Movies with unsettling vibe

Vibe

Claustrophobic Dry Deliberate Clinical Minimalist

George, host of a television show focusing on literature, receives videos shot on the sly that feature his family, along with disturbing drawings that are difficult to interpret. He has no idea who has made and sent him the videos. Progressively, the contents of the videos become more personal, indicating that the sender has known George for a long time.

Themes

Class inequality, Social surveillance, Parental responsibility, Concealed past, Appearance vs reality, Memory and guilt

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Vibe

Realistic Bleak Clinical Relentless Intense

Using hidden cameras and never-before-seen footage, Earthlings chronicles the day-to-day practices of the largest industries in the world, all of which rely entirely on animals for profit.

Themes

Animal rights, Speciesism critique, Industrial animal exploitation, Surveillance through cameras, Vegan ethics, Parallels to racism and sexism

Vibe

Tense Claustrophobic Brutal Bleak Clinical

A woman becomes very curious about one of her psychiatrist husband's inmates, a man who was found guilty in the murder and disfigurement of his former wife.

Themes

Deception and secrecy, Power imbalance in relationships, Obsession and violence, Consequences of forbidden romance, Dependency and manipulation, Social isolation and confinement

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Vibe

Tense Claustrophobic Atmospheric Procedural Eerie

A hospice nurse working at a spooky New Orleans plantation home finds herself entangled in a mystery involving the house's dark past.

Themes

Deception and betrayal, Belief vs skepticism, Racial violence and memory, Haunted house legacy, Ritual power dynamics, Plantation ownership and exploitation

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Vibe

Realistic Tense Whimsical Intimate Dry

Single dad Richard meets Christine, a starving artist who moonlights as a cabbie. They awkwardly attempt to start a romance, but Richard’s divorce has left him emotionally damaged. Meanwhile, Richard’s sons—one a teenager, the other 6-years-old—take part in clumsy experiments with the opposite sex.

Themes

Art gallery exposure, Playground boundary negotiation, Separation emotional strain, Hope chest symbolism, Shoe salesman vulnerability, Chat session ambiguity

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Vibe

Claustrophobic Dry Deliberate Clinical Measured

One day, on a whim, Marc decides to shave off the moustache he's worn all of his adult life. He waits patiently for his wife's reaction, but neither she nor his friends seem to notice. Stranger still, when he finally tells them, they all insist he never had a moustache. Is Marc going mad? Is he the victim of some elaborate conspiracy? Or has something in the world's order gone terribly awry?

Themes

Marital strain from deception, Identity erosion under scrutiny, Appearance as social signal, Unreliable social cues, Paranoia and social isolation, Status anxiety in relationships

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Vibe

Realistic Tense Raw Claustrophobic Oppressive

On a trip to the beach, a teenage girl named Tobe meets a charismatic stranger named Harlan, who dresses like a cowboy and claims to be a former ranch hand. The pair feel an instant attraction and begin a relationship, but her father, a lawman, is suspicious of her lover.

Themes

Indian territory pressure, Age gap romance, Strange person appeal, Beach dynamics, Cowboy lure

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Vibe

Tense Intimate Raw Claustrophobic Dry

Aviva is thirteen, awkward and sensitive. Her mother Joyce is warm and loving, as is her father, Steve, a regular guy who does have a fierce temper from time to time. The film revolves around her family, friends and neighbors.

Themes

Reproductive autonomy, Foster care vulnerability, Parental control and fear, Family deception and coercion, Conflicted adolescence under pressure, Ideology-driven violence

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Vibe

Tense Claustrophobic Dry Fast-paced Measured

A 15-year-old girl incites chaos among her friends and a media frenzy when she accuses her drama teacher of sexual harassment.

Themes

Class inequality, Media manipulation, Performative identity, Deception under pressure, Reputation under scrutiny, Power dynamics in education

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Vibe

Steady Intimate Bleak Dry Deliberate

Is American foreign policy dominated by the idea of military supremacy? Has the military become too important in American life? Jarecki's shrewd and intelligent polemic would seem to give an affirmative answer to each of these questions.

Themes

Public manipulation, Military-industrial complex, Perpetual wartime policy, Veterans and casualties, Economic incentives of war, Policy dominance and influence

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