high-stakes backdrop

Movies with high-stakes vibe

181. Horrible Bosses 2

Horrible Bosses 2
Comedy Adult Comedy
6.3
20141h 48minUnited States
Director: Sean Anders

Overview

Dale, Kurt and Nick decide to start their own business but things don't go as planned because of a slick investor, prompting the trio to pull off a harebrained and misguided kidnapping scheme.

Themes

Financial desperation, Deception under pressure, Power and money dynamics, Trust and manipulation, Risk and consequences, Duress and coercion

Available on

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

182. Unfriended

Unfriended
Horror Mystery Supernatural Horror Unreliable Perspective Mystery
5.6
20141h 23minUnited States
Director: Levan Gabriadze

Overview

While video chatting one night, six high school friends receive a Skype message from a classmate who killed herself exactly one year ago. At first they think it's a prank, but when the girl starts revealing the friends' darkest secrets, they realize they are dealing with something out of this world, something that wants them dead.

Themes

Found footage aesthetic, Online peer pressure, Betrayal and humiliation, Video chat dynamics, Revenge via social channels, Digital duress and threats

Available on

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

183. Who Am I

Who Am I
Thriller Computer Threat Thriller
7.4
20141h 45minGermany
Director: Baran bo Odar

Overview

Benjamin, a young German computer whiz, is invited to join a subversive hacker group that wants to be noticed on the world's stage.

Themes

Deception and masks, Group loyalty under pressure, Law enforcement pressure, Anonymity vs exposure, Social engineering as leverage

Available on

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

184. The Maze Runner

The Maze Runner
Action Mystery Science Fiction Thriller Dystopian Sci-Fi
6.8
20141h 53minUnited States, United Kingdom
Director: Wes Ball

Overview

A teenager with no memory of his past finds himself among a group of boys living in a walled enclosure surrounded by a massive, ever-changing maze. As he struggles to adapt to their rules and society, he begins to uncover clues that may lead to escape and the truth behind their confinement.

Themes

Memory loss under pressure, Survival through cooperation, Group dynamics under stress, Authority versus rebellion, Isolation within confinement, Manipulation through experimentation

Available on

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

185. The Expendables 3

The Expendables 3
Action Adventure Thriller Epic Action Rescue Mission Adventure
6.1
20142h 6minUnited States, France
Director: Patrick Hughes

Overview

Barney, Christmas and the rest of the team comes face-to-face with Conrad Stonebanks, who years ago co-founded The Expendables with Barney. Stonebanks subsequently became a ruthless arms trader and someone who Barney was forced to kill… or so he thought. Stonebanks, who eluded death once before, now is making it his mission to end The Expendables -- but Barney has other plans. Barney decides that he has to fight old blood with new blood, and brings in a new era of Expendables team members, recruiting individuals who are younger, faster and more tech-savvy. The latest mission becomes a clash of classic old-school style versus high-tech expertise in the Expendables’ most personal battle yet.

Themes

Power and accountability, Loyalty versus self-interest, Covert operations under pressure, High tech vs old-school, Old guard vs new blood, Betrayal and taunt dynamics

Available on

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

186. Lucy

Lucy
Action Science Fiction AI Sci-Fi One-Person Army
6.4
20141h 29minFrance
Director: Luc Besson

Overview

A woman, accidentally caught in a dark deal, turns the tables on her captors and transforms into a merciless warrior evolved beyond human logic.

Themes

Brain capacity expansion, Telepathy focus, Time travel implications, Synthetic drug impact

Available on

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

187. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Science Fiction Action Drama Thriller Post-Apocalyptic Sci-Fi
7.6
20142h 10minUnited Kingdom, United States
Director: Matt Reeves

Overview

A group of scientists in San Francisco struggle to stay alive in the aftermath of a plague that is wiping out humanity, while Caesar tries to maintain dominance over his community of intelligent apes.

Themes

Loyalty under threat, Intergroup conflict, Leadership under pressure, Trust and betrayal, Survival under collapse, Alliance and deception

Available on

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

188. Edge of Tomorrow

Edge of Tomorrow
Action Science Fiction Military Action Time Travel Sci-Fi
7.9
20141h 54minUnited States
Director: Doug Liman

Overview

Major Bill Cage is an officer who has never seen a day of combat when he is unceremoniously demoted and dropped into combat. Cage is killed within minutes, managing to take an alpha alien down with him. He awakens back at the beginning of the same day and is forced to fight and die again... and again - as physical contact with the alien has thrown him into a time loop.

Themes

Duty under pressure, Cycles of learning under siege, Exoskeleton warfare, Humanity vs superorganism, Sacrifice and persistence, Cooperation under danger

Available on

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

189. The Two Faces of January

The Two Faces of January
Thriller Cover-Up Thriller
6.2
20141h 36minFrance, United Kingdom
Director: Hossein Amini

Overview

1962. A con artist, his wife, and a dangerous stranger are caught up in the murder of a private detective and are forced to try and escape Athens.

Themes

Deception and betrayal, Moral ambiguity, Pursuit and escape, Manufactured identities, Fragile loyalties, Dangerous entanglements

Available on

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

190. Walk of Shame

Walk of Shame
Comedy High-Concept Comedy
6.0
20141h 35minUnited States
Director: Steven Brill

Overview

A reporter's dream of becoming a news anchor is compromised after a one-night stand leaves her stranded in downtown L.A. without a phone, car, ID or money - and only 8 hours to make it to the most important job interview of her life.

Themes

Career ambition under scrutiny, Media gatekeeping and opportunity, Urban survival under pressure, Public image vs personal reality, Economic vulnerability in crisis, Gendered expectations in media

Available on

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