oppressive backdrop

Movies with oppressive vibe

Twisters

1. Twisters

Action Thriller Epic Action Survival Thriller
6.5
20242h 3min

Overview

As storm season intensifies, the paths of former storm chaser Kate Carter and reckless social-media superstar Tyler Owens collide when terrifying phenomena never seen before are unleashed. The pair and their competing teams find themselves squarely in the paths of multiple storm systems converging over central Oklahoma in the fight of their lives.

Themes

Loss and trauma, Risk management under crisis, Profit at disaster cost, Teamwork vs rivalry, Celebrity influence vs science, Public funding and research incentives

Available on

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

MaXXXine

2. MaXXXine

Horror Thriller Slasher Horror Cover-Up Thriller
6.2
20241h 43min

Overview

In 1980s Hollywood, adult film star and aspiring actress Maxine Minx finally gets her big break. But as a mysterious killer stalks the starlets of Hollywood, a trail of blood threatens to reveal her sinister past.

Themes

Gendered labor stigma, Family estrangement and power, Fame vs exploitation, Cinematic pastiche and illusion, Industry violence and spectacle, Religious panic and hypocrisy

Available on

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

A Quiet Place: Day One

3. A Quiet Place: Day One

Horror Science Fiction Thriller Alien Horror Alien Invasion Sci-Fi
6.3
20241h 40min

Overview

As New York City is invaded by alien creatures who hunt by sound, a woman named Sam fights to survive with her cat.

Themes

Hope amid catastrophe, Survival under sound-based threat, Memory as resilience, Refuge in ruins, Silence as shield and trap, Companionship in crisis

Available on

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

Under Paris

4. Under Paris

Action Horror Epic Action Monster Horror
5.2
20241h 42min

Overview

In order to save Paris from an international bloodbath, a grieving scientist is forced to face her tragic past when a giant shark appears in the Seine.

Themes

Environmental crisis response, Public safety vs event economy, Economic priorities over safety, Scientific responsibility and policy, Deception and beacon manipulation, Urban infrastructure under threat

Available on

Netflix
Netflix Standard with Ads
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

5. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

Action Science Fiction Adventure Epic Action Post-Apocalyptic Sci-Fi
7.5
20242h 29min

Overview

As the world falls, young Furiosa is snatched from the Green Place of Many Mothers into the hands of a great biker horde led by the warlord Dementus. Sweeping through the wasteland, they encounter the citadel presided over by Immortan Joe. The two tyrants wage war for dominance, and Furiosa must survive many trials as she puts together the means to find her way home.

Themes

Trauma and resilience, Gendered violence, Betrayal and loyalty, Power and control dynamics, Survival under scarcity, Tyranny and resistance, Maternal bond under duress

Available on

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

Boy Kills World

6. Boy Kills World

Crime Thriller Action One-Person Army Revenge Thriller
6.4
20241h 50min

Overview

When his family is murdered, a deaf-mute named Boy escapes to the jungle and is trained by a mysterious shaman to repress his childish imagination and become an instrument of death.

Themes

Oppression through spectacle, Resistance amid tyranny, Mind control through torture, Family loss through violence, Trauma through memory manipulation, Elite rule and brutality

Available on

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

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare

7. The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare

Action Comedy War Military Action World War II
6.8
20242h

Overview

During World War II, the British Army assigns a group of competent soldiers to carry out a mission against the Nazi forces behind enemy lines... A true story about a secret British WWII organization — the Special Operations Executive. Founded by Winston Churchill, their irregular warfare against the Germans helped to change the course of the war, and gave birth to modern black operations.

Themes

Spy craft under pressure, Tensions of world war ii, Covert operation dynamics, Loyalty under risk amid special operations, Difficult choices in dangerous mission, Risk and deception in black ops

Available on

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

Overview

A group of criminals kidnap a teenage ballet dancer, the daughter of a notorious gang leader, in order to obtain a ransom of $50 million, but over time, they discover that she is not just an ordinary girl. After the kidnappers begin to diminish, one by one, they discover, to their increasing horror, that they are locked inside with no normal little girl.

Themes

Betrayal and manipulation, Survival under siege, Power and coercion, Unreliable guardianship, Supernatural threat, Extortion and captivity

Available on

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

Sting

9. Sting

Horror Thriller Monster Horror Survival Thriller
5.7
20241h 32min

Overview

After raising an unnervingly talented spider in secret, 12-year-old Charlotte must face the truth about her pet and fight for her family's survival.

Themes

Survival through cooperation, Growth outpacing control, Pet as predator, Domestic infestation anxiety, Caregiver-child tension, Unseen threat in urban space

Available on

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

Arcadian

10. Arcadian

Action Horror Thriller Monster Horror Survival Thriller
5.5
20241h 32min

Overview

In the near future, on a decimated Earth, Paul and his twin sons face terror at night when ferocious creatures awaken. When Paul is nearly killed, the boys come up with a plan for survival, using everything their father taught them to keep him alive.

Themes

Trust under pressure, Survival under threat, Isolation and resilience, Duty and sacrifice, Resource scarcity ethics, Intergenerational skill transfer

Available on

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