procedural backdrop

Movies with procedural vibe

Europa Report

191. Europa Report

Science Fiction Thriller Space Sci-Fi Survival Thriller
6.4

20131h 30min

United States

Director: Sebastián Cordero

An international team of astronauts sets out for Europa, one of Jupiter's moons, which scientists consider one of the most promising celestial bodies in the search for extraterrestrial life. Their mission is to explore the moon's subsurface ocean, but soon after arrival they encounter a series of dangerous technical malfunctions.

Themes

Found footage aesthetics, Private mission ethics, Pursuit of extraterrestrial life form, Isolation aboard spacecraft, Risk of space travel, Space adventure challenges

Available on

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

Particle Fever

192. Particle Fever

Documentary Biographical Documentary
7.4

20131h 39min

United States

Director: Mark Levinson

As the Large Hadron Collider is about to be launched for the first time, physicists are on the cusp of the greatest scientific discovery of all time - or perhaps their greatest failure.

Themes

Theory vs experiment tension, Scientific ambition under pressure, Uncertainty in data interpretation, Competition of ideas, Public perception and risk, Collaboration under scrutiny

Available on

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

Only God Forgives

193. Only God Forgives

Drama Thriller Crime Narcotics Crime Revenge Thriller
5.7

20131h 29min

Denmark, France

Director: Nicolas Winding Refn

Julian, who runs a Thai boxing club as a front organization for his family's drug smuggling operation, is forced by his mother Crystal to find and kill the individual responsible for his brother's recent death.

Themes

Family loyalty under pressure, Corruption and complicity, Violence as control, Cycles of vengeance, Power through fear, Exploitation and coercion

Available on

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

The Reluctant Fundamentalist

194. The Reluctant Fundamentalist

Thriller Political Thriller
6.8

20132h 10min

Qatar, United States

Director: Mira Nair

In New York, a Pakistani native finds that his American Dream has collapsed in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Themes

Economic precarity, Surveillance and control, Cross-cultural tension, Homeland vs dream, Disillusionment with institutions, Diasporic belonging

Available on

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

G.I. Joe: Retaliation

195. G.I. Joe: Retaliation

Action Science Fiction Adventure Thriller Military Action
5.7

20131h 50min

Canada, United States

Director: Jon M. Chu

Framed for crimes against the country, the G.I. Joe team is terminated by Presidential order. This forces the G.I. Joes into not only fighting their mortal enemy Cobra; they are forced to contend with threats from within the government that jeopardize their very existence.

Themes

Loyalty under duress, Deception in leadership, Technology-driven conflict, Covert operations and accountability, Civilian control of military power, Power under political pressure

Available on

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

The Call

196. The Call

Crime Thriller Kidnapping & Captivity Thriller Detective Mystery Crime
6.7

20131h 34min

United States

Director: Brad Anderson

Jordan Turner is an experienced 911 operator but when she makes an error in judgment and a call ends badly, Jordan is rattled and unsure if she can continue. But when teenager Casey Welson is abducted in the back of a man's car and calls 911, Jordan is the one called upon to use all of her experience, insights and quick thinking to help Casey escape, and not just to save her, but to make sure the man is brought to justice.

Themes

Kidnapping dynamics, Torture chamber motif, Gas station violence, Serial killer blueprint, Cell phone leverage, Emergency services pressure

Available on

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

Snitch

197. Snitch

Thriller Drama Action Domestic Thriller Family Drama
6.4

20131h 52min

United Arab Emirates, United States

Director: Ric Roman Waugh

Construction company owner John Matthews learns that his estranged son, Jason, has been arrested for drug trafficking. Facing an unjust prison sentence for a first time offender courtesy of mandatory minimum sentence laws, Jason has nothing to offer for leniency in good conscience. Desperately, John convinces the DEA and the opportunistic DA Joanne Keeghan to let him go undercover to help make arrests big enough to free his son in return. With the unwitting help of an ex-con employee, John enters the narcotics underworld where every move could be his last in an operation that will demand all his resources, wits and courage to survive.

Themes

Parental duty vs risk, Coercive informant leverage, Money as leverage in crime, Dual loyalties and coercion, Cartel violence and capture risk, Deception within the justice system

Available on

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

Resolution

198. Resolution

Horror Thriller Mystery Psychological Horror Kidnapping & Captivity Thriller
6.4

20131h 33min

United States

Director: Justin Benson

A man imprisons his estranged junkie friend in an isolated cabin in the boonies of San Diego to force him through a week of sobriety, but the events of that week are being mysteriously manipulated.

Themes

Trust under pressure, Isolation and entrapment, Power of storytelling, Addiction and coercive sobriety, Deception and shifting realities

Available on

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

Jack Reacher

199. Jack Reacher

Crime Drama Thriller Action One-Person Army
7.0

20122h 10min

United States

Director: Christopher McQuarrie

One morning in an ordinary town, five people are shot dead in a seemingly random attack. All evidence points to a single suspect: an ex-military sniper who is quickly brought into custody. The interrogation yields one written note: 'Get Jack Reacher!'. Reacher, an enigmatic ex-Army investigator, believes the authorities have the right man but agrees to help the sniper's defense attorney. However, the more Reacher delves into the case, the less clear-cut it appears. So begins an extraordinary chase for the truth, pitting Jack Reacher against an unexpected enemy, with a skill for violence and a secret to keep.

Themes

Deception and framing, Family ties under pressure, Lone investigator ethics, Mob influence on justice, Evidence ambiguity, Duty vs accountability

Available on

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

Zero Dark Thirty

200. Zero Dark Thirty

Thriller Drama Political Thriller Historical Drama
7.4

20122h 37min

United States

Director: Kathryn Bigelow

A chronicle of the decade-long hunt for al-Qaeda terrorist leader Osama bin Laden after the September 2001 attacks, and his death at the hands of the Navy S.E.A.L. Team 6 in May, 2011.

Themes

Executive decision pressure, Interrogation ethics debates, High-stakes intelligence work, Institutional secrecy accountability, Pursuit and collateral costs, Risk assessment under uncertainty

Available on

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