tense backdrop

Movies with tense vibe

The Lone Ranger

2391. The Lone Ranger

Action Adventure Western Classic Western Epic Action
6.4

20132h 29min

United States

Director: Gore Verbinski

The Texas Rangers chase down a gang of outlaws led by Butch Cavendish, but the gang ambushes the Rangers, seemingly killing them all. One survivor is found, however, by an American Indian named Tonto, who nurses him back to health. The Ranger, donning a mask and riding a white stallion named Silver, teams up with Tonto to bring the unscrupulous gang and others of that ilk to justice.

Themes

Memory and guilt, Betrayal and loyalty, Vigilante justice vs law, Frontier mythmaking, Greed behind expansion, Resilience through alliance

Available on

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

Jim is an average New Yorker living a peaceful life with a well paying job and a loving family. Suddenly, everything changes when the economy crashes causing Jim to lose everything. Filled with anger and rage, Jim snaps and goes to extreme lengths to seek revenge for the life taken from him.

Themes

Economic precarity, Personal crisis, Vigilante violence, Greed and corruption, Distrust of finance, Systemic instability

Available on

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

The Heat

2393. The Heat

Action Comedy Crime Buddy Action Buddy Comedy
6.6

20131h 57min

United Kingdom, United States

Director: Paul Feig

Uptight and straight-laced, FBI Special Agent Sarah Ashburn is a methodical investigator with a reputation for excellence--and hyper-arrogance. Shannon Mullins, one of Boston P.D.'s "finest," is foul-mouthed and has a very short fuse, and uses her gut instinct and street smarts to catch the most elusive criminals. Neither has ever had a partner, or a friend for that matter. When these two wildly incompatible law officers join forces to bring down a ruthless drug lord, they become the last thing anyone expected: buddies.

Themes

Interagency collaboration tensions, Gender roles in policing, Arrogance vs pragmatism, Family ties under stress, Foster child past, Partnership trust under pressure

Available on

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

Europa Report

2394. Europa Report

Science Fiction Thriller Space Sci-Fi Survival Thriller
6.4

20131h 30min

United States

Director: Sebastián Cordero

An international team of astronauts sets out for Europa, one of Jupiter's moons, which scientists consider one of the most promising celestial bodies in the search for extraterrestrial life. Their mission is to explore the moon's subsurface ocean, but soon after arrival they encounter a series of dangerous technical malfunctions.

Themes

Found footage aesthetics, Private mission ethics, Pursuit of extraterrestrial life form, Isolation aboard spacecraft, Risk of space travel, Space adventure challenges

Available on

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

White House Down

2395. White House Down

Action Drama Thriller Epic Action Political Thriller
6.3

20132h 11min

United States, Canada

Director: Roland Emmerich

Capitol Policeman John Cale has just been denied his dream job with the Secret Service protecting President James Sawyer. Not wanting to let down his little girl with the news, he takes her on a tour of the White House, when the complex is overtaken by a heavily armed paramilitary group. Now, with the nation's government falling into chaos and time running out, it's up to Cale to save the president, his daughter, and the country.

Themes

Leadership under crisis, Power vs accountability, Risk response and rescue, Betrayal and loyalty under threat, Protective duty under siege, Military industrial complex

Available on

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

Despicable Me 2

2396. Despicable Me 2

Animation Comedy Family Family Animation Parody
7.3

20131h 38min

United States

Director: Pierre Coffin

Gru is recruited by the Anti-Villain League to help deal with a powerful new super criminal.

Themes

Nontraditional family formation, Trust through collaboration, Faked death and deception, Parental duty vs romance, Work-life balance under threat, Heroism through teamwork

Available on

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

Life of a King

2397. Life of a King

Drama Coming-of-Age Drama
6.9

20131h 41min

United States

Director: Jake Goldberger

The true story of one man's mission to give inner city kids of Washington DC something he never had - a future. After being incarcerated for eighteen years, Eugene Brown established the Big Chair Chess Club to get kids off the streets and working towards lives they never believed they were capable of. This is his inspirational story.

Themes

Class inequality, Risk and consequence, Institutional barriers, Mentorship through education, Youth empowerment, Discipline under supervision

Available on

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

The House at the End of Time

2398. The House at the End of Time

Horror Drama Fantasy Supernatural Horror Family Drama
6.7

20131h 41min

Venezuela

Director: Alejandro Hidalgo

The story of Dulce, a mother who has encounters with apparitions inside her old house. She must decipher a mystery that could trigger a prophecy: the death of her family.

Themes

Trust under pressure, Prophecy-driven tension, Apparition encounters, Paranormal phenomena pressure, Haunted old house, Motherly responsibility

Available on

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

The Dance of Reality

2399. The Dance of Reality

Drama Fantasy Coming-of-Age Drama Epic Fantasy
7.4

20132h 10min

Chile, France

Director: Alejandro Jodorowsky

'Having broken away from my illusory self, I was desperately seeking a path and a meaning to life.' This phrase perfectly sums up Alejandro Jodorowsky’s biographical project: reconstituting the incredible adventure of his life. He was born in 1929 Tocopilla, a coastal town on edge of the Chilean desert, where he discovered the fundamentals of reality, as he underwent an unhappy and alienated childhood as part of an uprooted family.

Themes

Fear and resilience, Quest for meaning, Ideology versus family, Artistic self-creation, Surreal memory and mythmaking, Political violence and spectacle

Available on

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

Monsters University

2400. Monsters University

Animation Family Family Animation
7.2

20131h 44min

United States

Director: Dan Scanlon

A look at the relationship between Mike and Sulley during their days at Monsters University — when they weren't necessarily the best of friends.

Themes

Trust and betrayal, Rivalry vs collaboration, Underdog team formation, Competition and energy, Legacy vs self-made success, Adaptation and role switching

Available on

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