stark backdrop

Movies with stark vibe

181. The Admiral: Roaring Currents

The Admiral: Roaring Currents
War Action Drama History Age of Sail & Early Modern Warfare
7.1
20142h 6minSouth Korea
Director: Kim Han-min

Overview

Admiral Yi Sun-sin faces a tough challenge when he is forced to defend his nation with just 13 battleships against 300 Japanese enemy ships in the Battle of Myeongryang.

Themes

Sacrifice and endurance, Morale under siege, Battleship tactics, Naval warfare resilience, Betrayal and treachery, Underdog leadership

Available on

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

182. Winter Sleep

Winter Sleep
Drama Relationship Drama
8.0
20143h 16minTürkiye, France
Director: Nuri Bilge Ceylan

Overview

Aydın is a hotel owner and a retired actor in rural Turkey. As winter emerges he begins navigating the conflicts within the relationships with his wife, sister and existence.

Themes

Marital strain, Wealth disparity, Rural isolation, Gender roles, Retirement and purpose, Charity and obligation

Available on

Apple TV
Kanopy
Hoopla
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

183. The Rover

The Rover
Crime Drama Organized Crime Tragic Drama
6.4
20141h 43minAustralia
Director: David Michôd

Overview

Ten years after a severe economic collapse in the western world, lawlessness reigns and life is cheap. Eric is a lone drifter, and his car is his only possession. When a gang steals it, Eric comes across the injured Rey, left behind by the car thieves. The pair form an unlikely and uneasy alliance.

Themes

Loyalty under duress, Desolate frontier violence, Uneasy alliances, Post-collapse scarcity, Moral ambiguity in lawlessness, Survival versus humanity

Available on

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

184. The Babadook

The Babadook
Drama Horror Psychological Horror Tragic Drama
6.8
20141h 34minAustralia, Canada
Director: Jennifer Kent

Overview

A single mother, plagued by the violent death of her husband, battles with her son's fear of a monster lurking in the house, but soon discovers a sinister presence all around her.

Themes

Imagination vs reality, Grief and maternal responsibility, Isolation of caregiving, Unseen threats at home, Psychological distress under pressure, Rituals of care and safety

Available on

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

185. The Homesman

The Homesman
Western Drama Revisionist Western Historical Drama
6.6
20142h 2minUnited States, France
Director: Tommy Lee Jones

Overview

When three women living on the edge of the American frontier are driven mad by harsh pioneer life, the task of saving them falls to the pious, independent-minded Mary Bee Cuddy. Transporting the women by covered wagon to Iowa, she soon realizes just how daunting the journey will be, and employs a low-life drifter, George Briggs, to join her. The unlikely pair and the three women head east, where a waiting minister and his wife have offered to take the women in. But the group first must traverse the harsh Nebraska Territories marked by stark beauty, psychological peril and constant threat.

Themes

Trauma and resilience, Violence and survival, Authority and betrayal, Gendered duty, Prairie isolation, Frontier independence

Available on

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

186. Blue Ruin

Blue Ruin
Crime Thriller Organized Crime Revenge Thriller
7.1
20141h 31minUnited States, France
Director: Jeremy Saulnier

Overview

When the quiet life of a beach bum is upended by dreadful news, he sets off for his childhood home to carry out an act of vengeance. However, he proves an inept assassin and finds himself in a brutal fight to protect his estranged family.

Themes

Neo-noir mood, Vigilante ethics, Isolation under pressure, Family feud, Vengeance drive, Quiet life disruption

Available on

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

187. Starred Up

Starred Up
Drama Coming-of-Age Drama
7.3
20141h 46minIreland, United Kingdom
Director: David Mackenzie

Overview

19-year-old Eric, arrogant and ultra-violent, is prematurely transferred to the same adult prison facility as his estranged father. As his explosive temper quickly finds him enemies in both prison authorities and fellow inmates — and his already volatile relationship with his father is pushed past breaking point — Eric is approached by a volunteer psychotherapist, who runs an anger management group for prisoners. Torn between gang politics, prison corruption, and a glimmer of something better, Eric finds himself in a fight for his own life, unsure if his own father is there to protect him or join in punishing him.

Themes

Loyalty and manipulation, Violence and control, Father son authority clash, Anger management under pressure, Group therapy confrontation, Prison power dynamics

Available on

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

188. Noah

Noah
Drama Adventure Historical Drama Adventure Epic
5.8
20142h 18minUnited States
Director: Darren Aronofsky

Overview

A man who suffers visions of an apocalyptic deluge takes measures to protect his family from the coming flood.

Themes

Survival vs compassion, Responsibility to future generations, Morality under catastrophe, Alliance with outsiders, Guardianship of life, Leadership under visions

Available on

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

189. The Monuments Men

The Monuments Men
War Drama History Action World War II
6.1
20141h 58minGermany, United States
Director: George Clooney

Overview

Based on the true story of the greatest treasure hunt in history, The Monuments Men is an action drama focusing on seven over-the-hill, out-of-shape museum directors, artists, architects, curators, and art historians who went to the front lines of WWII to rescue the world’s artistic masterpieces from Nazi thieves and return them to their rightful owners. With the art hidden behind enemy lines, how could these guys hope to succeed?

Themes

Shared labor across disciplines, Cultural heritage under threat, Duty in wartime, Power dynamics in occupation, Moral ambiguity of rescue, Restitution and ownership

Available on

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

190. Zulu

Zulu
Crime Drama Thriller Political Drama Political Thriller
6.7
20131h 50minSouth Africa, France
Director: Jérôme Salle

Overview

As a child, Ali Neuman narrowly escaped being murdered by Inkhata, a militant political party at war with Nelson Mandela's African National Congress. Only he and his mother survived the carnage of those years. But as with many survivors, the psychological scars remain.

Themes

Trauma and memory, Apartheid legacy, Justice and corruption, Private militia power, Tik drug trade, Police complicity, State violence and science

Available on

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