tense backdrop

Movies with tense vibe

Never Rarely Sometimes Always

891. Never Rarely Sometimes Always

Drama Coming-of-Age Drama
7.4

20201h 41min

United Kingdom, United States

Director: Eliza Hittman

A pair of teenage girls in rural Pennsylvania travel to New York City to seek out medical help after an unintended pregnancy.

Themes

Teenage pregnancy stigma, Abortion access barriers, Rural pennsylvania tension, Misinformation by clinics, Economic precarity during crisis, Bus ride to city

Available on

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

Minamata

892. Minamata

Drama History Biographical History Historical Drama
7.2

20201h 55min

United States, United Kingdom

Director: Andrew Levitas

War photographer W. Eugene Smith travels back to Japan where he documents the devastating effect of mercury poisoning in coastal communities.

Themes

Authorities under pressure, Industrial pollution consequences, Corporate greed accountability, Power versus evidence, Journalistic resilience, Vulnerable coastal communities

Available on

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

Big Time Adolescence

893. Big Time Adolescence

Comedy Drama Coming-of-Age Drama Buddy Comedy
6.9

20201h 31min

United States

Director: Jason Orley

A seemingly bright and mostly innocent 16-year-old named Mo attempts to navigate high school under the guidance of his best friend Zeke, an unmotivated-yet-charismatic college dropout. Although Zeke genuinely cares about Mo, things start to go awry as he teaches Mo nontraditional life lessons in drug dealing, partying, and dating. Meanwhile, Mo’s well-meaning dad tries to step in and take back the reins of his son’s upbringing.

Themes

Loyalty and betrayal, Desire and consequence, Peer influence and risk, Parental control and boundaries, Youth maturity under pressure, Belonging through risk

Available on

Hulu
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

I Still Believe

894. I Still Believe

Music Drama Romance Music Biopic Tragic Drama
6.5

20201h 55min

United States

Director: Andrew Erwin

The true-life story of Christian music star Jeremy Camp and his journey of love and loss that looks to prove there is always hope.

Themes

Enduring faith under hardship, Artistic calling vs sacrifice, Love tested by illness, Anger toward god, Hope through storytelling, Resilience after loss

Available on

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

The Hunt

895. The Hunt

Action Thriller Horror Survival Thriller Slasher Horror
6.6

20201h 30min

United States

Director: Craig Zobel

Twelve strangers wake up in a clearing and learn they’ve become part of the ruthless elite’s entertainment—a thrill-seeking “quest” built around hunting people. A woman named Krista refuses to accept that fate and is ready to do anything to survive.

Themes

Deception and betrayal, Survival under coercion, Spectacle of violence, Elite-controlled game, Misinformation and rumor, Conspiracy politics

Available on

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

Radioactive

896. Radioactive

Drama Romance History Historical Drama Passionate Romance
6.3

20201h 51min

France, United Kingdom

Director: Marjane Satrapi

The story of Nobel Prize winner Marie Curie and her extraordinary scientific discoveries—through the prism of her marriage to husband Pierre—and the seismic and transformative effects their discovery of radium had on the 20th century.

Themes

Gender bias in science, Recognition via prizes, Harassment over origins, Wartime medical innovation, Health risks of radioactivity, Ethics of scientific progress

Available on

Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Prime Video Free with Ads
Amazon Prime Video with Ads
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

First Cow

897. First Cow

Drama Western Historical Drama Revisionist Western
7.1

20202h 2min

United States

Director: Kelly Reichardt

In the 1820s, a taciturn loner and skilled cook travels west to Oregon Territory, where he meets a Chinese immigrant also seeking his fortune. Soon the two team up on a dangerous scheme to steal milk from the wealthy landowner’s prized Jersey cow – the first, and only, in the territory.

Themes

Secrecy and deception, Frontier class tension, Immigrant aspiration and risk, Craft-based livelihood, Mutual reliance under pressure, Wealth and crime dynamics

Available on

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

Escape from Pretoria

898. Escape from Pretoria

Drama History Thriller Historical Event Political Drama
6.8

20201h 42min

Australia, Canada

Director: Francis Annan

South Africa, 1978. Tim Jenkin and Stephen Lee, two white political activists from the African National Congress imprisoned by the apartheid regime, put a plan in motion to escape from the infamous Pretoria Prison.

Themes

Surveillance pressure, Political imprisonment, Resourceful escape tactics, Anti-apartheid resistance, Collective risk for freedom, Protest and exile

Available on

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

Spenser Confidential

899. Spenser Confidential

Comedy Action Thriller Buddy Action Investigation Suspense
6.2

20201h 50min

United States

Director: Peter Berg

Spenser, a former Boston patrolman who just got out from prison, teams up with Hawk, an aspiring fighter, to unravel the truth behind the death of two police officers.

Themes

Loyalty under pressure, Police corruption, Uneasy alliances, Deception and cover-ups, Justice under threat, Ex-cop loyalty under pressure

Available on

Netflix
Netflix Standard with Ads
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Sea Fever

900. Sea Fever

Thriller Horror Drama Science Fiction Mystery
5.7

20201h 35min

Belgium, Ireland

Director: Neasa Hardiman

The crew of a West of Ireland trawler—marooned at sea—struggle for their lives against a growing parasite in their water supply.

Themes

"movie: sea fever. genres: thriller, Horror, Drama, Science fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Horror, Drama, Science fiction, Mystery main themes: cryptozoology, Sea monster, Woman director, Cryptozoology, Sea monster, Woman director full keywords list: cryptozoology, Sea monster, Woman director, Suspenseful, Disgusted. concept analysis: the film examines the psychological toll of isolation and the breakdown of human relationships in the face of existential threats. it highlights the struggle for survival against both external dangers and internal fears, Questioning the limits of human resilience."

Available on

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