oppressive backdrop

Movies with oppressive vibe

Apocalypse Z: The Beginning of the End

1. Apocalypse Z: The Beginning of the End

Drama Action Horror Epic Action Zombie Horror
6.1
20241h 59min

Overview

When a kind of rabies that transforms people into aggressive creatures spreads across the planet, Manel isolates himself at home with his cat, relying on his wits to survive; but soon they must go out in search of food, by land and by sea, dodging many dangers.

Themes

Trust under threat, Duty to family, Animal companionship resilience, Outbreak isolation, Scarcity pressure, Cooperation with strangers

Available on

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

V/H/S/Beyond

2. V/H/S/Beyond

Horror Science Fiction Thriller Alien Horror Alien Contact Sci-Fi
5.8
20241h 54min

Overview

The infinite playground of forbidden worlds and dangerous lifeforms offered by the sci-fi horror genre will lead to the biggest, maddest, bloodiest V/H/S ever.

Themes

Found footage realism, Anthology framing and fragmentation, Alien invasion anxiety, Media credibility and deception, Domestic intrusion and danger, Transformation through mutation, Media spectacle exploitation

Available on

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

I'm Still Here

3. I'm Still Here

Drama History Historical Drama
8.2
20242h 18min

Overview

A woman married to a former politician during the 1971 military dictatorship in Brazil is forced to reinvent herself and chart a new course for her family after a violent and arbitrary act.

Themes

Secrecy versus exposure, Political repression under dictatorship, Maternal resilience under pressure, Intergenerational legacy of trauma, Memory as public duty, Pursuit of accountability and reparations

Available on

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

The Seed of the Sacred Fig

4. The Seed of the Sacred Fig

Drama Thriller Crime Political Drama Political Thriller
7.6
20242h 47min

Overview

Investigating judge Iman grapples with paranoia amid political unrest in Tehran. When his gun vanishes, he suspects his wife and daughters, imposing draconian measures that strain family ties as societal rules crumble.

Themes

Surveillance and coercion, Authoritarian control over justice, Paranoia within the family, Mistrust of institutions, Duty vs family protection, Political unrest shaping decisions

Available on

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

Lee

5. Lee

History Drama War Biographical History World War II
6.9
20241h 57min

Overview

The true story of photographer Elizabeth "Lee" Miller, a fashion model who became an acclaimed war correspondent for Vogue magazine during World War II.

Themes

Censorship of war imagery, Gendered wartime labor, Trauma and memory transmission, Professional ethics in conflict photography, Bearing witness under danger, Archival recovery and legacy

Available on

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

Speak No Evil

6. Speak No Evil

Horror Thriller Psychological Horror Mind Game Thriller
6.8
20241h 50min

Overview

When an American family is invited to spend the weekend at the idyllic country estate of a charming British family they befriended on vacation, what begins as a dream holiday soon warps into a snarled psychological nightmare.

Themes

Power dynamics in relationships, Parental protectiveness under threat, Deception within hospitality, Isolation and threat, Manipulation under veneer, Predatory hosts and control

Available on

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

The Substance

7. The Substance

Horror Science Fiction Thriller Bio-Genetic Sci-Fi Psychological Horror
7.2
20242h 21min

Overview

A fading celebrity decides to use a black market drug, a cell-replicating substance that temporarily creates a younger, better version of herself.

Themes

Identity fragmentation, Beauty standards pressure, Celebrity commodification, Youth and aging, Black market manipulation, Self-image insecurity

Available on

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

The Girl with the Needle

8. The Girl with the Needle

Drama History Historical Drama Social History
7.5
20242h 3min

Overview

Struggling to survive in post-WWI Copenhagen, a newly unemployed and pregnant young woman is taken in by a charismatic elder to help run an underground adoption agency. The two form an unexpected bond, until a sudden discovery changes everything.

Themes

Coercive manipulation, Female solidarity under pressure, Underground adoption networks, Postwar precarity, Trauma and dependency, Exploitation of motherhood

Available on

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

His Three Daughters

9. His Three Daughters

Drama Comedy Family Drama Awkward Comedy
7.1
20241h 44min

Overview

Emotions run high when three estranged sisters reunite in a cramped New York City apartment to watch over their ailing father during his final days.

Themes

Family dynamics, Estranged sisters, Leaseholder tension, Hospice care burden, Death timing, Obituary drafting

Available on

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

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

10. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

Comedy Fantasy Horror Dark Comedy Supernatural Fantasy
6.6
20241h 45min

Overview

After a family tragedy, three generations of the Deetz family return home to Winter River. Still haunted by Betelgeuse, Lydia's life is turned upside down when her teenage daughter, Astrid, accidentally opens the portal to the Afterlife.

Themes

Deception and betrayal, Loyalty under pressure, Generational tension, Family legacy and loss, Afterlife bureaucracy, Paranormal boundary crossing

Available on

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