Psychological Drama backdrop

Psychological Drama movies

Drama where an unstable mental state drives the plot: paranoia, delusions, hallucinations, identity breakdown, or psychological collapse.

221. The Bothersome Man

The Bothersome Man
Comedy Drama Fantasy Psychological Drama Dark Comedy
7.2
20061h 30minIceland, Norway
Director: Jens Lien

Overview

Forty-year-old Andreas arrives in a strange city with no memory of how he got there. He is presented with a job, an apartment - even a wife. But before long, Andreas notices that something is wrong. Andreas makes an attempt to escape the city, but he discovers there's no way out. Andreas meets Hugo, who has found a crack in a wall in his cellar. Beautiful music streams out from the crack. Maybe it leads to "the other side"? A new plan for escape is hatched.

Themes

Dreams confinement, Modern society pressure, Surreal alienation, Consumerism emptiness, Romance isolation, Revolution suppression

Available on

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

222. Alpha Dog

Alpha Dog
Crime Drama Thriller Organized Crime Kidnapping & Captivity Thriller
6.9
20062h 2minGermany, United Kingdom
Director: Nick Cassavetes

Overview

Johnny Truelove likes to see himself as tough. He's the son of an underworld figure and a drug dealer. Johnny also likes to get tough when things don't go his way. When Jake Mazursky fails to pay up for Johnny, things get worse for the Mazursky family, as Johnny and his 'gang' kidnap Jake's 15 year old brother and hold him hostage.

Themes

Loyalty under pressure, Violence and consequence, Debt-driven crime, Legal jeopardy, Kidnapping and coercion, Suburban crime networks

Available on

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

223. Strange Circus

Strange Circus
Mystery Horror Drama Psychological Horror Unreliable Perspective Mystery
6.9
20051h 48minJapan
Director: Sion Sono

Overview

The erotic novelist Taeko is writing a morbid story of a family destroyed by incest, murder and abuse. Her assistant, Yuji, sets on a mission to uncover the reality of this story, but the reality might be too much to bear.

Themes

Parent child relationship, Incest dynamics, Murder echoes, Art as confession, Child abuse trauma, Reality and fiction

Available on

Apple TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

224. Jarhead

Jarhead
Drama War Psychological Drama Modern Conflicts
7.0
20052h 3minUnited Kingdom, United States
Director: Sam Mendes

Overview

Jarhead is a film about a US Marine Anthony Swofford’s experience in the Gulf War. After putting up with an arduous boot camp, Swofford and his unit are sent to the Persian Gulf where they are eager to fight, but are forced to stay back from the action. Swofford struggles with the possibility of his girlfriend cheating on him, and as his mental state deteriorates, his desire to kill increases.

Themes

Drill monotony, Desert isolation, Peer punishment culture, Infidelity and longing, Mental strain under duty, Fragile camaraderie under pressure

Available on

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

225. Tideland

Tideland
Fantasy Drama Thriller Science Fiction Psychological Drama
6.3
20052hCanada, United Kingdom
Director: Terry Gilliam

Overview

Because of the actions of her irresponsible parents, a young girl is left alone on a decrepit country estate and survives inside her fantastic imagination.

Themes

Fantasy as coping, Isolation fosters imagination, Parental neglect consequences, Unreliable guardianship, Loneliness drives behavior, Boundary between fantasy and reality

Available on

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

226. Romanzo Criminale

Romanzo Criminale
Crime Drama Organized Crime Psychological Drama
7.2
20052h 32minFrance, Italy
Director: Michele Placido

Overview

After serving prison time for a juvenile offense, Freddo gathers his old buddies Libano and Dandi and embarks on a crime spree that makes the trio the most powerful gangsters in Rome. Libano loves their new status, and seeks to spread their influence throughout the underworld, while the other two pursue more fleshly desires. For decades, their gang perpetrates extravagant crimes, until paranoia threatens to split the friends apart.

Themes

Loyalty under pressure, Deception within alliances, Romance amid crime, Paranoia and mistrust, Wealth as weapon, Ambition and territory

Available on

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

227. On Probation

On Probation
Mystery Crime Action Drama Thriller
7.5
20051h 52minArgentina
Director: Damián Szifron

Overview

Mariano is a psychologist who must fulfill community service after losing a lawsuit by a traffic accident. He is forced to provide therapeutic support to Alfredo, a policeman depressed over his wife cheating on him. Mariano is then accidentally involved in a double homicide investigation being conducted by Alfredo.

Themes

Deception and disguise, Infidelity fallout, Ethical strain in therapy and policing, Dual loyalties, Role reversal under pressure, Conspiracy and investigation


228. Stay

Stay
Mystery Thriller Drama Mind Game Thriller Psychological Drama
6.7
20051h 39minSwitzerland, United States
Director: Marc Forster

Overview

With only days left until a shocking suicide attempt, psychiatrist Sam Foster races against time to unravel the twisted mind of his enigmatic patient, Henry Letham. As reality blurs, can Sam unlock the truth before it's too late?

Themes

Reality vs illusion, Loss of reality, Time distortion, Therapist patient tension, Mental health crisis

Available on

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

229. The Aura

The Aura
Drama Thriller Mind Game Thriller Psychological Drama
7.1
20052h 14minArgentina, France
Director: Fabián Bielinsky

Overview

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.

230. Harsh Times

Harsh Times
Crime Drama Thriller Action Organized Crime
6.8
20051h 56minUnited States
Director: David Ayer

Overview

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.