tense backdrop

Movies with tense vibe

City of God

3701. City of God

Drama Crime Narcotics Crime
8.6

20022h 9min

Brazil, France

Director: Fernando Meirelles

In the poverty-stricken favelas of Rio de Janeiro in the 1970s, two young men choose different paths. Rocket is a budding photographer who documents the increasing drug-related violence of his neighborhood, while José “Zé” Pequeno is an ambitious drug dealer diving into a dangerous life of crime.

Themes

Class inequality, Poverty and opportunity, Violence cycles, Ambition vs crime, Media exposure ethics, Betrayal and loyalty

Available on

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

Frida

3702. Frida

Drama Romance Historical Drama Passionate Romance
7.3

20022h 3min

United States

Director: Julie Taymor

A biography of artist Frida Kahlo, who channeled the pain of a crippling injury and her tempestuous marriage into her work.

Themes

Biography shaping practice, Gendered artistry under observation, Bisexual relationships and art, Marital strain and artistic ambition, Injury as creative catalyst, Female painter biography dynamic

Available on

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

Lilya 4-ever

3703. Lilya 4-ever

Drama Crime Tragic Drama Narcotics Crime
7.8

20021h 49min

Denmark, Sweden

Director: Lukas Moodysson

In a struggling post-Soviet community, Lilya a teenage girl is abandoned when her mother moves to the United States with her boyfriend. Facing neglect and poverty, she meets Andrei, who offers her a job in Sweden, giving her hope for a better life — and a journey that will change everything.

Themes

Economic precarity, Sexual exploitation, Reputation damage, Coercive trafficking, Youth vulnerability, Abandonment and neglect

Available on

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

S1m0ne

3704. S1m0ne

Science Fiction Comedy Drama Romance Simulation & Reality-Shift Sci-Fi
6.1

20021h 57min

United States

Director: Andrew Niccol

The career of a disillusioned producer, who is desperate for a hit, is endangered when his star walks off the film set. Forced to think fast, the producer decides to digitally create an actress "Simone" to sub for the star — the first totally believable synthetic actress.

Themes

Deception through simulation, Celebrity illusion and fame, Control and authorship, Media spectacle and intrusion, Ethical boundaries in technology, Audience perception and trust

Available on

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

One Hour Photo

3705. One Hour Photo

Drama Thriller Mind Game Thriller Psychological Drama
6.8

20021h 36min

United States

Director: Mark Romanek

Sy Parrish has lovingly developed photographs for the Yorkin family since their son was a baby. But as the Yorkins' lives become fuller, Sy's only seems lonelier, until he eventually convinces himself he's part of their family. When Sy's picture-perfect fantasy collides with an ugly dose of reality, a bizarre and thrilling confrontation ensues.

Themes

Isolation and longing, Affair and deception, Voyeurism and boundary violation, Fixation on an idealized family, Misperception and projection, Consequences of obsession

Available on

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

Below

3706. Below

Thriller Horror Mystery Mind Game Thriller Psychological Horror
6.1

20021h 45min

United States

Director: David Twohy

In the dark silence of the sea during World War II, the submarine USS Tiger Shark prowls on what should be a routine rescue mission. But for the shell-shocked crew, trapped together in the sub's narrow corridors and constricted spaces, this is about to become a journey into the sensory delusions, mental deceptions and runaway fears that lurk just below the surface of the ocean.

Themes

Survival under pressure, Deception and cover-up, Paranoia in cramped spaces, Record suppression, Mistrust in confinement, Duty versus self-preservation

Available on

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

Oasis

3707. Oasis

Drama Romance Relationship Drama Dark Romance
7.8

20022h 12min

South Korea

Director: Lee Chang-dong

A young man released from prison visits the widow of the man he killed drunk-driving and becomes infatuated with his cerebral palsy-stricken daughter.

Themes

Hit-and-run consequences, Cerebral palsy stigma, Reentry and social exclusion, Family tension and loyalty, Illicit romance, Discrimination and resilience

Available on

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

Blood Work

3708. Blood Work

Thriller Crime Action Mystery Investigation Suspense
6.4

20021h 50min

United States

Director: Clint Eastwood

Still recovering from a heart transplant, a retired FBI profiler returns to service when his own blood analysis offers clues to the identity of a serial killer.

Themes

Deception and manipulation, Survivor guilt, Blood as clue, Donor heart resonance, Illicit investigation ethics, Obsession vs duty

Available on

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

The Good Girl

3709. The Good Girl

Drama Comedy Romance Passionate Romance Relationship Drama
6.4

20021h 33min

Netherlands, Germany

Director: Miguel Arteta

A discount store clerk strikes up an affair with a stock boy who considers himself the incarnation of Holden Caulfield.

Themes

Deception and manipulation, Blackmail and coercion, Jealousy and insecurity, Marriage under strain, Surveillance and exposure, Extramarital affair consequences

Available on

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

Signs

3710. Signs

Drama Thriller Science Fiction Mystery Mind Game Thriller
6.8

20021h 46min

United States

Director: M. Night Shyamalan

A family living on a farm finds mysterious crop circles in their fields which suggests something more frightening to come.

Themes

Family resilience under threat, Faith under pressure, Fear of the unknown, Grief and renewal, Survival in isolation, Dealing with loss

Available on

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