abrasive backdrop

Movies with abrasive vibe

Cemetery Junction

1. Cemetery Junction

Drama Comedy Coming-of-Age Drama Buddy Comedy
6.8
20101h 34min

Overview

In 1970s England, three blue-collar friends spend their days joking, drinking, fighting and chasing girls. Freddie wants to leave their working-class world but cool, charismatic Bruce and lovable loser Snork are happy with life the way it is. When Freddie gets a new job as a door-to-door salesman and bumps into his old school sweetheart Julie, the gang are forced to make choices that will change their lives for ever.

Themes

Friendship under pressure, Working class ambition, Family authority and rebellion, Economic self-determination, Escape vs staying, Romantic expectations vs autonomy

Available on

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

Hesher

2. Hesher

Drama Coming-of-Age Drama
6.9
20101h 46min

Overview

A young boy has lost his mother and is losing touch with his father and the world around him. Then he meets Hesher who manages to make his life even more chaotic.

Themes

Grief and isolation, Unstable home dynamics, Disruption by outsiders, Violence and retaliation cycles, Unreliable care and guidance

Available on

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

Bronson

3. Bronson

Drama Action Crime Psychological Drama Prison Crime
7.0
20091h 32min

Overview

A young man who was sentenced to 7 years in prison for robbing a post office ends up spending 30 years in solitary confinement. During this time, his own personality is supplanted by his alter ego, Charles Bronson.

Themes

Isolation and confinement, Violence as spectacle, Authority and control, Art as outlet, Blurred lines between crime and performance, Body as shield

Available on

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

Elite Squad

4. Elite Squad

Drama Action Crime Military Action Narcotics Crime
8.0
20071h 55min

Overview

In 1997, before the visit of the pope to Rio de Janeiro, Captain Nascimento from BOPE (Special Police Operations Battalion) is assigned to eliminate the risks of the drug dealers in a dangerous slum nearby where the pope intends to be lodged.

Themes

Class inequality, Corruption vs duty, Trauma of enforcement, Policing under pressure, Violence in slums, Honesty vs ambition

Available on

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

Ex Drummer

5. Ex Drummer

Comedy Crime Drama Thriller Dark Comedy
6.9
20071h 41min

Overview

Three handicapped losers who form a band ask famous writer Dries to be their drummer. He joins the band and starts manipulating them.

Themes

Trust under pressure, Outsider influence on a group, Handicap as leverage, Ambition versus exploitation, Performance under constraint, Creative collaboration tensions

Available on

Kanopy
Fandango At Home
Fandango at Home Free
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Green Street Hooligans

6. Green Street Hooligans

Crime Drama Organized Crime Coming-of-Age Drama
7.4
20051h 49min

Overview

After being wrongfully expelled from Harvard University, American Matt Buckner flees to his sister's home in England. Once there, he is befriended by her charming and dangerous brother-in-law, Pete Dunham, and introduced to the underworld of British football hooliganism. Matt learns to stand his ground through a friendship that develops against the backdrop of this secret and often violent world. 'Green Street Hooligans' is a story of loyalty, trust and the sometimes brutal consequences of living close to the edge.

Themes

Loyalty under pressure, Reputation and belonging, Betrayal within groups, Outsider initiation into subculture, Power dynamics and loyalty, Violence as social currency

Available on

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

The Green Butchers

7. The Green Butchers

Comedy Dark Comedy
7.2
20031h 40min

Overview

Svend and Bjarne work for a butcher in a small Danish town. Fed up with their boss' arrogance, they decide to start their own butcher shop. After dismal beginnings, an unfortunate accident happens which coincides with a large order of meat. One hasty decision leads to another and soon the business thrives. In the meantime, Bjarne has to deal with his twin brother who has been in coma for years following a gruesome car accident.

Themes

Economic desperation, Butcher shop ambitions, Brother rivalry, Butcher ethics, Black humor, Car crash consequences

Available on

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