous relationships, Unreliable guardianship, Child abandonment impact, Survival and flight

Available on

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

Reality

1253. Reality

Drama Comedy Dark Comedy Family Drama
6.8

20121h 57min

France, Italy

Director: Matteo Garrone

A dark comedy centering on the lives of a Neapolitan based family whose father, a fish merchant, is so infatuated with the reality TV show "Grande Fratello" (the Italian version of "Big Brother") he starts living his life as if he were on it.

Themes

Family pressure under spectacle, Media influence on identity, Economic aspiration and risk, Visibility through cameras, Status through reality, Generosity as performance

Available on

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

Bernie

1254. Bernie

Comedy Crime Drama Dark Comedy Con Artist Crime
6.8

20121h 39min

United States

Director: Richard Linklater

In small-town Texas, affable and popular mortician Bernie Tiede strikes up a friendship with Marjorie Nugent, a wealthy widow well known for her sour attitude. When she becomes controlling and abusive, Bernie goes to great lengths to remove himself from her grasp.

Themes

Crime and consequence, Wealth as leverage, Community complicity and loyalty, Emotional abuse and dependency, Public adoration vs scrutiny, Legal strategy and venue change

Available on

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

The Cabin in the Woods

1255. The Cabin in the Woods

Horror Mystery Comedy Supernatural Horror Parody
7.0

20121h 35min

United States

Director: Drew Goddard

Five friends set out for a weekend at a remote cabin in the woods, expecting nothing more than fun and relaxation. As night falls, they discover that something far more unsettling is at work and that nothing about their getaway is what it seems.

Themes

Control systems govern outcomes, Rituals demand sacrifice, Archetypes trigger violence, Deception drives tension, Hidden agendas distort perception, Survival hinges on illusion

Available on

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

A Royal Affair

1256. A Royal Affair

Drama History Romance Historical Drama Passionate Romance
7.5

20122h 17min

Czechia, Denmark

Director: Nikolaj Arcel

A young queen falls in love with her physician, and they start a revolution that changes their nation forever.

Themes

Abolition of torture, Abolition of censorship, Reduction of aristocratic power, Enlightenment influence on governance, Romance amid reform, Coup and regime change

Available on

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

Sinister

1257. Sinister

Horror Thriller Mystery Psychological Horror Investigation Mystery
6.8

20121h 50min

Canada, United States

Director: Scott Derrickson

A once-famous writer moves into a new house with his family, hoping to find inspiration for a new book. In the attic, he discovers a box of old film reels and soon realizes they’re more than just recordings of real, gruesome deaths — someone has been doing this for years.

Themes

Family under siege, Occult influence on youth, Obsession with notoriety, Haunted home signs, Cycle of murder, Documentary footage spectacle

Available on

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

Wrath of the Titans

1258. Wrath of the Titans

Fantasy Adventure Action Mythological Fantasy Epic Action
5.7

20121h 39min

Spain, United States

Director: Jonathan Liebesman

Perseus tries to live a quieter life as a village fisherman while – dangerously weakened by humanity's lack of devotion – the gods are losing control of the long-imprisoned Titans and their ferocious leader, Kronos.

Themes

Duty versus family, Loss of devotion, Divine power erosion, Treachery and power, Mortality of gods, Quest for weapons

Available on

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

Farewell, My Queen

1259. Farewell, My Queen

Drama History Historical Drama Historical Event
6.2

20121h 40min

France, Spain

Director: Benoît Jacquot

A look at the relationship between Marie Antoinette and one of her readers during the final days of the French Revolution.

Themes

Loyalty under pressure, Identity through disguise, Survival through deception, Performative roles in court, Class and status borders, Power and spectacle

Available on

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

The Tall Man

1260. The Tall Man

Horror Mystery Thriller Supernatural Horror Whodunit
5.9

20121h 46min

Canada, France

Director: Pascal Laugier

When her child goes missing, a mother looks to unravel the legend of the Tall Man, an entity who allegedly abducts children.

Themes

Poverty and abandonment, Risk in rescue operations, Urban legend vs reality, Deceptive guardianship, Loyalty among caregivers, Cycles of poverty and abuse

Available on

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