dry backdrop

Movies with dry vibe

The Triplets of Belleville

1831. The Triplets of Belleville

Animation Comedy Drama Family Family Animation
7.7

20031h 20min

France, Belgium

Director: Sylvain Chomet

When her grandson is kidnapped during the Tour de France, Madame Souza and her beloved pooch Bruno team up with the Belleville Sisters—an aged song-and-dance team from the days of Fred Astaire—to rescue him.

Themes

Duty versus desire, Loneliness and companionship, Pursuit and rescue, Survival through collaboration, Music as solace, Age and artistry

Available on

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

Bang Bang You're Dead

1832. Bang Bang You're Dead

Drama Thriller Coming-of-Age Drama Mind Game Thriller
7.7

20031h 27min

United States

Director: Guy Ferland

A troubled and bullied high school student fights against judgement from his community after threatening to bomb the football team.

Themes

School shooting threat, Bullying and peer pressure, High school violence, Ethics of retaliation, Theater as coping mechanism, Community protest and response


Capturing the Friedmans

1833. Capturing the Friedmans

Documentary Crime True Crime Documentary Con Artist Crime
7.6

20031h 47min

United States

Director: Andrew Jarecki

An Oscar nominated documentary about a middle-class American family who is torn apart when the father Arnold and son Jesse are accused of sexually abusing numerous children. Director Jarecki interviews people from different sides of this tragic story and raises the question of whether they were rightfully tried when they claim they were innocent and there was never any evidence against them.

Themes

Middle-class vulnerability, Coercive interrogation, Family under scrutiny, Memory and testimony, Public accusation and doubt

Available on

HBO Max
HBO Max Amazon Channel
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Bruce Almighty

1834. Bruce Almighty

Fantasy Comedy Parody Supernatural Fantasy
6.8

20031h 41min

United States

Director: Tom Shadyac

Bruce Nolan toils as a "human interest" television reporter in Buffalo, NY, but despite his high ratings and the love of his beautiful girlfriend, Bruce remains unfulfilled. At the end of the worst day in his life, he angrily ridicules God — and the Almighty responds, endowing Bruce with all of His divine powers.

Themes

Power with restraint, Free will limits, Spiritual test of power, Prayer driven chaos, Ambition versus humility, Media influence and trust

Available on

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

Dogville

1835. Dogville

Crime Drama Thriller Organized Crime Psychological Drama
8.0

20032h 58min

Denmark, Finland

Director: Lars von Trier

A woman on the run from the mob is reluctantly accepted in a small Colorado community in exchange for labor, but when a search visits the town, she learns that their support has a price.

Themes

Class inequality, Violence and coercion, Exploitation and labor, Betrayal and complicity, Mob mentality, Moral testing under pressure

Available on

MUBI
MUBI Amazon Channel
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Swimming Pool

1836. Swimming Pool

Crime Thriller Mind Game Thriller
6.7

20031h 42min

France, United Kingdom

Director: François Ozon

Crime novelist Sarah Morton escapes to her publisher’s serene French retreat, seeking silence, structure, and a clean new draft. But when the hedonistic Julie arrives, her diary, the pool, and a charming waiter become props in Sarah’s routine—until her carefully observed inspiration twists into a shattering reality she can no longer control.

Themes

Deception and manipulation, Creative block pressure, Solitude versus intrusion, Voyeuristic boundary crossing, Female rivalry dynamics, Generations conflict

Available on

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

Shade

1837. Shade

Action Thriller Crime Con Artist Crime Mind Game Thriller
6.3

20031h 41min

United States

Director: Damian Nieman

Tiffany, Charlie and Vernon are con artists looking to up the ante from their typical scams. They figure a good way of doing this is taking down Dean "The Dean" Stevens, a well-known cardsharp, in a rigged game. However, they first need enough money to enter a game with Stevens, so they decide to strike a deal with fellow crook Larry Jennings to scam a local gangster -- which turns out to be a bad idea.

Themes

Risk and reward, Deception under pressure, Betrayal within crime networks, Alliance volatility, Manipulation of chance, Urban legends vs reality

Available on

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

Kitchen Stories

1838. Kitchen Stories

Drama Comedy Relationship Drama Workplace Comedy
7.3

20031h 35min

Norway, Sweden

Director: Bent Hamer

Swedish efficiency researchers come to Norway for a study of Norwegian men, to optimize their use of their kitchen. Folke Nilsson (Tomas Norström) is assigned to study the habits of Isak Bjørvik (Joachim Calmeyer). By the rules of the research institute, Folke has to sit on an umpire's chair in Isak's kitchen and observe him from there, but never talk to him. Isak stops using his kitchen and observes Folke through a hole in the ceiling instead. However, the two lonely men slowly overcome the initial post-war Norwegian-Swede distrust and become friends.

Themes

Loneliness and companionship, Postwar distrust, Efficiency vs intimacy, Cross-cultural tensions, Observation as relationship catalyst, Surveillance in domestic life

Available on

SF Anytime
TV 2 Play
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The United States of Leland

1839. The United States of Leland

Crime Drama Psychological Drama
6.9

20031h 48min

United States

Director: Matthew Ryan Hoge

A withdrawn young man, Leland Fitzgerald is imprisoned for the murder of a mentally disabled boy, who also happened to be the brother of his girlfriend, Becky. As the community struggles to deal with the killing, Pearl Madison, a teacher at the prison, decides to write about Leland's case. Meanwhile, others affected by the murder, including Becky and her sister, Julie, must contend with their own problems.

Themes

Deception and betrayal, Youth and accountability, Teacher influence on youth, Family strain under tragedy, Romance amid crisis, Public perception and rumor

Available on

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

Owning Mahowny

1840. Owning Mahowny

Crime Drama Thriller Con Artist Crime Professional Drama
7.0

20031h 44min

Canada

Director: Richard Kwietniowski

Dan Mahowny was a rising star at the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce. At twenty-four he was assistant manager of a major branch in the heart of Toronto's financial district. To his colleagues he was a workaholic. To his customers, he was astute, decisive and helpful. To his friends, he was a quiet, but humorous man who enjoyed watching sports on television. To his girlfriend, he was shy but engaging. None of them knew the other side of Dan Mahowny--the side that executed the largest single-handed bank fraud in Canadian history, grossing over $10 million in eighteen months to feed his gambling obsession.

Themes

Embezzlement and fraud, Gambling addiction, Illicit funds and deception, Trust versus betrayal, Secrecy under scrutiny, Routine masking risk

Available on

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