bleak backdrop

Movies with bleak vibe

Hotel Rwanda

1621. Hotel Rwanda

Drama History War Historical Event Historical Drama
8.1

20042h 2min

United States, United Kingdom

Director: Terry George

Inspired by true events, this film takes place in Rwanda in the 1990s when more than a million Tutsis were killed in a genocide that went mostly unnoticed by the rest of the world. Hotel owner Paul Rusesabagina houses over a thousand refuges in his hotel in attempt to save their lives.

Themes

Shelter under siege, State violence, Refugee protection, Militia brutality, Survival under crisis, International inaction

Available on

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

Flight of the Phoenix

1622. Flight of the Phoenix

Action Adventure Drama Survival Adventure Epic Action
6.1

20041h 53min

United States

Director: John Moore

When an oil rig in the Gobi Desert of Mongolia proves unproductive, an aircraft crew are sent to shut the operation down and fly them out. On the flight out over the desert on the way to Beijing, Capt. Frank Towns and co-pilot A.J. are unable to keep their cargo plane, a C-119 Flying Boxcar, in the air when a violent sandstorm strikes. Crash-landing in a remote uncharted part of the desert, the two pilots and their passengers -- a crew of oil workers and a drifter -- must work together to survive by rebuilding the aircraft. Soon, low supplies and a band of merciless smugglers add even greater urgency to their task.

Themes

Desert isolation, Resource scarcity, Crisis leadership under pressure, Bandit threat, Collaborative problem solving, Interpersonal conflict under stress

Available on

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

Hawking

1623. Hawking

Drama TV Movie Historical Drama True-Story TV Movie
7.4

20041h 30min

United Kingdom

Director: Philip Martin

The story of Professor Stephen Hawking's early years. It is 1963, and our young cosmologist celebrates his 21st birthday. At the party is a new friend, Jane Wilde - there is a strong attraction between the two. Jane is intrigued by Stephen's talk of stars and the Universe. But she realises that there is something very wrong when Stephen suddenly finds that he is unable to stand up.

Themes

Illness and resilience, Mentorship under doubt, Romantic support in crisis, Topology as tool, Pursuit under constraint, Phd thesis, Cambridge university

Available on

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

Control

1624. Control

Thriller Action Mindfuck Thriller
6.2

20041h 44min

United States, Canada

Director: Tim Hunter

Lee Ray Oliver, a death row inmate, is given a second chance at life if he agrees to undergo a new chemical treatment used to modify behavior.

Themes

Ethics of experimentation, Surveillance and autonomy, False identity consequences, Control vs guidance, Therapy vs placebo, Rehabilitation paradox

Available on

The Roku Channel
Plex
Plex Channel
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Million Dollar Baby

1625. Million Dollar Baby

Drama Professional Drama
8.1

20042h 12min

Switzerland, United States

Director: Clint Eastwood

Despondent over a painful estrangement from his daughter, trainer Frankie Dunn isn't prepared for boxer Maggie Fitzgerald to enter his life. But Maggie's determined to go pro and to convince Dunn and his cohort to help her.

Themes

Gender barriers in sport, Mentorship under pressure, Ambition vs family welfare, Sacrifice for career, Exploitation in sport, Resilience through injury

Available on

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

The Place Promised in Our Early Days

1626. The Place Promised in Our Early Days

Animation Adventure Drama Romance Anime
6.8

20041h 30min

Japan

Director: Makoto Shinkai

In a post-war alternative timeline, Japan is divided into the North, controlled by the Union, and the South, controlled by the United States. A mysterious high tower rises within the borders of the Union. Three high school students promise to cross the border with a self-built airplane and unravel the secret of the tower.

Themes

Loyalty and betrayal, Identity under pressure, Memory vs reality, Technology and power, Occupation and resistance, Ethical warfare and manipulation

Available on

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

Noel

1627. Noel

Drama Romance Bittersweet Romance Relationship Drama
6.1

20041h 36min

Canada, United States

Director: Chazz Palminteri

With Christmas Eve just around the corner in bustling New York, five lonely and sad strangers find their lives inadvertently intersected.

Themes

Jealousy and insecurity, Caregiving burden, Intergenerational care, Urban loneliness, Faith vs doubt, Emotional healing

Available on

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

District B13

1628. District B13

Action Thriller Science Fiction Epic Action Dystopian Sci-Fi
7.1

20041h 24min

France

Director: Pierre Morel

Set in the ghettos of Paris in 2010, an undercover cop and ex-thug try to infiltrate a gang in order to defuse a neutron bomb.

Themes

Class inequality, Deception and betrayal, Loyalty under pressure, Survival under siege, State oppression, Urban marginalization

Available on

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

The Hidden Blade

1629. The Hidden Blade

Drama Romance Historical Drama Passionate Romance
7.7

20042h 12min

Japan

Director: Yoji Yamada

Set in 19th Century Japan a young samurai who finds himself in love with a farm girl leaves his home to begin a new life. He has to take stock of his new life when he is put to the test and ordered to kill a traitor who just happens to be his dearest friend.

Themes

Class inequality, Duty vs desire, Social hierarchy, Romance under constraint, Honor vs happiness, Modernization pressure

Available on

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

Birth

1630. Birth

Drama Mystery Relationship Drama Unreliable Perspective Mystery
6.3

20041h 40min

Germany, United Kingdom

Director: Jonathan Glazer

It took Anna 10 years to recover from the death of her husband, Sean, but now she's on the verge of marrying her boyfriend, Joseph, and finally moving on. However, on the night of her engagement party, a young boy named Sean turns up, saying he is her dead husband reincarnated. At first she ignores the child, but his knowledge of her former husband's life is uncanny, leading her to believe that he might be telling the truth.

Themes

Family loyalty under pressure, Memory as evidence, Love and obsession, Grief and moving on, Belief and skepticism, Infidelity and memory

Available on

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