Movies with documentary-style vibe

Vibe

Immersive Tense Atmospheric Bleak Procedural

Overview

Nebraska cop Kathryn Bolkovac discovers a deadly sex trafficking ring while serving as a U.N. peacekeeper in post-war Bosnia. Risking her own life to save the lives of others, she uncovers an international conspiracy that is determined to stop her, no matter the cost.

Themes

Institutional corruption, International power dynamics, Whistleblower risk, Accountability vs immunity, Gender-based exploitation, Victims' testimony

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Vibe

Realistic Tense Steady Bleak Dry

Overview

Housewife and mother Penny Chenery agrees to take over her ailing father's Virginia-based Meadow Stables, despite her lack of horse-racing knowledge. Against all odds, Chenery - with the help of veteran trainer Lucien Laurin - manages to navigate the male-dominated business, ultimately fostering the first Triple Crown winner in 25 years.

Themes

Trust vs control, Gendered industry barriers, Family leadership under pressure, Estate tax pressure, Syndication for control, Risk management through opportunity

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Vibe

Bleak Deliberate Dreamlike Minimalist Lingering

Overview

Suffering from acute kidney failure, Boonmee has chosen to spend his final days surrounded by his loved ones in the countryside. Surprisingly, the ghost of his deceased wife appears to care for him, and his long lost son returns home in a non-human form. Contemplating the reasons for his illness, Boonmee treks through the jungle with his family to a mysterious hilltop cave—the birthplace of his first life.

Themes

Karma and illness, Mortality and caregiving, Nonhuman transformation, Reincarnation and longing, Spirits and human bonds, Ritual memory

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Vibe

Tense Intimate Deliberate Clinical Minimalist

Overview

A biopic of Temple Grandin, an autistic American who has become one of the leading scientists in humane livestock handling.

Themes

Gender bias in science, Disability as catalyst, Ethics of animal handling, Institutional resistance to innovation, Mentorship and loss, Societal expectations vs expertise

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Vibe

Immersive Realistic Tense Deliberate Measured

Overview

An ecological drama/documentary, filmed throughout the globe. Part thriller, part meditation on the vanishing wonders of the sub-aquatic world.

Themes

Interdependence of marine life, Human impact on oceans, Vanishing ocean wonders, Education through observation, Global ecological drama, Fragility of underwater habitats

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Vibe

Steady Dry Restrained Reflective Cynical

Overview

Corporate downsizing expert Ryan Bingham spends his life in planes, airports, and hotels, but just as he’s about to reach a milestone of ten million frequent flyer miles, he meets a woman who causes him to rethink his transient life.

Themes

Corporate downsizing ethics, Wanderer identity conflict, Emotional labor, Performance vs empathy, Personal professional boundaries, Loyalty to craft vs relationships, Transience and belonging

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Vibe

Intimate Bleak Restrained Deliberate Reflective

Overview

Eight months after the death of his wife, Frank Goode looks forward to a reunion with his four adult children. When all of them cancel their visits at the last minute, Frank, against the advice of his doctor, sets out on a road trip to reconnect with his offspring. As he visits each one in turn, Frank finds that his children's lives are not quite as picture-perfect as they've made them out to be.

Themes

Loneliness and connection, Familial deception, Aging and mortality, Parental expectations versus autonomy, Generation gap communication, Care versus independence

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Vibe

Tense Intimate Claustrophobic Clinical Relentless

Overview

During the First Lebanon War in 1982, a lone tank and a paratroopers platoon are dispatched to search a hostile town.

Themes

Leadership under pressure, Claustrophobic warfare, Ethical compromises in combat, Unreliable information in battle, Physical strain of tank warfare, Moral injury in war

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Vibe

Bleak Deliberate Clinical Measured Nerve-wracking

Overview

The Cove tells the amazing true story of how an elite team of individuals, films makers and free divers embarked on a covert mission to penetrate the hidden cove in Japan, shining light on a dark and deadly secret. The shocking discoveries were only the tip of the iceberg.

Themes

Environmental activism, Government complicity, Visibility vs secrecy, Economic incentives in hunting, Public awareness and risk

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Vibe

Realistic Tense Intimate Restrained Deliberate

Overview

Adam, a lonely man with Asperger's Syndrome, develops a relationship with his upstairs neighbor, Beth.

Themes

Relationship boundaries, Autism isolation, Space exploration fixation, Upstairs neighbor romance, Asperger syndrome stigma, Children's book author

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