deliberate backdrop

Movies with deliberate vibe

Dog Days

1111. Dog Days

Drama Comedy Ensemble Comedy Everyday Life Drama
7.0

20012h 2min

Austria, Germany

Director: Ulrich Seidl

Vignettes of the lives of several residents of a Vienna suburb during a heat wave.

Themes

Jealousy and longing, Suburban heat tension, Fragile relationships under strain, Fate and bad luck, Existence and routine, Drinking and escapism

Available on

Kanopy
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

James Dean

1112. James Dean

Drama TV Movie Entertainment Industry Drama True-Story TV Movie
7.1

20011h 30min

United States

Director: Mark Rydell

The man behind the legend and a knowing look at 1950s Hollywood are revealed in this dynamic biopic of the meteoric star whose troubled life echoed his gut-grabbing performances in East of Eden, Rebel Without a Cause and Giant.

Themes

Public image vs private life, Studio control of image, Parental neglect and longing, Artistic ascent under scrutiny, Fame and personal costs, Mentorship and industry dynamics

Available on

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

Spirited Away

1113. Spirited Away

Animation Family Fantasy Anime Supernatural Fantasy
8.6

20012h 5min

Japan

Director: Hayao Miyazaki

In a bathhouse where spirits rule the night and stolen names erase who you are, a young girl watches her parents turn into pigs and the only way out is to work for the witch who owns her.

Themes

Parent child relationship, Parallel world crossing, Power of naming, Greed and generosity, Labor in a magical bathhouse, Courage under pressure

Available on

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

Ghost World

1114. Ghost World

Comedy Drama Coming-of-Age Drama Dark Comedy
7.3

20011h 51min

United Kingdom, United States

Director: Terry Zwigoff

Two quirky, cynical teenaged girls try to figure out what to do with their lives after high school graduation. After they play a prank on an eccentric, middle aged record collector, one of them befriends him, which causes a rift in the girls’ friendship.

Themes

Friendships among outcasts, Post high school aimlessness, Social exclusion and envy, Art as social commentary, Longing for belonging, Manipulation and consequences, Authenticity vs performance

Available on

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

Conspiracy

1115. Conspiracy

History Drama War TV Movie Historical Event
7.6

20011h 36min

United Kingdom, United States

Director: Frank Pierson

At the Wannsee Conference on January 20, 1942, senior Nazi officials meet to determine the manner in which the so-called "Final Solution to the Jewish Question" can be best implemented.

Themes

Bureaucratic complicity, Euphemistic violence, State-sponsored extermination, Dehumanization under duty, Historical accountability, Mass coercion and control

Available on

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

Failan

1116. Failan

Drama Romance Family Drama Passionate Romance
7.5

20011h 55min

South Korea

Director: Song Hae-sung

After losing both her parents, Failan emmigrates to Korea to seek her only remaining relatives. Once she reaches Korea, she finds out that her relatives have moved to Canada well over a year ago. Desperate to stay and make a living in Korea, Failan is forced to have an arranged marriage through a match-making agency.

Themes

Economic coercion in marriage, Immigration vulnerability, Loneliness in diaspora, Desperate financial options, Social constraint and duty

Available on

Amazon Video
OnDemandKorea
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Devil's Backbone

1117. The Devil's Backbone

Fantasy Drama Horror Thriller Supernatural Fantasy
7.4

20011h 48min

Spain, Mexico

Director: Guillermo del Toro

Spain, 1939. In the last days of the Spanish Civil War, the young Carlos arrives at the Santa Lucía orphanage, where he will make friends and enemies as he follows the quiet footsteps of a mysterious presence eager for revenge.

Themes

Trauma and memory, Political repression, Institutional vulnerability, Isolation and danger, Survival within wartime, Loyalty under stress

Available on

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

Elling

1118. Elling

Comedy Drama Buddy Comedy Family Drama
7.5

20011h 29min

Norway

Director: Petter Næss

40-year-old Elling, sensitive, would-be poet, is sent to live in a state institution when his mother, who has sheltered him his entire life, dies. There he meets Kjell Bjarne, a gentle giant and female-obsessed virgin, also in his 40s.

Themes

Mental health navigation, Friendship across difference, Independence via institutional transition, Poetry as self-expression, Social integration challenges, Care system support

Available on

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

His Secret Life

1119. His Secret Life

Drama Romance Passionate Romance Relationship Drama
7.3

20011h 46min

France, Italy

Director: Ferzan Özpetek

When Antonia's husband Massimo is killed in a car accident, she accidentally discovers that he has been having a same-sex affair with a produce wholesaler named Michele.

Themes

Family strain, Social expectations, Hidden desire, Marital fidelity, Sexual identity, Public vs private

Available on

Disney Plus
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Son's Room

1120. The Son's Room

Drama Tragic Drama
7.3

20011h 39min

Italy, France

Director: Nanni Moretti

A psychoanalyst and his family go through profound emotional trauma when their son dies in a scuba diving accident.

Themes

Grief and mourning, Therapist boundaries, Scuba diving danger, Fossil as catalyst, Family conflict under stress, Jogging routine disruption

Available on

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