realistic backdrop

Movies with realistic vibe

After a construction project begins digging in their neighbourhood, best friends Tuck, Munch and Alex inexplicably begin to receive strange, encoded messages on their cell phones. Convinced something bigger is going on, they go to their parents and the authorities. The three embark on a secret adventure to crack the code and follow it to its source, and discover a mysterious being from another world who desperately needs their help. The journey that follows will change all their lives forever.

Themes

Neighborhood displacement, Child leadership emergence, Agency deception, Secret investigation, Alien technology ethics, Peer loyalty under threat

Available on

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

White God

1442. White God

Drama Coming-of-Age Drama
6.8

20142h 1min

Hungary, Germany

Director: Kornél Mundruczó

13 year old Lili fights to protect her dog Hagen, and is devastated when her father sets Hagen free on the streets. Still innocently believing love can conquer any difficulty, Lili sets out to save her dog. Failing in his desperate efforts to find his beloved owner, Hagen joins a canine revolt leading a revolution against their human abusers.

Themes

Loyalty under pressure, Racism and social division, Oppression and revolt, Animal solidarity, Divorced family strain, Marginalization and resistance

Available on

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

Boyhood

1443. Boyhood

Drama Coming-of-Age Drama
7.9

20142h 46min

United States

Director: Richard Linklater

The film tells a story of a divorced couple trying to raise their young son. The story follows the boy for twelve years, from first grade at age 6 through 12th grade at age 17-18, and examines his relationship with his parents as he grows.

Themes

Economic precarity, Parental conflict and abuse, Stepfamily adjustment, Divided family dynamics, Ambition and guidance, Adolescence and experimentation, Nostalgia and growth

Available on

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

How to Train Your Dragon 2

1444. How to Train Your Dragon 2

Fantasy Action Adventure Animation Comedy
7.8

20141h 42min

United States

Director: Dean DeBlois

Five years have passed since Hiccup and Toothless united the dragons and Vikings of Berk. Now, they spend their time charting unmapped territories. During one of their adventures, the pair discover a secret cave that houses hundreds of wild dragons -- and a mysterious dragon rider. Now, Hiccup and Toothless find themselves at the center of a battle to protect Berk from a power-hungry warrior.

Themes

Leadership responsibility, Trust vs control, Coexistence under threat, Fear of loss and resilience, Interdependence across species, Legacy and mentorship

Available on

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

The Skeleton Twins

1445. The Skeleton Twins

Drama Relationship Drama
6.8

20141h 32min

United States

Director: Craig Johnson

Estranged twins Maggie and Milo coincidentally cheat death on the same day, prompting them to reunite and confront the reasons their lives went so wrong. As the twins' reunion reinvigorates them, they realize the key to fixing their lives may just lie in repairing their relationship.

Themes

Trust and deception, Identity and belonging, Sibling estrangement, Past relationships, Hidden infidelity, Parental dynamics

Available on

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

No Tears for the Dead

1446. No Tears for the Dead

Action Thriller Drama One-Person Army Revenge Thriller
6.7

20141h 57min

South Korea

Director: Lee Jeong-beom

A hitman accidentally kills a little girl. Filled with regret, he wants to quit. But then to tie up loose ends, he is forced to go on another job, to kill the girl's mother.

Themes

Betrayal within crime networks, Duty versus survival, Pressure from criminal networks, Grief from loss, Moral strain of employment, Money and power abuse

Available on

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

The Rover

1447. The Rover

Crime Drama Organized Crime Tragic Drama
6.4

20141h 43min

Australia

Director: David Michôd

Ten years after a severe economic collapse in the western world, lawlessness reigns and life is cheap. Eric is a lone drifter, and his car is his only possession. When a gang steals it, Eric comes across the injured Rey, left behind by the car thieves. The pair form an unlikely and uneasy alliance.

Themes

Loyalty under duress, Desolate frontier violence, Uneasy alliances, Post-collapse scarcity, Moral ambiguity in lawlessness, Survival versus humanity

Available on

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

Jimmy's Hall

1448. Jimmy's Hall

History Drama Historical Drama Political History
6.7

20141h 46min

United Kingdom, Ireland

Director: Ken Loach

Jimmy Gralton returns from New York and reopens his beloved community hall, only to meet opposition from the local parish.

Themes

Exile and displacement, Poverty and resilience, Church versus community, Community empowerment, Diaspora connections, Political dissent

Available on

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

The Normal Heart

1449. The Normal Heart

Drama Historical Drama
7.9

20142h 12min

United States

Director: Ryan Murphy

The story of the onset of the HIV-AIDS crisis in New York City in the early 1980s, taking an unflinching look at the nation's sexual politics as gay activists and their allies in the medical community fight to expose the truth about the burgeoning epidemic to a city and nation in denial.

Themes

Community organizing under crisis, Gay health activism, Medical uncertainty and response, Public health denial, Media coverage barriers, Stigma and solidarity

Available on

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

Cold in July

1450. Cold in July

Drama Thriller Revenge Thriller
6.7

20141h 49min

France, United States

Director: Jim Mickle

While investigating noises in his house one balmy Texas night in 1989, Richard Dane puts a bullet in the brain of a low-life burglar. Although he’s hailed as a small-town hero, Dane soon finds himself fearing for his family’s safety when Freddy’s ex-con father rolls into town, hell-bent on revenge.

Themes

Revenge cycle, Identity deception, Family under siege, Private justice vs law, Ambiguous heroism, Collateral violence

Available on

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