bleak backdrop

Movies with bleak vibe

The Lost Bus

1. The Lost Bus

Drama Mystery Thriller Family Drama Investigation Mystery
6.8
20252h 10min

Overview

A determined father risks everything to rescue a dedicated teacher and her students from a raging wildfire.

Themes

Single father resilience, School bus peril, Firemen on scene, Struggle for survival, True story framework, Children in danger

Available on

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

The Conjuring: Last Rites

2. The Conjuring: Last Rites

Horror Supernatural Horror
6.2
20252h 16min

Overview

Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren take on one last terrifying case involving mysterious entities they must confront.

Themes

Family protection under threat, Possession and control, Religious ritual as defense, Intergenerational trauma echoes, Sacred spaces contested, Artifact as conduit of danger

Available on

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

Caught Stealing

3. Caught Stealing

Crime Thriller Comedy Organized Crime Survival Thriller
7.0
20251h 47min

Overview

Burned-out ex-baseball player Hank Thompson unexpectedly finds himself embroiled in a dangerous struggle for survival amidst the criminal underbelly of late 1990s New York City, forced to navigate a treacherous underworld he never imagined.

Themes

Survival under pressure, Deception and loyalty, Money as motive, Violence and consequence, Underground crime economy, Urban crime underworld dynamics

Available on

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

Honey Don't!

4. Honey Don't!

Comedy Crime Detective Mystery Crime Dark Comedy
5.3
20251h 29min

Overview

Honey O'Donahue, a small-town private investigator, delves into a series of strange deaths tied to a mysterious church.

Themes

Loyalty under strain, Deception within institutions, Fear and coercion, Private life vs duty, Narcotrafficking networks, Gender and sexuality tensions

Available on

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

Sentimental Value

5. Sentimental Value

Drama Entertainment Industry Drama
7.9
20252h 13min

Overview

Sisters Nora and Agnes reunite with their estranged father, the charismatic Gustav, a once-renowned director who offers stage actress Nora a role in what he hopes will be his comeback film. When Nora turns it down, she soon discovers he has given her part to an eager young Hollywood star.

Themes

Dysfunctional family dynamics, Creative collaboration tensions, Filmmaking, Absent authority and memory, Home as battlefield, Careers under pressure

Available on

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

Together

6. Together

Horror Romance Supernatural Horror Dark Romance
6.7
20251h 42min

Overview

Years into their relationship, Tim and Millie find themselves at a crossroads as they move to the country, abandoning all that is familiar in their lives except each other. With tensions already flaring, a nightmarish encounter with a mysterious, unnatural force threatens to corrupt their lives, their love, and their flesh.

Themes

Trust under pressure, Eros and attachment, Grief and emotional distance, Isolation after relocation, Physical boundary breach, Coercive intimacy dynamics

Available on

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

Overview

A troubled man starts working at a retirement home and realizes its residents and caretakers harbor sinister secrets. As he investigates the building and its forbidden fourth floor, he starts to uncover connections to his own past and upbringing as a foster child.

Themes

"movie: the home. genres: mystery, Horror, Thriller, Mystery, Horror, Thriller main themes: suicide, Murder, Caretaker, Suicide, Murder, Caretaker full keywords list: suicide, Murder, Caretaker, Foster child, Retirement home, Elderly, Human experiment. concept analysis: the film explores themes of exploitation and the lengths to which individuals will go to reclaim their agency and confront their past. it serves as a commentary on the dark underbelly of care systems and the hidden traumas that can arise from familial and societal neglect."

Available on

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

I Know What You Did Last Summer

8. I Know What You Did Last Summer

Horror Mystery Thriller Slasher Horror Cover-Up Thriller
5.1
20251h 51min

Overview

When five friends inadvertently cause a deadly car accident, they cover up their involvement and make a pact to keep it a secret rather than face the consequences. A year later, their past comes back to haunt them and they're forced to confront a horrifying truth: someone knows what they did last summer…and is hell-bent on revenge.

Themes

Deception and consequences, Secrecy under pressure, Cycles of revenge, Local complicity, Survivor solidarity, Manipulation of authority

Available on

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

Sorry, Baby

9. Sorry, Baby

Drama Comedy Relationship Drama Awkward Comedy
7.1
20251h 43min

Overview

Agnes feels stuck. Unlike her best friend, Lydie, who’s moved to New York and is now expecting a baby, Agnes still lives in the New England house they once shared as graduate students, now working as a professor at her alma mater. A ‘bad thing’ happened to Agnes a few years ago and, since then, despite her best efforts, life hasn’t gotten back on track.

Themes

Female solidarity under pressure, Power dynamics in academia, Agency after assault, Trauma healing through friendship, Motherhood and professional life, Jury duty and impartiality

Available on

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

28 Years Later

10. 28 Years Later

Horror Thriller Science Fiction Zombie Horror Post-Apocalyptic Sci-Fi
6.6
20251h 55min

Overview

Twenty-eight years since the rage virus escaped a biological weapons laboratory, now, still in a ruthlessly enforced quarantine, some have found ways to exist amidst the infected. One such group lives on a small island connected to the mainland by a single, heavily-defended causeway. When one member departs on a mission into the dark heart of the mainland, he discovers secrets, wonders, and horrors that have mutated not only the infected but other survivors as well.

Themes

Survival under quarantine, Leadership under strain, Loyalty under siege, Isolation vs community, Illness and caregiving, Trust and betrayal in crisis, Death rituals and memory

Available on

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