deliberate backdrop

Movies with deliberate vibe

The Lovely Bones

791. The Lovely Bones

Fantasy Drama Supernatural Fantasy Tragic Drama
6.6

20092h 16min

United Kingdom, New Zealand

Director: Peter Jackson

After being brutally murdered, 14-year-old Susie Salmon watches from heaven over her grief-stricken family -- and her killer. As she observes their daily lives, she must balance her thirst for revenge with her desire for her family to heal.

Themes

Trauma and resilience, Grieving family dynamics, Investigation and doubt, Afterlife presence, Revenge vs healing, Living with absence

Available on

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

A Single Man

792. A Single Man

Drama Romance Psychological Drama Passionate Romance
7.5

20091h 40min

United States

Director: Tom Ford

Set in Los Angeles in 1962, at the height of the Cuban missile crisis, is the story of a British college professor who dwells on the past and cannot see his future. We follow him through a single day, where a series of events and encounters ultimately lead him to decide if there is a meaning to life after the death of his long time partner, Jim.

Themes

Memory shapes present, Grief fuels longing, Loss prompts reflection, Secrecy fuels tension, Aging exposes vulnerability, Lgbt invisibility challenged

Available on

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

Everybody's Fine

793. Everybody's Fine

Drama Family Drama
7.1

20091h 39min

United States

Director: Kirk Jones

Eight months after the death of his wife, Frank Goode looks forward to a reunion with his four adult children. When all of them cancel their visits at the last minute, Frank, against the advice of his doctor, sets out on a road trip to reconnect with his offspring. As he visits each one in turn, Frank finds that his children's lives are not quite as picture-perfect as they've made them out to be.

Themes

Loneliness and connection, Familial deception, Aging and mortality, Parental expectations versus autonomy, Generation gap communication, Care versus independence

Available on

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

The Messenger

794. The Messenger

Drama Romance Relationship Drama Bittersweet Romance
7.1

20091h 53min

United States

Director: Oren Moverman

Will Montgomery, a U.S. Army Staff Sergeant who has returned home from Iraq, is assigned to the Army’s Casualty Notification service. Montgomery is partnered with Captain Tony Stone, to give notice to the families of fallen soldiers. The Sergeant is drawn to Olivia Pitterson, to whom he has delivered news of her husband’s death.

Themes

Romance amid loss, Military trauma and coping, Bereavement and communication, Duty vs empathy, Protocol vs humanity, Boundaries and vulnerability

Available on

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

Mr. Nobody

795. Mr. Nobody

Science Fiction Drama Romance Simulation & Reality-Shift Sci-Fi Psychological Drama
7.7

20092h 21min

Belgium, Canada

Director: Jaco Van Dormael

Nemo Nobody leads a perfectly ordinary life with his family, until he wakes up in 2092 as a centenarian, unraveling memories of lives he never lived. What if every choice spun a new reality?

Themes

Free will vs fate, Love across timelines, Multiple timelines and choice, Memory as narrative device, Mortality and aging paradox, Time and entropy

Available on

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

The Concert

796. The Concert

Drama Comedy Entertainment Industry Drama Ensemble Comedy
7.5

20091h 59min

France, Belgium

Director: Radu Mihăileanu

A former world-famous conductor of the Bolshoï orchestra, known as "The Maëstro", Andreï Filipov had seen his career publicly broken by Leonid Brezhnev for hiring Jewish musicians and now works cleaning the concert hall where he once directed. One day, he intercepts an official invitation from the prestigious Théâtre du Châtelet. Through a series of mad antics, he reunites his old orchestra, now composed of old alcoholic musicians, and flies to perform in Paris and complete the Tchaikovsky concerto interrupted 30 years earlier. For the concerto, he engages a young violin soloist with whom he has an unexpected connection.

Themes

Political oppression, Ethnic diversity in music, Gypsy musicians solidarity, Aging artists resilience, Crime sponsorship in art, Collective performance reclamation

Available on

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

An Education

797. An Education

Drama Romance Coming-of-Age Drama Bittersweet Romance
7.2

20091h 40min

United Kingdom

Director: Lone Scherfig

Despite her sheltered upbringing, Jenny is a teen with a bright future; she's smart, pretty, and has aspirations of attending Oxford University. When David, a charming but much older suitor, motors into her life in a shiny automobile, Jenny gets a taste of adult life that she won't soon forget.

Themes

Trust and betrayal, Age difference dynamics, Education vs romance, Family expectation pressure, Self-discovery under manipulation, Class aspiration tension

Available on

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

Pope Joan

798. Pope Joan

Drama History Romance Historical Drama Biographical History
6.7

20092h 29min

Germany, Italy

Director: Sönke Wortmann

A 9th century woman of English extraction born in the German city of Ingelheim disguises herself as a man and rises through the Vatican ranks.

Themes

Gendered leadership, Institutional barriers, Identity concealment under pressure, Merit-based recognition, Political intrigue and power, Memory and retelling

Available on

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

A Serious Man

799. A Serious Man

Comedy Drama Dark Comedy Psychological Drama
7.0

20091h 46min

United States, United Kingdom

Director: Ethan Coen

It is 1967, and Larry Gopnik, a physics professor at a quiet Midwestern university, has just been informed by his wife Judith that she is leaving him. She has fallen in love with one of his more pompous acquaintances Sy Ableman.

Themes

Midlife crisis, Institutional pressure, Family disruption, Ethical conflict, Financial instability, Faith vs doubt

Available on

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

Air Doll

800. Air Doll

Drama Fantasy Relationship Drama Dark Fantasy
6.9

20091h 52min

Japan

Director: Hirokazu Kore-eda

A life-size, inflatable sex doll suddenly comes to life one day. Without her owner knowing, she goes for a walk around town and falls in love with Junichi. She starts to date Junichi and gets a job at the same store where he works. Everything seems to be going perfectly for her until something unexpected happens.

Themes

Factory autonomy tension, Doll as companion, Sex doll exploitation, Objectification through video store, Life-size dynamics, Video store ownership

Available on

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