high-stakes backdrop

Movies with high-stakes vibe

321. U-571

U-571
War Action Adventure World War II Military Action
6.6
20001h 56minUnited States, France
Director: Jonathan Mostow

Overview

In the midst of World War II, the battle under the sea rages and the Nazis have the upper hand as the Allies are unable to crack their war codes. However, after a wrecked U-boat sends out an SOS signal, the Allies realise this is their chance to seize the 'enigma coding machine'.

Themes

Leadership under pressure, Wartime deception, Alliance risk, Clandestine operations, Moral ambiguity of war, Trust under fire, Code secrecy

Available on

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

322. Boiler Room

Boiler Room
Crime Drama Thriller Con Artist Crime Professional Drama
7.0
20001h 58minUnited States
Director: Ben Younger

Overview

A college dropout gets a job as a broker for a suburban investment firm and is on the fast track to success—but the job might not be as legitimate as it sounds.

Themes

Deception of investors, Loyalty vs disapproval, Class ascent through deceit, Deceptive sales culture, Risk of quick wealth, Systemic fraud risk

Available on

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

323. The Whole Nine Yards

The Whole Nine Yards
Comedy Crime Parody Organized Crime
6.7
20001h 38minUnited States
Director: Jonathan Lynn

Overview

After a mobster agrees to cooperate with an FBI investigation in order to stay out of prison, he's relocated by the authorities to a life of suburban anonymity as part of a witness protection program. It's not long before a couple of his new neighbours figure out his true identity and come knocking to see if he'd be up for one more hit—suburban style.

Themes

Deception in relationships, Witness protection strain, Money-driven manipulation, Loyalty vs survival, Suburban disguise, Crime and family ties

Available on

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

324. The Mummy

The Mummy
Adventure Action Fantasy Globetrotting Adventure Epic Action
7.1
19992h 4minUnited States
Director: Stephen Sommers

Overview

Dashing legionnaire Rick O'Connell stumbles upon the hidden ruins of Hamunaptra while in the midst of a battle to claim the area in 1920s Egypt. It has been over three thousand years since former High Priest Imhotep suffered a fate worse than death as a punishment for a forbidden love—along with a curse that guarantees eternal doom upon the world if he is ever awoken.

Themes

Good versus evil, Survival under pressure, Ancient power vs modern ambition, Ritual danger and disruption, Competition over artifacts, Group loyalty under threat

Available on

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

325. The Negotiator

The Negotiator
Action Crime Drama Thriller Kidnapping & Captivity Thriller
7.3
19982h 20minGermany, United States
Director: F. Gary Gray

Overview

After being falsely accused of murder, a former police negotiator sees no other way out than to take hostages himself in a skyscraper.

Themes

Abuse of power, Internal corruption, Investigative deception, Disability fund fraud, Insider betrayal, Trust under siege

Available on

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

326. The Rainmaker

The Rainmaker
Drama Crime Thriller Legal Drama Courtroom Thriller
7.2
19972h 15minUnited States
Director: Francis Ford Coppola

Overview

Fresh out of law school and desperate for work, idealistic rookie Rudy Baylor takes on a powerful insurance company accused of denying a dying boy’s claim. Teaming up with a scrappy, unlicensed paralegal, he finds himself in a David-versus-Goliath courtroom battle that tests his ethics, courage, and belief in justice.

Themes

Leukemia care denial, Insurance company accountability, Court case pressure, Paralegal collaboration, Bar owner dynamics, Ethics under pressure

Available on

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

327. Gattaca

Gattaca
Thriller Science Fiction Mystery Romance Dystopian Sci-Fi
7.7
19971h 47minUnited States
Director: Andrew Niccol

Overview

Vincent is an all-too-human man who dares to defy a system obsessed with genetic perfection. He is an "In-Valid" who assumes the identity of a member of the genetic elite to pursue his goal of traveling into space with the Gattaca Aerospace Corporation.

Themes

Genetics drives discrimination, Eugenics structures society, Biometrics controls access, Fraud drives risk management, Genotype profiling dominates hiring, Genetic registry shapes opportunity

Available on

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

328. Face/Off

Face/Off
Action Crime Science Fiction One-Person Army Undercover Sting Crime
7.3
19972h 19minUnited States
Director: John Woo

Overview

In order to foil a terrorist plot, an FBI agent undergoes facial transplant surgery and assumes the identity of a criminal mastermind. The plan turns sour when the criminal wakes up prematurely and seeks revenge.

Themes

Undercover disguise and deception, Dual identities via face transplant, Prison escape and pursuit, Revenge through bomb threat, Biological weapon stakes, Sibling loyalty and conflict

Available on

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

329. The Rock

The Rock
Action Adventure Thriller Military Action Political Thriller
7.4
19962h 17minUnited States
Director: Michael Bay

Overview

When vengeful General Francis X. Hummel seizes control of Alcatraz Island and threatens to launch missiles loaded with deadly chemical weapons into San Francisco, only a young FBI chemical weapons expert and notorious Federal prisoner have the skills to penetrate the impregnable island fortress and take him down.

Themes

Duty vs loyalty, Nerve gas threat, Island prison siege, Terrorist threat dynamics, Chemical weapons ethics, Hostage situation pressure

Available on

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

330. Ghost in the Shell

Ghost in the Shell
Action Animation Science Fiction Cyberpunk Adult Animation
7.9
19951h 23minJapan, United Kingdom
Director: Mamoru Oshii

Overview

In the year 2029, the barriers of our world have been broken down by the net and by cybernetics, but this brings new vulnerability to humans in the form of brain-hacking. When a highly-wanted hacker known as 'The Puppetmaster' begins involving them in politics, Section 9, a group of cybernetically enhanced cops, are called in to investigate and stop the Puppetmaster.

Themes

Surveillance and control, Consciousness emergence, Human machine boundary, Political manipulation of tech

Available on

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