cynical backdrop

Movies with cynical vibe

Phone Booth

661. Phone Booth

Thriller Crime Mind Game Thriller Organized Crime
7.1

20031h 21min

United States

Director: Joel Schumacher

A slick New York publicist who picks up a ringing receiver in a phone booth is told that if he hangs up, he'll be killed... and the little red light from a laser rifle sight is proof that the caller isn't kidding.

Themes

Manipulation and coercion, Public image vs private life, Deception and exposure, Real-time pressure, Consequences of lies, Professional ethics under threat

Available on

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

Two Weeks Notice

662. Two Weeks Notice

Romance Comedy Romantic Comedy Workplace Comedy
6.2

20021h 41min

United States

Director: Marc Lawrence

Dedicated environmental lawyer Lucy Kelson goes to work for billionaire George Wade as part of a deal to preserve a community center. Indecisive and weak-willed George grows dependent on Lucy's guidance on everything from legal matters to clothing. Exasperated, Lucy gives notice and picks Harvard graduate June Carter as her replacement. As Lucy's time at the firm nears an end, she grows jealous of June and has second thoughts about leaving George.

Themes

Wealth vs advocacy, Professional ethics under pressure, Power dynamics in the workplace, Dependence and indispensability, Community interests vs development, Loyalty and compromise

Available on

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

The Legend of Al, John and Jack

663. The Legend of Al, John and Jack

Comedy Crime Satire Organized Crime
6.5

20021h 45min

Italy

Director: Massimo Venier

Hapless Depression-era gangsters Al, John and Jack find out their boss wants to get rid of them and come up with a plan to sell him to the FBI, but Al's short-term memory loss could make it difficult.

Themes

Loyalty under pressure, Memory as liability, Deception within crime rings, Incompetence in crime, Performative crime and publicity, Betrayal among allies

Available on

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

Drumline

664. Drumline

Drama Romance Comedy Music Coming-of-Age Drama
6.0

20021h 58min

United States

Director: Charles Stone III

A talented street drummer from Harlem enrolls in a Southern university, expecting to lead its marching band's drumline to victory. He initially flounders in his new world, before realizing that it takes more than talent to reach the top.

Themes

Class inequality, Talent versus discipline, Institutional pressure, Teamwork and unity, Mentorship and growth, Competition culture, Honor and loyalty

Available on

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

Jackass: The Movie

665. Jackass: The Movie

Action Comedy Documentary Adult Comedy
6.6

20021h 25min

United States

Director: Jeff Tremaine

Johnny Knoxville and his band of maniacs perform a variety of stunts and gross-out gags on the big screen for the first time. They wander around Japan in panda outfits, wreak havoc on a once civilized golf course, they even do stunts involving LIVE alligators, and so on.

Themes

Stunt driven humor, Pain as punchline, Shock value mechanics, Public prank spectacle, Bodily risk exposure, Gross-out satire

Available on

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

Secret Things

666. Secret Things

Drama Relationship Drama
6.0

20021h 55min

France

Director: Jean-Claude Brisseau

Two young women find themselves struggling to survive in Paris, street-wise Nathalie, a stripper, and naïve Sandrine, a barmaid. Together, they discover that sex can be used to their advantage, and pleasure.

Themes

Class mobility pressures, Sexual leverage in work, Gendered power dynamics, Deception as strategy, Corporate ambition and risk, Ruptured loyalties

Available on

Apple TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Punch-Drunk Love

667. Punch-Drunk Love

Romance Drama Comedy Romantic Comedy Relationship Drama
7.3

20021h 36min

United States

Director: Paul Thomas Anderson

A socially awkward and volatile small business owner meets the love of his life after being threatened by a gang of scammers.

Themes

Social anxiety isolation, Familial emotional abuse, Power dynamics in romance, Scams and manipulation, Longing for connection, Resilience under pressure

Available on

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

The Rules of Attraction

668. The Rules of Attraction

Drama Romance Comedy Passionate Romance Relationship Drama
6.6

20021h 50min

Germany, United States

Director: Roger Avary

The incredibly spoiled and overprivileged students of Camden College are a backdrop for an unusual love triangle between a drug dealer, a virgin and a bisexual classmate.

Themes

College status pressures, Sexual ambiguity, Letter deception dynamics, Desire vs consent, Surveillance of intimacy, Jealousy and insecurity

Available on

Apple TV
Kanopy
Hoopla
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Transporter

669. The Transporter

Action Crime Thriller Vehicle-Driven Action Kidnapping & Captivity Thriller
6.8

20021h 32min

United States, France

Director: Corey Yuen

Former Special Forces officer Frank Martin will deliver anything to anyone for the right price, and his no-questions-asked policy puts him in high demand. But when he realizes his latest cargo is alive, it sets in motion a dangerous chain of events. The bound and gagged Lai is being smuggled to France by a shady American businessman, and Frank works to save her as his own illegal activities are uncovered by a French detective.

Themes

Loyalty under pressure, Trafficking exploitation, Deception within alliances, Investigation pressure, Illicit deals risk, Power through coercion

Available on

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

Igby Goes Down

670. Igby Goes Down

Comedy Drama Dark Comedy Coming-of-Age Drama
6.8

20021h 37min

Germany, United States

Director: Burr Steers

Igby Slocumb, a rebellious and sarcastic 17-year-old boy, is at war with the stifling world of old money privilege he was born into. With a schizophrenic father, a self-absorbed, distant mother, and a shark-like young Republican big brother, Igby figures there must be a better life out there -- and sets about finding it.

Themes

Class inequality, Parent child tension, Rebellion and escape, Flight from family, Bohemian underworld temptations, Old money privilege

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
The Roku Channel
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.