high-stakes backdrop

Movies with high-stakes vibe

The Immortal

1. The Immortal

Crime Drama Thriller Organized Crime Revenge Thriller
6.8
20191h 55min

Overview

After reuniting with his first mentor Bruno and receiving his latest mission, an exiled Ciro is left to fearlessly confront whatever comes his way, navigating a new chapter of gang warfare while grappling with devastating memories of loss and trauma. Weaving between his past as an orphan in Naples' cruel underworld and present as a hardened, cunning assassin with nothing left to lose, Ciro is plunged into the cold, dark depths of a world where immortality is just another form of damnation.

Themes

Loyalty and betrayal, Trauma and memory, Orphan to operative, Survival under criminal code, Mentor influence and control, Factional violence and coercion

Available on

HBO Max
HBO Max Amazon Channel
HBO Max  Amazon Channel
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Terminator: Dark Fate

2. Terminator: Dark Fate

Science Fiction Action Adventure Thriller AI Sci-Fi
6.2
20192h 8min

Overview

Decades after Sarah Connor prevented Judgment Day, a lethal new Terminator is sent to eliminate the future leader of the resistance. In a fight to save mankind, battle-hardened Sarah Connor teams up with an unexpected ally and an enhanced super soldier to stop the deadliest Terminator yet.

Themes

Time travel ethics, Resistance leadership, Border resilience, Augmentation ethics, Ai governance and war, Machine autonomy humanity

Available on

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

El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie

3. El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie

Crime Drama Thriller Narcotics Crime Psychological Drama
7.3
20192h 3min

Overview

In the wake of his dramatic escape from captivity, Jesse Pinkman must come to terms with his past in order to forge some kind of future.

Themes

Loyalty under threat, Deception under pressure, Pursuit and evasion, Consequences of crime, Pursuit of a new life, Memory hauntings

Available on

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

Mr. Jones

4. Mr. Jones

Thriller Drama History Political Thriller Historical Drama
6.9
20191h 59min

Overview

In 1933, Welsh journalist Gareth Jones travels to Ukraine, where he experiences the horrors of a famine. Everywhere he goes he meets henchmen of the Soviet secret service who are determined to prevent news about the catastrophe from getting out. Stalin’s forced collectivisation of agriculture has resulted in misery and ruin—the policy is tantamount to mass murder.

Themes

Ethics under pressure, State censorship, Political manipulation of media, Propaganda vs reporting, Famine as political instrument, Risk to whistleblowers

Available on

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

VFW

5. VFW

Action Crime Horror Thriller Military Action
6.1
20191h 32min

Overview

A typical night for veterans at a VFW turns into an all-out battle for survival when a desperate teen runs into the bar with a bag of stolen drugs. When a gang of violent punks come looking for her, the vets use every weapon at their disposal to protect the girl and themselves from an unrelenting attack.

Themes

Survival under siege, Collective resilience, Veteran camaraderie, Violence under pressure, Drug trade consequences, Moral injury and guilt

Available on

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

Overview

Kept locked inside the house by her father, 7-year-old Chloe lives in fear and fascination of the outside world, where Abnormals create a constant threat—or so she believes. When a mysterious stranger offers her a glimpse of what's really happening outside, Chloe soon finds that while the truth isn't so simple, the danger is very real.

Themes

Deception and manipulation, Mistrust of authority, Ethics of power, Parental control and isolation, Fear of the outside world, Protective vs exploitative guardians

Available on

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

The Informer

7. The Informer

Drama Crime Thriller Organized Crime Political Thriller
6.6
20191h 49min

Overview

In New York, former convict Pete Koslow, related to the Polish mafia, must deal with both Klimek the General, his ruthless boss, and the twisted ambitions of two federal agents, as he tries to survive and protect the lives of his loved ones.

Themes

Loyalty under threat, Trust under surveillance, Corruption within institutions, Coercion and betrayal, Informant risk and secrecy, Family protection vs duty

Available on

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

Angel Has Fallen

8. Angel Has Fallen

Action Thriller Military Action Political Thriller
6.4
20192h 2min

Overview

After a treacherous attack, Secret Service agent Mike Banning is charged with attempting to assassinate President Trumbull. Chased by his own colleagues and the FBI, Banning begins a race against the clock to clear his name.

Themes

Deception and manipulation, Duty vs loyalty, Betrayal under pressure, Institutional trust under scrutiny, Justice under political pressure, Loyalty vs family ties

Available on

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

Heroic Losers

9. Heroic Losers

Comedy Thriller Satire Political Thriller
7.2
20191h 56min

Overview

In a town in the Northwest of the province of Buenos Aires, a group of neighbors is organized to recover the economy of the area, but when the corralito is implemented in the country and they suffer a fraud, their hopes disappear. Now, they will unite to recover the lost money and give the blow of their lives to their greatest enemy.

Themes

Trust and betrayal dynamics, Deception within institutions, Collective action under pressure, Risk and improvisation under crime, Economic precarity under crisis, Recovery through collective effort

Available on

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

Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan

10. Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan

War Action Drama History Vietnam War
6.8
20191h 59min

Overview

Vietnam War, 1966. Australia and New Zealand send troops to support the United States and South Vietnamese in their fight against the communist North. Soldiers are very young men, recruits and volunteers who have never been involved in a combat. On August 18th, members of Delta Company will face the true horror of a ruthless battle among the trees of a rubber plantation called Long Tân. They are barely a hundred. The enemy is a human wave ready to destroy them.

Themes

Outnumbered defense under strain, War context endurance under pressure, Brotherhood forged in conflict, Youthful recruits exposed, Monsoon conditions shape tactics, Relief and withdrawal dynamics

Available on

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