nerve-wracking backdrop

Movies with nerve-wracking vibe

Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken

1. Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken

Animation Family Fantasy Comedy Family Animation
5.7
20231h 31min

Overview

Ruby Gillman, a sweet and awkward high school student, discovers she's a direct descendant of the warrior kraken queens. The kraken are sworn to protect the oceans of the world against the vain, power-hungry mermaids. Destined to inherit the throne from her commanding grandmother, Ruby must use her newfound powers to protect those she loves most.

Themes

Loyalty under pressure, Betrayal and deception, Belonging and identity, Coming of age, Generational legacy, Duty to protect the ocean

Available on

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

Joy Ride

2. Joy Ride

Comedy Buddy Comedy
6.4
20231h 34min

Overview

When Audrey's business trip to Asia goes sideways, she enlists the aid of Lolo, her irreverent, childhood best friend who also happens to be a hot mess; Kat, her college friend turned Chinese soap star; and Deadeye, Lolo's eccentric cousin. Their no-holds-barred, epic experience becomes a journey of bonding, friendship, belonging, and wild debauchery that reveals the universal truth of what it means to know and love who you are.

Themes

Deception and performance, Creative reinvention, Identity negotiation, Adoption and origins, Intergenerational ties, Female friendship and belonging

Available on

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

Resident Evil: Death Island

3. Resident Evil: Death Island

Action Animation Science Fiction Horror Zombie Horror
5.7
20231h 31min

Overview

In San Francisco, Jill Valentine is dealing with a zombie outbreak and a new T-Virus, Leon Kennedy is on the trail of a kidnapped DARPA scientist, and Claire Redfield is investigating a monstrous fish that is killing whales in the bay. Joined by Chris Redfield and Rebecca Chambers, they discover the trail of clues from their separate cases all converge on the same location, Alcatraz Island, where a new evil has taken residence and awaits their arrival.

Themes

Trust under threat, Collective resilience under threat, Crisis-driven power dynamics, Ethical ambiguity in science, Technological escalation, Institutional oversight failures

Available on

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

The Blackening

4. The Blackening

Horror Comedy Slasher Horror Satire
6.0
20231h 37min

Overview

Seven black friends go away for the weekend, only to find themselves trapped in a cabin with a killer who has a vendetta. They must pit their street smarts and knowledge of horror movies against the murderer to stay alive.

Themes

Racial performance under pressure, Group dynamics under threat, Isolation and survival ethics, Revenge as social critique, Parody of cultural stereotypes, Identity policing and backlash

Available on

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

Elemental

5. Elemental

Family Fantasy Comedy Romance Animation
7.0
20231h 42min

Overview

In a city where fire, water, land and air residents live together, a fiery young woman and a go-with-the-flow guy will discover something elemental: how much they have in common.

Themes

Water elements coexistence, Fire city tensions, Earth air coexistence, Cross-element romantic tension, City pressure and change, Computer animation craft

Available on

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

The Wrath of Becky

6. The Wrath of Becky

Action Horror Thriller Home Invasion Horror Kidnapping & Captivity Thriller
6.1
20231h 23min

Overview

Two years after she escaped a violent attack on her family, 16-year-old Becky attempts to rebuild her life in the care of an older woman -- a kindred spirit named Elena. However, when a violent group known as the Noble Men break into their home, attack them and take their beloved dog, Becky must return to her old ways to protect herself and her loved ones.

Themes

Trauma and resilience, Survival under siege, Revenge motivation, Protective bonds under strain, Misogyny tension, Extremist pressure

Available on

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

Kandahar

7. Kandahar

Action Thriller War Military Action Political Thriller
6.1
20231h 59min

Overview

After his mission is exposed, an undercover CIA operative stuck deep in hostile territory in Afghanistan must fight his way out, alongside his Afghan translator, to an extraction point in Kandahar, all whilst avoiding elite enemy forces and foreign spies tasked with hunting them down.

Themes

Loyalty under pressure, Betrayal and deception, Trust under manipulation, Covert operation ethics, Civilian risk in conflict, Extraction under threat

Available on

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

Beau Is Afraid

8. Beau Is Afraid

Comedy Adventure Fantasy Dark Comedy Adventure Epic
6.6
20232h 59min

Overview

Following the sudden death of his mother, a mild-mannered but anxiety-ridden man confronts his darkest fears as he embarks on an epic odyssey back home.

Themes

Trauma and memory, Identity and belonging, Family obligation pressure, Absurdist satire, Existential anxiety, Paranoia and control

Available on

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

Champions

9. Champions

Comedy Drama Buddy Comedy Family Drama
6.8
20232h 4min

Overview

A stubborn and hotheaded minor league basketball coach is forced to train a Special Olympics team when he is sentenced to community service.

Themes

Funding constraints, Ambition vs responsibility, Growth through mentorship, Trust under testing, Inclusion and belonging, Personal accountability

Available on

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

Women Talking

10. Women Talking

Drama Tragic Drama
6.9
20221h 44min

Overview

A group of women in an isolated religious colony struggle to reconcile their faith with a series of sexual assaults committed by the colony's men.

Themes

Female solidarity under pressure, Faith vs child safety, Community governance and dissent, Collective autonomy under oppression

Available on

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