documentary-style backdrop

Movies with documentary-style vibe

A Private War

1. A Private War

Drama War Professional Drama Modern Conflicts
6.7
20181h 46min

Overview

One of the most celebrated war correspondents of our time, Marie Colvin is an utterly fearless and rebellious spirit, driven to the frontlines of conflicts across the globe to give voice to the voiceless.

Themes

Trauma and resilience, Risk and accountability, Press freedom under threat, Civilians under siege, Frontline journalism ethics, Voice to the voiceless

Available on

Netflix
Amazon Video
Netflix Standard with Ads
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Hate U Give

2. The Hate U Give

Crime Drama Coming-of-Age Drama
7.5
20182h 13min

Overview

Raised in a poverty-stricken slum, a 16-year-old girl named Starr now attends a suburban prep school. After she witnesses a police officer shoot her unarmed best friend, she's torn between her two very different worlds as she tries to speak her truth.

Themes

Police accountability, Racial injustice, Urban school divide, Youth protest and activism, Community response to violence, Family threat and resilience

Available on

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

Nothing to Hide

3. Nothing to Hide

Drama Comedy Satire Relationship Drama
6.8
20181h 33min

Overview

To spice up a dinner party, old friends agree to share every private message that pops up on their phones -- with disastrous results.

Themes

Trust under scrutiny, Group dynamics under pressure, Deception within friendship, Privacy erosion, Social contract fragility, Private boundaries exposed

Available on

Netflix
Netflix Standard with Ads
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Beautiful Boy

4. Beautiful Boy

Drama Family Drama
7.4
20181h 59min

Overview

After he and his first wife separate, journalist David Sheff struggles to help their teenage son, who goes from experimenting with drugs to becoming devastatingly addicted to methamphetamine.

Themes

Family dynamics under pressure, Parental responsibility versus autonomy, Drug addiction cycle, Rehab as a path to stability, Search for personal identity, Generational impact of addiction

Available on

Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Prime Video with Ads
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Free Solo

5. Free Solo

Documentary Adventure Sports Documentary Adventure Epic
8.1
20181h 40min

Overview

Follow Alex Honnold as he attempts to become the first person to ever free solo climb Yosemite's 3,000 foot high El Capitan wall. With no ropes or safety gear, this would arguably be the greatest feat in rock climbing history.

Themes

Pressure of performance, Fear and risk management, Solitary pursuit and isolation, Human limits and resilience, Ethics of filming danger, Preparation under scrutiny

Available on

Netflix
Disney Plus
Amazon Video
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Wildlife

6. Wildlife

Drama Coming-of-Age Drama
6.8
20181h 45min

Overview

14-year-old Joe is the only child of Jeanette and Jerry — a housewife and a golf pro — in a small town in 1960s Montana. Nearby, an uncontrolled forest fire rages close to the Canadian border, and when Jerry loses his job (and his sense of purpose) he decides to join the cause of fighting the fire, leaving his wife and son to fend for themselves.

Themes

Economic precarity, Intergenerational tension, Marital strain, Family displacement, Infidelity complications, Pursuit of stability

Available on

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

The Kindergarten Teacher

7. The Kindergarten Teacher

Drama Psychological Drama
6.7
20181h 36min

Overview

Lisa Spinelli is a Staten Island teacher who is unusually devoted to her students. When she discovers one of her five-year-olds is a prodigy, she becomes fascinated with the boy, ultimately risking her family and freedom to nurture his talent.

Themes

Poetry class dynamics, Creative exploitation risk, Teacher student relationship pressure, Family expectations pressure, Ambition vs duty

Available on

Netflix
Netflix Standard with Ads
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Girl

8. Girl

Drama Coming-of-Age Drama
7.2
20181h 45min

Overview

A promising teenage dancer enrolls at a prestigious ballet school while grappling with her gender dysphoria.

Themes

Parental support and boundaries, Athletic training under scrutiny, Gender identity and medical transition, Peer acceptance and bullying, Performance pressure and health risk, Body image and self-expression

Available on

Netflix
Netflix Standard with Ads
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

I Want to Eat Your Pancreas

9. I Want to Eat Your Pancreas

Animation Drama Romance Anime Tragic Drama
8.1
20181h 48min

Overview

After his classmate and crush is diagnosed with a pancreatic disease, an average high schooler sets out to make the most of her final days.

Themes

Friendship under pressure, Romance under constraint, Terminal illness vulnerability, Social scrutiny and resentment, Care through proximity, Memory through diaries

Available on

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

Operation Finale

10. Operation Finale

Drama History Thriller Biographical History Historical Drama
6.6
20182h 4min

Overview

In 1960, a team of Israeli secret agents is deployed to find Adolf Eichmann, the infamous Nazi architect of the Holocaust, supposedly hidden in Argentina, and get him to Israel to be judged.

Themes

Trauma and memory, Postwar accountability, Duty under orders, Loyalty vs justice, Testimony and witness, Espionage deception

Available on

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