tense backdrop

Movies with tense vibe

Struck by Lightning

2401. Struck by Lightning

Comedy Drama Dark Comedy Coming-of-Age Drama
6.2

20131h 30min

United States

Director: Brian Dannelly

After being struck and killed by lightning, a young man recounts the way he blackmailed his fellow classmates into contributing to his literary magazine.

Themes

Secrets as leverage, Ambition versus coercion, Peer pressure and exclusion, Family abandonment and tension, Wealth dynamics in school, Creative pursuit under stress

Available on

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

Particle Fever

2402. Particle Fever

Documentary Biographical Documentary
7.4

20131h 39min

United States

Director: Mark Levinson

As the Large Hadron Collider is about to be launched for the first time, physicists are on the cusp of the greatest scientific discovery of all time - or perhaps their greatest failure.

Themes

Theory vs experiment tension, Scientific ambition under pressure, Uncertainty in data interpretation, Competition of ideas, Public perception and risk, Collaboration under scrutiny

Available on

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

Man of Steel

2403. Man of Steel

Action Adventure Science Fiction Superhero Action Coming-of-Age Adventure
7.1

20132h 23min

United Kingdom, United States

Director: Zack Snyder

A young boy learns that he has extraordinary powers and is not of this earth. As a young man, he journeys to discover where he came from and what he was sent here to do. But the hero in him must emerge if he is to save the world from annihilation and become the symbol of hope for all mankind.

Themes

Resilience under attack, Duty to protect others, Power under constraint, Origin and belonging, Ethics of technology, Independence vs accountability

Available on

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

Stranger by the Lake

2404. Stranger by the Lake

Drama Thriller Relationship Drama Erotic Thriller
6.9

20131h 40min

France

Director: Alain Guiraudie

Frank spends his summer days hopelessly searching for companionship at a popular cruising spot on the shores of a lake in rural France. One day, he meets Michel, an attractive yet darkly mysterious man and falls blindly in love.

Themes

Loneliness and companionship, Secrecy and suspicion, Desire and danger, Intimate space and risk, Surveillance and vulnerability, Casual sex and risk

Available on

Amazon Video
Kanopy
Fandango At Home
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

12 Rounds 2: Reloaded

2405. 12 Rounds 2: Reloaded

Action Adventure Thriller Epic Action Revenge Thriller
5.3

20131h 35min

United States, Canada

Director: Roel Reiné

Nick Malloy portrays an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) who finds himself caught in a deadly 12-round game of cat and mouse with a vigilante tied to the paramedic's past. With little time to spare and his wife's life hanging in the balance, the EMT must figure out why he's been chosen to be the pawn in this maniac's game before it's too late.

Themes

Revenge as motive, Investigative pressure, Duty vs family, Family under threat, Past actions haunting present, Cat and mouse dynamics

Available on

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

The East

2406. The East

Drama Thriller Political Thriller Political Drama
6.8

20131h 56min

United States, United Kingdom

Director: Zal Batmanglij

An operative for an elite private intelligence firm finds her priorities irrevocably changed after she is tasked with infiltrating an anarchist group known for executing covert attacks upon major corporations.

Themes

Deception and betrayal, Loyalty vs duty, Romance under pressure, Corporate accountability, Eco terrorist protest, Undercover ethics conflict

Available on

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

The Purge

2407. The Purge

Science Fiction Horror Thriller Dystopian Sci-Fi Home Invasion Horror
5.8

20131h 25min

France, United States

Director: James DeMonaco

Given the country's overcrowded prisons, the U.S. government begins to allow 12-hour periods of time in which all illegal activity is legal. During one of these free-for-alls, a family must protect themselves from a home invasion.

Themes

Class inequality, Wealth and security, Social allegory, Neighborhood hostility, Economic collapse implications, Security dependence, Mob rule versus order

Available on

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

Only God Forgives

2408. Only God Forgives

Drama Thriller Crime Narcotics Crime Revenge Thriller
5.7

20131h 29min

Denmark, France

Director: Nicolas Winding Refn

Julian, who runs a Thai boxing club as a front organization for his family's drug smuggling operation, is forced by his mother Crystal to find and kill the individual responsible for his brother's recent death.

Themes

Family loyalty under pressure, Corruption and complicity, Violence as control, Cycles of vengeance, Power through fear, Exploitation and coercion

Available on

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

Now You See Me

2409. Now You See Me

Thriller Crime Heist Investigation Suspense
7.2

20131h 56min

United States, France

Director: Louis Leterrier

An FBI agent investigates a crew of four professional illusionists who pull off brazen bank heists during their shows and hand the money out to the audience. Who are they—magicians, or just a bunch of con artists?

Themes

Deception as strategy, Spectacle versus profit, Secret circles and manipulation, Justice under elite influence, Hidden wealth transfers, Moral ambiguity of wealth

Available on

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

Venus in Fur

2410. Venus in Fur

Drama Entertainment Industry Drama
7.1

20131h 36min

France, Poland

Director: Roman Polanski

An enigmatic actress may have a hidden agenda when she auditions for a part in a misogynistic writer's play.

Themes

Consent and coercion, Gender power dynamics, Performance and domination, Female agency and desire, Theatrical manipulation, Masochism and role reversal

Available on

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