realistic backdrop

Movies with realistic vibe

The Rebound

1981. The Rebound

Romance Comedy Romantic Comedy High-Concept Comedy
6.3

20091h 35min

United States

Director: Bart Freundlich

Upon discovering her husband's infidelity, Sandy leaves the suburbs and moves into the city. There, she befriends Aram, a guy whose wife only married him so she could get a green card. Sandy hires Aram to be her nanny, and it isn't long until Aram and Sandy find out they get along wonderfully and start to date. But is their relationship real or is it, in fact, just a rebound for both of them?

Themes

Age-gap romance, Caregiving as catalyst, Infidelity aftermath, Green-card motivation, Single motherhood resilience, Professional advancement and romance

Available on

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

Fish Tank

1982. Fish Tank

Drama Coming-of-Age Drama
7.3

20092h 3min

Netherlands, United Kingdom

Director: Andrea Arnold

Fifteen-year-old Mia is in a constant state of war with her family and the world around her. When she meets her party-girl mother’s charming new boyfriend Connor, she is amazed to find he returns her attention, and believes he might help her start to make sense of her life.

Themes

Economic precarity, Deception and secrecy, Exploitation and manipulation, Mother-daughter tension, Adolescent rebellion, Escape through art, Belonging and isolation

Available on

fuboTV
The Roku Channel
Kanopy
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Soul Kitchen

1983. Soul Kitchen

Drama Comedy Entertainment Industry Drama Workplace Comedy
7.2

20091h 39min

France, Germany

Director: Fatih Akin

In Hamburg, German-Greek chef Zinos unknowingly disturbs the peace in his locals-only restaurant by hiring a more talented chef.

Themes

Economic precarity, Ownership and control, Redevelopment pressures, Artistic ambition vs clientele, Institutional power and taxation, Familial loyalty under strain

Available on

Kanopy
MUBI
MUBI Amazon Channel
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Michael Moore comes home to the issue he's been examining throughout his career: the disastrous impact of corporate dominance on the everyday lives of Americans (and by default, the rest of the world).

Themes

Economic inequality, Corporate dominance, Foreclosure and labor action, Plutocracy risk, Democracy over capitalism, Financial exploitation

Available on

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

A blue harvest moon will rise, allowing the fairies to use a precious moonstone to restore the Pixie Dust Tree, the source of all their magic. But when Tinker Bell accidentally puts all of Pixie Hollow in jeopardy, she must venture out across the sea on a secret quest to set things right.

Themes

Temper under blue moon pressure, Duty to protect moonstone, Collaboration under mirror constraints, Balloon bound quest, Learning through error and repair, Safeguarding pixie dust tree

Available on

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

Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie

1986. Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie

Family TV Movie Adventure Comedy Fantasy
6.2

20091h 34min

United States

Director: Lev L. Spiro

A young wizard accidentally conjures a spell that puts her family in jeopardy.

Themes

Power and responsibility, Parental authority under threat, Family cohesion under stress, Memory vs identity, Trust amid deception, Choice and consequence

Available on

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

A Prophet

1987. A Prophet

Crime Drama Prison Crime
7.8

20092h 35min

France, Italy

Director: Jacques Audiard

Sentenced to six years in prison, Malik El Djebena is alone in the world and can neither read nor write. On his arrival at the prison, he seems younger and more brittle than the others detained there. At once he falls under the sway of a group of Corsicans who enforce their rule in the prison. As the 'missions' go by, he toughens himself and wins the confidence of the Corsican group.

Themes

Manipulation and control, Loyalty under pressure, Prison faction power, Illiteracy as vulnerability, Protection through violence, Outside criminal networks

Available on

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

World's Greatest Dad

1988. World's Greatest Dad

Comedy Drama Dark Comedy Tragic Drama
6.8

20091h 39min

United States

Director: Bobcat Goldthwait

In the wake of a freak accident, Lance suffers the worst tragedy and the greatest opportunity of his life. He is suddenly faced with the possibility of fame, fortune and popularity, if he can only live with the knowledge of how he got there.

Themes

Performative identity, Media sensationalism, Desire for fame, Exploitation of tragedy, Public image vs privacy, Moral ambiguity in parenting

Available on

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

9

1989. 9

Action Adventure Animation Science Fiction Thriller
7.0

20091h 19min

Canada, United States

Director: Shane Acker

When 9 awakens in a dead world, he uncovers a talisman tying him to the war machine that erased humanity. By unlocking its secret, he exposes the last survivors—and himself—to a ruthless mechanical hunt that will not stop until every stitch of their stolen souls is reclaimed.

Themes

Friendship under pressure, Authority vs dissent, Post-apocalyptic future, Man vs machine, Rag doll resilience, Hope amid ruins

Available on

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

The Time Traveler's Wife

1990. The Time Traveler's Wife

Drama Romance Fantasy Passionate Romance Time-Rule Fantasy
7.1

20091h 47min

United States

Director: Robert Schwentke

Clare falls for Henry, the man who keeps vanishing into other moments of her life. At first she just wants to know when he’ll show up next. Then every missed dinner, every empty bed, every unexplained bruise on a future Henry turns into one question that eats her alive: what moment in time finally takes him from her?

Themes

Memory shaping relationships, Love across eras, Unstable marriage, Time as burden, Bounded agency, Infertility and loss

Available on

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