documentary-style backdrop

Movies with documentary-style vibe

231. My Brother Is an Only Child

My Brother Is an Only Child
Comedy Drama History Historical Drama
7.0
20071h 48minFrance, Italy
Director: Daniele Luchetti

Overview

Accio and Manrico are siblings from a working-class family in 1960s Italy: older Manrico is handsome, charismatic, and loved by all, while younger Accio is sulky, hot-headed, and treats life as a battleground — much to his parents' chagrin. After the former is drawn into left-wing politics, Accio joins the fascists out of spite, but his flimsy beliefs are put to test when he falls for Manrico's like-minded girlfriend.

Themes

Family loyalty under pressure, Romantic rivalry, Working class struggle, Political faction conflict, Youth political awakening, Ideological shift pressure

Available on

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

232. Notes on a Scandal

Notes on a Scandal
Drama Romance Relationship Drama Dark Romance
7.4
20061h 32minUnited Kingdom, United States
Director: Richard Eyre

Overview

A veteran high school teacher befriends a younger art teacher, who is having an affair with one of her 15-year-old students. However, her intentions with this new "friend" also go well beyond platonic friendship.

Themes

Manipulation and control, Extramarital affair, Power dynamics in relationships, Stalker dynamics, Loneliness and companionship, Public exposure consequences

Available on

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

233. The Pursuit of Happyness

The Pursuit of Happyness
Drama Professional Drama
8.0
20061h 57minUnited States
Director: Gabriele Muccino

Overview

A struggling salesman takes custody of his son as he's poised to begin a life-changing professional career.

Themes

Economic precarity, Homelessness hardship, Mentorship opportunity, Single parent resilience, Social mobility barriers, Perseverance under pressure

Available on

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

234. Letters from Iwo Jima

Letters from Iwo Jima
Action Drama War World War II Historical Drama
7.8
20062h 21minUnited States
Director: Clint Eastwood

Overview

The story of the battle of Iwo Jima between the United States and Imperial Japan during World War II, as told from the perspective of the Japanese who fought it.

Themes

Defense in depth, Suspicion and espionage, Leadership under pressure, Hunger and disease, Obedience vs retreat, Memory through letters

Available on

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

235. Blood Diamond

Blood Diamond
Drama Thriller Action Political Drama Political Thriller
8.0
20062h 23minGermany, United States
Director: Edward Zwick

Overview

An ex-mercenary turned smuggler. A Mende fisherman. Amid the explosive civil war overtaking 1999 Sierra Leone, these men join for two desperate missions: recovering a rare pink diamond of immense value and rescuing the fisherman's son, conscripted as a child soldier into the brutal rebel forces ripping a swath of torture and bloodshed countrywide.

Themes

Illicit diamond trade, Mercenary complicity, Child soldier impact, War economy, Investigative journalism, Private military power

Available on

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

236. The Queen

The Queen
Drama History Historical Drama Political History
7.3
20061h 43minFrance, Italy
Director: Stephen Frears

Overview

The Queen is an intimate behind the scenes glimpse at the interaction between HM Elizabeth II and Prime Minister Tony Blair during their struggle, following the death of Diana, to reach a compromise between what was a private tragedy for the Royal family and the public's demand for an overt display of mourning.

Themes

Public spectacle vs private grief, Media scrutiny and intrusion, Modernisation versus tradition, Monarchy legitimacy under debate, Duty versus personal sentiment, Political influence on ceremony

Available on

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

237. Deliver Us from Evil

Deliver Us from Evil
Crime Documentary True Crime Documentary
7.9
20061h 41minUnited States
Director: Amy J. Berg

Overview

Documentary filmmaker Amy Berg investigates the life of 30-year pedophile Father Oliver O'Grady and exposes the corruption inside the Catholic Church that allowed him to abuse countless children. Victims' stories and a disturbing interview with O'Grady offer a view into the troubled mind of the spiritual leader who moved from parish to parish gaining trust ... all the while betraying so many.

Themes

Institutional secrecy, Protecting reputation, Systemic abuse awareness, Survivor testimony, Transparency versus concealment, Power dynamics in leadership

Available on

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

238. United 93

United 93
Drama History Crime Thriller Action
7.6
20061h 51minFrance, United Kingdom
Director: Paul Greengrass

Overview

A real-time account of the events on United Flight 93, one of the planes hijacked on 9/11 that crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania when passengers foiled the terrorist plot.

Themes

Collective action under threat, Real-time information flow, Crisis leadership under pressure, Group solidarity under duress, Calculated risk taking

Available on

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

239. Brokeback Mountain

Brokeback Mountain
Drama Romance Relationship Drama Passionate Romance
7.7
20052h 14minCanada, United States
Director: Ang Lee

Overview

In 1960s Wyoming, two men develop a strong emotional and sexual relationship that endures as a lifelong connection complicating their lives as they get married and start families of their own.

Themes

Hidden desire under duty, Marital obligation versus longing, Family duty versus self, Private life public tension, Social stigma and secrecy

Available on

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

240. Good Night, and Good Luck.

Good Night, and Good Luck.
Drama History Historical Drama
7.4
20051h 32minFrance, Japan
Director: George Clooney

Overview

The story of journalist Edward R. Murrow's stand against Senator Joseph McCarthy's anti-communist witch-hunts in the early 1950s.

Themes

Media power vs accountability, Government witch hunts, Journalistic integrity under pressure, Anti communism pressure, Public broadcast ethics, Civil liberties versus security

Available on

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