deliberate backdrop

Movies with deliberate vibe

Taxidermia

901. Taxidermia

Drama Horror Comedy Dark Comedy Body Horror
6.8

20061h 34min

Austria, France

Director: György Pálfi

Set over three generations and beginning with a sexually frustrated orderly during WWII who relieves his tensions in the most outlandish, gross ways. The result of his liaison is a glutton who grows up to be a champion speed eater. He produces a child who becomes obsessed with taxidermy.

Themes

Body as spectacle, Obsession with consumption, Father-son dynamic, Satire of sport obsession, Voyeurism and depravity, Absurdist humor

Available on

Here TV
Here TV  Amazon Channel
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Illusionist

902. The Illusionist

Fantasy Drama Thriller Romance Supernatural Fantasy
7.5

20061h 50min

United States

Director: Neil Burger

With his eye on a lovely aristocrat, a gifted illusionist named Eisenheim uses his powers to win her away from her betrothed, a crown prince. But Eisenheim's scheme creates tumult within the monarchy and ignites the suspicion of a dogged inspector.

Themes

Class inequality, Loyalty under pressure, Deception and illusion, Performative spectacle, Forbidden romance, Power and legitimacy

Available on

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

Half Nelson

903. Half Nelson

Drama Coming-of-Age Drama
7.1

20061h 47min

United States

Director: Ryan Fleck

Despite his dedication to the junior-high students who fill his classroom, idealistic teacher Dan Dunne leads a secret life of addiction that the majority of his students will never know. But things change when a troubled student Drey makes a startling discovery of his secret life, causing a tenuous bond between the two that could either end disastrously or provide a catalyst of hope.

Themes

Drug habit, Class pressure, Freebasing behavior, Prison proximity, Basketball presence, Boundary erosion

Available on

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

A Scanner Darkly

904. A Scanner Darkly

Animation Science Fiction Thriller Dystopian Sci-Fi Mindfuck Thriller
7.0

20061h 40min

United States

Director: Richard Linklater

An undercover cop in a not-too-distant future becomes involved with a dangerous new drug and begins to lose his own identity as a result.

Themes

Deception and betrayal, Corporate influence on justice, Surveillance society, Ethics of undercover policing, Addiction and decline, Dystopian social order

Available on

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

Deliver Us from Evil

905. Deliver Us from Evil

Crime Documentary True Crime Documentary
7.9

20061h 41min

United States

Director: Amy J. Berg

Documentary filmmaker Amy Berg investigates the life of 30-year pedophile Father Oliver O'Grady and exposes the corruption inside the Catholic Church that allowed him to abuse countless children. Victims' stories and a disturbing interview with O'Grady offer a view into the troubled mind of the spiritual leader who moved from parish to parish gaining trust ... all the while betraying so many.

Themes

Institutional secrecy, Protecting reputation, Systemic abuse awareness, Survivor testimony, Transparency versus concealment, Power dynamics in leadership

Available on

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

The Lake House

906. The Lake House

Drama Mystery Romance Passionate Romance Mystic Mystery
6.8

20061h 39min

United States

Director: Alejandro Agresti

A lonely doctor who once occupied an unusual lakeside home begins exchanging love letters with its former resident, a frustrated architect. They must try to unravel the mystery behind their extraordinary romance before it's too late.

Themes

Love across time, Architectural legacy and family, Time displaced communication, Longing and restraint, Ambition versus isolation, Memory and place

Available on

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

The Bothersome Man

907. The Bothersome Man

Comedy Drama Fantasy Psychological Drama Dark Comedy
7.2

20061h 30min

Iceland, Norway

Director: Jens Lien

Forty-year-old Andreas arrives in a strange city with no memory of how he got there. He is presented with a job, an apartment - even a wife. But before long, Andreas notices that something is wrong. Andreas makes an attempt to escape the city, but he discovers there's no way out. Andreas meets Hugo, who has found a crack in a wall in his cellar. Beautiful music streams out from the crack. Maybe it leads to "the other side"? A new plan for escape is hatched.

Themes

Dreams confinement, Modern society pressure, Surreal alienation, Consumerism emptiness, Romance isolation, Revolution suppression

Available on

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

Marie Antoinette

908. Marie Antoinette

Drama History Historical Drama Political History
6.5

20062h 3min

Japan, United States

Director: Sofia Coppola

The retelling of France’s iconic but ill-fated queen, Marie Antoinette - from her betrothal and marriage to Louis XVI at fifteen to her reign as queen at nineteen and ultimately the fall of Versailles.

Themes

Class inequality at court, Spectacle vs constraint, Extravagance amid crisis, Public image management, Social climbing and legitimacy, Motherhood and succession pressure

Available on

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

Akeelah and the Bee

909. Akeelah and the Bee

Drama Coming-of-Age Drama
7.4

20061h 53min

United States

Director: Doug Atchison

11-year-old Akeelah Anderson has a way with words. After winning her schoolwide spelling bee, she decides to enter the competition, despite her classmates' derision and the antipathy of her mother Tanya. Thanks to the efforts of her teacher Dr. Larabee, she reaches the finals. As she gets to know her fellow competitors, Akeelah realizes that coming first isn't everything in life.

Themes

Class inequality, Female empowerment, Parental pressure, Community support, Single mother challenges, Language and education

Available on

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

Silent Hill

910. Silent Hill

Horror Mystery Supernatural Horror Mystic Mystery
6.5

20062h 5min

Canada, France

Director: Christophe Gans

Rose, a desperate mother takes her adopted daughter, Sharon, to the town of Silent Hill in an attempt to cure her of her ailment. After a violent car crash, Sharon disappears and Rose begins a desperate search to get her back. She descends into the center of the twisted reality of a town's terrible secret. Pursued by grotesquely deformed creatures and townspeople stuck in permanent purgatory, Rose begins to uncover the truth behind the apocalyptic disaster that burned the town 30 years earlier.

Themes

Trauma and resilience, Religious fanaticism and purification, Limbo between dimensions, Abuse and victimization, Persecution and scapegoating, Maternal protection under siege

Available on

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