Movies with investigative vibe

Vibe

Tense Claustrophobic Bleak Restrained Relentless

Overview

Richard Jewell thinks quick, works fast, and saves hundreds, perhaps thousands, of lives after a domestic terrorist plants several pipe bombs and they explode during a concert, only to be falsely suspected of the crime by sloppy FBI work and sensational media coverage.

Themes

Media bias shaping perception, Authority accountability under spotlight, Public memory shaped by reporting, Glory seeking and media manipulation, Institutional scrutiny under pressure, False accusations under procedural pressure

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Vibe

Tense Claustrophobic Atmospheric Bleak Deliberate

Overview

In 1894, French Captain Alfred Dreyfus is wrongfully convicted of treason and sentenced to life imprisonment at the Devil’s Island penal colony.

Themes

Institutional corruption and reform, Media influence on justice, Military justice vs political interference, Scapegoating and antisemitism, Loyalty vs public duty, Public advocacy and rehabilitation

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Vibe

Realistic Tense Claustrophobic Atmospheric Relentless

Overview

A man recently released from a mental institute inherits a mansion after his parents die. After a series of disturbing events, he comes to believe it is haunted.

Themes

Family violence legacy, Isolation and surveillance, Prison and release consequences, Hallucination under stress, Inheritance as burden, Secrets of confinement

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Vibe

Tense Atmospheric Procedural Restrained Clinical

Overview

In June 2013, Laura Poitras and reporter Glenn Greenwald flew to Hong Kong for the first of many meetings with Edward Snowden. She brought her camera with her.

Themes

Media accountability, Whistleblower risk, Privacy vs security, State secrecy tension, Surveillance ethics, Journalist ethics, Asylum politics

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Vibe

Tense Clinical Relentless Measured Nerve-wracking

Overview

Fed Up blows the lid off everything we thought we knew about food and weight loss, revealing a 30-year campaign by the food industry, aided by the U.S. government, to mislead and confuse the American public, resulting in one of the largest health epidemics in history.

Themes

Public health vs corporate profit, Industry influence on policy, Sugar and obesity link, Lobbying and guideline neglect, Policy inertia and resistance, Health messaging and confusion

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Vibe

Realistic Tense Steady Intimate Dry

Overview

Follows the dramatic journeys of video game developers as they create and release their games to the world. It's about making video games, but at its core, it's about the creative process, and exposing yourself through your work.

Themes

Personal flaws as creative driver, Financial precarity and resilience, Audience interpretation pressures, Collaborative tension and partnership risk, Childhood memory as design impulse, Crunch time and health costs

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