procedural backdrop

Movies with procedural vibe

231. The Whistleblower

The Whistleblower
Drama Thriller Crime Political Thriller Political Drama
7.1
20101h 52minCanada, Germany
Director: Larysa Kondracki

Overview

Nebraska cop Kathryn Bolkovac discovers a deadly sex trafficking ring while serving as a U.N. peacekeeper in post-war Bosnia. Risking her own life to save the lives of others, she uncovers an international conspiracy that is determined to stop her, no matter the cost.

Themes

Institutional corruption, International power dynamics, Whistleblower risk, Accountability vs immunity, Gender-based exploitation, Victims' testimony

Available on

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

232. Unthinkable

Unthinkable
Drama Thriller Political Thriller
7.0
20101h 37minUnited States
Director: Gregor Jordan

Overview

Police arrest a terrorist who claims he has planted several nuclear devices in different U.S. cities and is ready to detonate them. An FBI agent is tasked with finding out the truth and locating the bombs by any means necessary.

Themes

Coercive interrogation, State violence and harm, Deception in crisis, Ethical limits of torture, Civilian collateral damage, Authority vs humanity, Fear under pressure

Available on

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

233. Green Zone

Green Zone
War Action Adventure Drama Thriller
6.8
20101h 55minFrance, Japan
Director: Paul Greengrass

Overview

During the U.S.-led occupation of Baghdad in 2003, Chief Warrant Officer Roy Miller and his team of Army inspectors are dispatched to find weapons of mass destruction believed to be stockpiled in the Iraqi desert. Rocketing from one booby-trapped and treacherous site to the next, the men search for deadly chemical agents but stumble instead upon an elaborate cover-up that threatens to invert the purpose of their mission.

Themes

Loyalty under pressure, Media scrutiny, Intel manipulation, Institutional deception, Bureaucratic cover up, Accountability in war

Available on

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

234. Shutter Island

Shutter Island
Drama Thriller Mystery Mind Game Thriller Investigation Mystery
8.2
20102h 18minUnited States
Director: Martin Scorsese

Overview

On an isolated island that houses a psychiatric facility for the most dangerous patients, one of the inmates disappears without a trace. War veteran and U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels arrives on the island with his partner to investigate the mysterious disappearance.

Themes

Institutional control, Isolation and confinement, Ethics of experimentation, Unreliable perception, Deception and mind games, Memory vs trauma

Available on

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

235. Extraordinary Measures

Extraordinary Measures
Drama Family Drama
6.4
20101h 46minUnited States
Director: Tom Vaughan

Overview

Working-class father John Crowley is finally on the fast track to corporate success when his two young children are diagnosed with Pompe disease—a condition that prevents the body from breaking down sugar. With the support of his wife, John ditches his career and teams with unconventional specialist, Dr. Robert Stonehill to found a bio-tech company and develop a cure in time to save the lives of his children. As Dr. Stonehill works tirelessly to prove the theories that made him the black sheep of the medical community, a powerful bond is forged between the two unlikely allies.

Themes

Venture funding pressures, Family sacrifice for science, Profit motive vs patient care, Scientific persistence under constraints, Unorthodox collaboration, Time pressure in research

Available on

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

236. Harry Brown

Harry Brown
Thriller Crime Drama Action Revenge Thriller
7.2
20091h 43minUnited Kingdom
Director: Daniel Barber

Overview

An elderly ex-serviceman and widower looks to avenge his best friend's murder by doling out his own form of justice.

Themes

Vigilante justice, Aging veteran trauma, Estate violence, Police riot response, Drug dealing economy, Self-defense justification

Available on

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

237. A Prophet

A Prophet
Crime Drama Prison Crime
7.8
20092h 35minFrance, Italy
Director: Jacques Audiard

Overview

Sentenced to six years in prison, Malik El Djebena is alone in the world and can neither read nor write. On his arrival at the prison, he seems younger and more brittle than the others detained there. At once he falls under the sway of a group of Corsicans who enforce their rule in the prison. As the 'missions' go by, he toughens himself and wins the confidence of the Corsican group.

Themes

Manipulation and control, Loyalty under pressure, Prison faction power, Illiteracy as vulnerability, Protection through violence, Outside criminal networks

Available on

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

238. Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance

Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance
Animation Science Fiction Action Drama Anime
7.9
20091h 52minJapan
Director: Masayuki

Overview

Under constant attack by monstrous creatures called Angels that seek to eradicate humankind, U.N. Special Agency NERV introduces two new EVA pilots to help defend the city of Tokyo-3: the mysterious Makinami Mari Illustrous and the intense Asuka Langley Shikinami. Meanwhile, Gendo Ikari and SEELE proceed with a secret project that involves both Rei and Shinji.

Themes

Trust under strain, Duty versus autonomy, Humanity under siege, Authority and manipulation, Parental bonds under strain, Identity in crisis

Available on

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

239. Exam

Exam
Thriller Mystery Mind Game Thriller Locked-Room Mystery
6.7
20091h 37minUnited Kingdom
Director: Stuart Hazeldine

Overview

Eight talented candidates have reached the final stage of selection to join the ranks of a mysterious and powerful corporation. Entering a windowless room, where an armed guard keeps watch, they are given 80 minutes to answer one simple question.

Themes

Corporation manipulation, Final exam anxiety, Armed guard presence, Pandemic stakes, Windowless room confinement, Pill ethics

Available on

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

240. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Drama Thriller Crime Mystery Investigation Suspense
7.8
20092h 32minDenmark, Germany
Director: Niels Arden Oplev

Overview

Swedish thriller based on Stieg Larsson's novel about a male journalist and a young female hacker. In the opening of the movie, Mikael Blomkvist, a middle-aged publisher for the magazine Millennium, loses a libel case brought by corrupt Swedish industrialist Hans-Erik Wennerström. Nevertheless, he is hired by Henrik Vanger in order to solve a cold case, the disappearance of Vanger's niece

Themes

Female empowerment, Abuse and guardianship, Legacy and accountability, Antisemitism and family secrecy, Corruption and exposure, Investigative collaboration under pressure

Available on

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