contemplative backdrop

Movies with contemplative vibe

The Art of Racing in the Rain

11. The Art of Racing in the Rain

Drama Romance Family Drama Bittersweet Romance
7.6

20191h 49min

United States

Director: Simon Curtis

A family dog – with a near-human soul and a philosopher's mind – evaluates his life through the lessons learned by his human owner, a race-car driver.

Themes

Duty vs family, Family resilience, Dog loyalty, Brain tumor impact, Race car driver ambition, Child custody

Available on

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

At Eternity's Gate

12. At Eternity's Gate

Drama Historical Drama
6.9

20181h 51min

France, Switzerland

Director: Julian Schnabel

Famed but tormented artist Vincent van Gogh spends his final years in Arles, France, painting masterworks of the natural world that surrounds him.

Themes

Meaning in nature, Mental health and art, Family ties and support, Artistic solitude, Fame and torment, Public mockery and alienation

Available on

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

The Children Act

13. The Children Act

Drama Legal Drama
6.7

20181h 45min

United Kingdom, United States

Director: Richard Eyre

In the midst of a marital crisis, a High Court judge must decide if she should order a life-saving blood transfusion for a teen with cancer despite his family's refusal to accept medical treatment for religious reasons.

Themes

Professional duty vs personal life, Minor welfare vs parental rights, Marital strain and loneliness, Judicial authority and autonomy, Religion vs medicine, Emotional burden of crisis

Available on

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

Mary Magdalene

14. Mary Magdalene

Drama Historical Drama
5.9

20182h

Australia, Italy

Director: Garth Davis

In the first century, free-spirited Mary Magdalene flees the marriage her family has arranged for her, finding refuge and a sense of purpose in a radical new movement led by the charismatic, rabble-rousing preacher named Jesus.

Themes

Agency against arranged marriage, Marginalization and stigma, Dissent within male circles, Spiritual authority contested, Gendered leadership dynamics, Voice persistence under pressure

Available on

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

On Chesil Beach

15. On Chesil Beach

Drama Romance Relationship Drama Bittersweet Romance
6.3

20181h 50min

United Kingdom

Director: Dominic Cooke

In 1962 England, a young couple finds their idyllic romance colliding with issues of sexual freedom and societal pressure, leading to an awkward and fateful wedding night.

Themes

Class inequality, Gender expectations, Societal pressure, Parental trauma, Sexual anxiety, Marriage instability

Available on

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

Lucky

16. Lucky

Drama Psychological Drama
7.3

20171h 28min

United States

Director: John Carroll Lynch

Follows the journey of a 90-year-old atheist and the quirky characters that inhabit his off-the-map desert town. He finds himself at the precipice of life, thrust into a journey of self-exploration.

Themes

Desert isolation and community, Aging and impermanence, Secular search for meaning, Memory as connection, Ordinary rituals and resilience, Fragility of life

Available on

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

I Am Not Your Negro

17. I Am Not Your Negro

Documentary Social & Political Documentary
7.9

20171h 33min

Belgium, France

Director: Raoul Peck

Working from the text of James Baldwin’s unfinished final novel, director Raoul Peck creates a meditation on what it means to be Black in the United States.

Themes

Racial inequality, Economic exploitation, White supremacy, National identity and accountability, Civil rights struggle, Media representation

Available on

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

Collateral Beauty

18. Collateral Beauty

Drama Romance Tragic Drama Bittersweet Romance
6.8

20161h 37min

United States

Director: David Frankel

Retreating from life after a tragedy, a man questions the universe by writing to Love, Time and Death. Receiving unexpected answers, he begins to see how these things interlock and how even loss can reveal moments of meaning and beauty.

Themes

Friendship under pressure, Group therapy dynamics, Death as turning point, Grief as catalyst, Loss shaping bonds, Despair as social force

Available on

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

Blue Jay

19. Blue Jay

Drama Romance Relationship Drama Bittersweet Romance
7.3

20161h 21min

United States

Director: Alexandre Lehmann

Meeting by chance when they return to their tiny California hometown, two former high-school sweethearts reflect on their shared past.

Themes

Family dynamics under strain, Past relationship tension, Honesty vs hurt, Revisiting youth memories, Memory versus present, Unresolved emotional risk

Available on

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

The Light Between Oceans

20. The Light Between Oceans

Drama Romance Bittersweet Romance Family Drama
7.2

20162h 13min

India, United Kingdom

Director: Derek Cianfrance

A lighthouse keeper and his wife living off the coast of Western Australia raise a baby they rescue from an adrift rowboat.

Themes

Duty versus desire, Consequences of secrecy, Deception for survival, Trauma and survivor guilt, Isolation and moral pressure, Contested parenthood and belonging

Available on

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