smoky backdrop

Movies with smoky vibe

A Bittersweet Life

1. A Bittersweet Life

Action Drama Crime Organized Crime Tragic Drama
7.5
20051h 59min

Overview

Kim Sun-woo is an enforcer and manager for a hotel owned by a cold, calculative crime boss, Kang who assigns Sun-woo to a simple errand while he is away on a business trip; to shadow his young mistress, Hee-soo, for fear that she may be cheating on him with a younger man with the mandate that he must kill them both if he discovers their affair.

Themes

Power dynamics, Loyalty under pressure, Isolation and longing, Deception and cover-up, Risk and retaliation, Vengeance and consequences

Available on

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

Million Dollar Baby

2. Million Dollar Baby

Drama Professional Drama
8.1
20042h 12min

Overview

Despondent over a painful estrangement from his daughter, trainer Frankie Dunn isn't prepared for boxer Maggie Fitzgerald to enter his life. But Maggie's determined to go pro and to convince Dunn and his cohort to help her.

Themes

Gender barriers in sport, Mentorship under pressure, Ambition vs family welfare, Sacrifice for career, Exploitation in sport, Resilience through injury

Available on

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

Ray

3. Ray

Drama Music Music Biopic Historical Drama
7.7
20042h 32min

Overview

Born on a sharecropping plantation in Northern Florida, Ray Charles went blind at seven. Inspired by a fiercely independent mom who insisted he make his own way, He found his calling and his gift behind a piano keyboard. Touring across the Southern musical circuit, the soulful singer gained a reputation and then exploded with worldwide fame when he pioneered coupling gospel and country together.

Themes

Trauma shaping artistry, Poverty to stardom, Addiction vs genius, Civil rights pressure, Gospel and secular fusion, Fame under exploitation

Available on

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

Ladder 49

4. Ladder 49

Drama Action Thriller Relationship Drama
6.5
20041h 55min

Overview

Under the watchful eye of his mentor, Captain Mike Kennedy, probationary firefighter Jack Morrison matures into a seasoned veteran at a Baltimore fire station. However, Jack has reached a crossroads as the sacrifices he's made have put him in harm's way innumerable times and significantly impacted his relationship with his wife and kids.

Themes

Trauma and resilience, Duty under pressure, Professional risk and reward, Team loyalty under danger, Mentor-mentee bonds, Family work-life conflict

Available on

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

The Libertine

5. The Libertine

Drama Romance Historical Drama Dark Romance
6.2
20041h 54min

Overview

The story of John Wilmot, a.k.a. the Earl of Rochester, a 17th century poet who famously drank and debauched his way to an early grave, only to earn posthumous critical acclaim for his life's work.

Themes

Debauched aristocracy, Excess and decline, Art under censorship, Illness and stigma, Power versus satire, Loyalty and illusion

Available on

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

Coffee and Cigarettes

6. Coffee and Cigarettes

Comedy Drama Ensemble Comedy
7.0
20041h 37min

Overview

An anthology of eleven vignettes featuring star-studded casts of extremely unique individuals who all share the common activities of conversing while drinking coffee and smoking cigarettes.

Themes

Casual conversations under caffeine, Addiction and restraint, Coffee culture rituals, Fame and performativity, Music as social glue, Unfamiliar encounters

Available on

HBO Max
HBO Max Amazon Channel
Criterion Channel
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Wonderland

7. Wonderland

Crime Mystery Drama Organized Crime Investigation Mystery
6.5
20031h 44min

Overview

On the afternoon of July 1, 1981, Los Angeles police responded to a distress call on Wonderland Avenue and discovered a grisly quadruple homicide. The police investigation that followed uncovered two versions of the events leading up to the brutal murders - both involving legendary porn actor John Holmes.

Themes

Loyalty under pressure, Desperation and debt, Violence and retaliation, Crime group dynamics, Illusion of control, Consequences of illicit crime

Available on

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

Once Upon a Time in Mexico

8. Once Upon a Time in Mexico

Action Crime Thriller One-Person Army Narcotics Crime
6.3
20031h 42min

Overview

A corrupt CIA agent Sands hires hitman El Mariachi to assassinate a Mexican general hired by a drug kingpin attempting a coup d'état of the President of Mexico.

Themes

Deception and manipulation, Corruption and state overreach, Vengeance and loyalty, Criminal networks pressuring governance, Power struggles during instability, Justice and pragmatism under duress

Available on

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

Confidence

9. Confidence

Action Comedy Thriller Crime Mystery
6.6
20031h 37min

Overview

What Jake Vig doesn't know just might get him killed. A sharp and polished grifter, Jake has just swindled thousands of dollars from the unsuspecting Lionel Dolby with the help of his crew. It becomes clear that Lionel wasn't just any mark, he was an accountant for eccentric crime boss Winston King. Jake and his crew will have to stay one step ahead of both the criminals and the cops to finally settle their debt.

Themes

Deception and manipulation, Risk and reward, Money as leverage, Betrayal under pressure, Shifting loyalties, Alliance volatility

Available on

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

Tears of the Sun

10. Tears of the Sun

War Action Drama Modern Conflicts Military Action
6.6
20032h 1min

Overview

Navy SEAL Lieutenant A.K. Waters and his elite squadron of tactical specialists are forced to choose between their duty and their humanity, between following orders by ignoring the conflict that surrounds them, or finding the courage to follow their conscience and protect a group of innocent refugees. When the democratic government of Nigeria collapses and the country is taken over by a ruthless military dictator, Waters, a fiercely loyal and hardened veteran is dispatched on a routine mission to retrieve a Doctors Without Borders physician.

Themes

Civilian harm in conflict, Refugee protection under fire, Leadership legitimacy under upheaval, Duty vs humanity

Available on

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