tense backdrop

Movies with tense vibe

Lord of War

3311. Lord of War

Crime Drama Thriller Organized Crime Political Drama
7.6

20052h 2min

France, United States

Director: Andrew Niccol

Yuri Orlov is a globetrotting arms dealer and, through some of the deadliest war zones, he struggles to stay one step ahead of a relentless Interpol agent, his business rivals and even some of his customers who include many of the world's most notorious dictators. Finally, he must also face his own conscience.

Themes

Profit-driven violence, Global arms economy, Moral compromise under crime, Ambition and addiction, Collateral harm and indifference, Power and exploitation

Available on

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

Good Night, and Good Luck.

3312. Good Night, and Good Luck.

Drama History Historical Drama
7.4

20051h 32min

France, Japan

Director: George Clooney

The story of journalist Edward R. Murrow's stand against Senator Joseph McCarthy's anti-communist witch-hunts in the early 1950s.

Themes

Media power vs accountability, Government witch hunts, Journalistic integrity under pressure, Anti communism pressure, Public broadcast ethics, Civil liberties versus security

Available on

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

Thumbsucker

3313. Thumbsucker

Comedy Drama Coming-of-Age Drama Awkward Comedy
6.5

20051h 36min

United States

Director: Mike Mills

Justin Cobb, a teenager in suburban Oregon, copes with his thumb-sucking problem, romance, and his diagnosis with ADHD and subsequent experience using Ritalin.

Themes

Adolescent autonomy and dependence, Academic ambition and deception, Family aging anxieties, Peer influence and risk-taking, Romance and boundary testing, Stimulant use and performance

Available on

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

Wolf Creek

3314. Wolf Creek

Horror Thriller Slasher Horror Kidnapping & Captivity Thriller
6.2

20051h 39min

Australia

Director: Greg McLean

Stranded backpackers in remote Australia fall prey to a murderous bushman, who offers to fix their car, then takes them captive.

Themes

Deception and manipulation, Trust under pressure, Survival under isolation, Threat and pursuit, Violence in remote setting, Trauma and endurance

Available on

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

Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit

3315. Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit

Adventure Animation Comedy Family Adventure Epic
7.5

20051h 25min

United Kingdom, United States

Director: Steve Box

Cheese-loving eccentric Wallace and his cunning canine pal, Gromit, investigate a mystery in Nick Park's animated adventure, in which the lovable inventor and his intrepid pup run a business ridding the town of garden pests. Using only humane methods that turn their home into a halfway house for evicted vermin, the pair stumble upon a mystery involving a voracious vegetarian monster that threatens to ruin the annual veggie-growing contest.

Themes

Humane pest control, Technology versus nature, Village vegetable contest, Competition ethics, Community response to threat

Available on

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

The Aura

3316. The Aura

Drama Thriller Mind Game Thriller Psychological Drama
7.1

20052h 14min

Argentina, France

Director: Fabián Bielinsky

A quiet, epileptic taxidermist plans the perfect crime. All he needs is the right opportunity. An accident, perhaps…

Themes

Betrayal and deception, Crime under pressure, Risk and consequence, Trust under scrutiny, Memory as advantage, Isolation and desperation

Available on

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

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

3317. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

Comedy Crime Mystery Thriller Satire
7.5

20051h 42min

United States

Director: Shane Black

A petty thief posing as an actor has one shot in Hollywood and a dead body on his hands. As the detective trains him for a role that looks more like a murder rap, every hour pulls him deeper into a real-life crime script he can't improvise his way out of.

Themes

Deception through misdirection, Thief masquerading as investigator, Neo-noir atmosphere, Series of murders motif, Whodunit structure, Los angeles setting

Available on

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

Romance & Cigarettes

3318. Romance & Cigarettes

Comedy Music Romance Romantic Comedy Narrative Musical
6.2

20051h 45min

United Kingdom, United States

Director: John Turturro

Ironworker Nick lives with his wife, Kitty, and three daughters. When he meets a significantly younger woman, Tula, he starts an affair with her, much to the chagrin of his wife, and his life is thrown into upheaval. Kitty kicks Nick out of the house, and he is forced to make some difficult decisions.

Themes

Infidelity and betrayal, Loyalty vs desire, Working-class pressures, Family strain under scandal, Public judgment and rumor, Deception and confrontation

Available on

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

The Quiet

3319. The Quiet

Drama Thriller Family Drama Domestic Thriller
6.1

20051h 36min

United States

Director: Jamie Babbit

After her widowed father dies, deaf teenager Dot moves in with her godparents, Olivia and Paul Deer. The Deers' daughter, Nina, is openly hostile to Dot, but that does not prevent her from telling her secrets to her silent stepsister, including the fact that she wants to kill her lecherous father.

Themes

Grief and resilience, Family secrets exposed, Abuse and silence, Deception and dependence, Class privilege and control, Disability and communication

Available on

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

Harsh Times

3320. Harsh Times

Crime Drama Thriller Action Organized Crime
6.8

20051h 56min

United States

Director: David Ayer

Jim Davis is an ex-Army Ranger who finds himself slipping back into his old life of petty crime after a job offer from the LAPD evaporates. His best friend is pressured by his girlfriend Sylvia to find a job, but Jim is more interested in hanging out and making cash from small heists, while trying to get a law enforcement job so he can marry his Mexican girlfriend.

Themes

Deception and manipulation, Loyalty under pressure, Risk and consequence, Economic desperation pushes crime, Military past shaping behavior, Ptsd-driven violence

Available on

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