distant backdrop

Movies with distant vibe

The Mechanic

1. The Mechanic

Action Thriller Crime Epic Action Organized Crime
6.5
20111h 33min

Overview

Arthur Bishop is a 'mechanic' - an elite assassin with a strict code requiring professional perfection and total detachment. One of an elite group of assassins, Bishop may be the best in the business - with a unique talent for cleanly eliminating targets. When Harry McKenna, his close friend and mentor, is murdered, Harry's son comes to him with vengeance in his heart and a desire to learn Bishop's trade, signaling the birth of a deadly partnership.

Themes

Loyalty under manipulation, Revenge as motive, Mentorship and betrayal, Code of perfection, Agency vs control, Deception by power

Available on

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

22 Bullets

2. 22 Bullets

Drama Crime Thriller Organized Crime Revenge Thriller
6.6
20101h 57min

Overview

A retired mobster goes on a revenge spree after being left for dead with 22 bullets in his body by his former childhood friend.

Themes

Family loyalty under threat, Moral ambiguity in justice, Deception within crime networks, Past life vs present identity, Revenge as obsession, Investigation pressures and leverage

Available on

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

Dogtooth

3. Dogtooth

Drama Psychological Drama
7.1
20091h 38min

Overview

Three teenagers are confined to an isolated country estate that could very well be on another planet. The trio spend their days listening to endless homemade tapes that teach them a whole new vocabulary. Any word that comes from beyond their family abode is instantly assigned a new meaning. Hence 'the sea' refers to a large armchair and 'zombies' are little yellow flowers. Having invented a brother whom they claim to have ostracized for his disobedience, the uber-controlling parents terrorize their offspring into submission.

Themes

Deception and manipulation, Sexual exploitation, Family control, Linguistic indoctrination, Isolation pressures, Parental coercion

Available on

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

Law Abiding Citizen

4. Law Abiding Citizen

Drama Crime Thriller Narcotics Crime Revenge Thriller
7.4
20091h 49min

Overview

A frustrated man decides to take justice into his own hands after a plea bargain sets one of his family's killers free. He targets not only the killer but also the district attorney and others involved in the deal.

Themes

Vigilantism vs law, Revenge as justice, Consequences of plea bargains, Secrecy and manipulation by authorities, Fallibility of the justice system

Available on

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

Angels & Demons

5. Angels & Demons

Thriller Mystery Investigation Suspense Investigation Mystery
6.7
20092h 19min

Overview

Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is recruited by the Vatican to investigate the apparent return of the Illuminati – a secret, underground organization – after four cardinals are kidnapped on the night of the papal conclave.

Themes

Deception and betrayal, Institutional secrecy, Science vs religion, Secret power manipulation, Symbolism and ancient orders, Ethics of leadership

Available on

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

Anything for Her

6. Anything for Her

Drama Thriller Legal Drama Domestic Thriller
7.1
20081h 36min

Overview

Lisa and Julien are married and lead a happy uneventful life with their son Oscar. But their life radically changes one morning, when the police comes to arrest Lisa on murder charges. She's sentenced to 20 years of prison. Convinced of his wife's innocence, Julien decides to act. How far will he be willing to go for her?

Themes

Deception and manipulation, Loyalty under pressure, Family bonds under strain, Desperate escape planning, Truth vs evidence, Law versus survival

Available on

Apple TV
Disney Plus
blue TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Flash of Genius

7. Flash of Genius

Drama Legal Drama
7.0
20081h 59min

Overview

In this David vs. Goliath drama based on a true story, college professor Robert Kearns goes up against the giants of the auto industry when they fail to give him credit for inventing intermittent windshield wipers. Kearns doggedly pursues recognition for his invention, as well as the much-deserved financial rewards for the sake of his wife and six kids.

Themes

Pursuit of recognition, Ownership vs credit, Corporate appropriation fear, Patent disputes, Personal sacrifice under pressure, Legal battles

Available on

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

The Wave

8. The Wave

Drama Thriller Political Drama Mind Game Thriller
7.6
20081h 47min

Overview

A school teacher discusses types of government with his class. His students find it too boring to repeatedly go over national socialism and believe that dictatorship cannot be established in modern Germany. He starts an experiment to show how easily the masses can become manipulated.

Themes

Mass manipulation dynamics, Group conformity pressures, Education as social engineering, Ideology and authority, Discipline and obedience, Bullying and social exclusion

Available on

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

Overview

After a violent storm, a dense cloud of mist envelops a small Maine town, trapping David Drayton and his five-year-old son in a local grocery store with other local residents. They soon discover that the mist conceals deadly horrors that threaten their lives, and worse, their sanity.

Themes

Mob mentality, Resource scarcity, Survival ethics, Isolation pressure, Religious fanaticism, Authority ambiguity

Available on

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

Overview

A documentary about the corrupt health care system in The United States who's main goal is to make profit even if it means losing people’s lives. "The more people you deny health insurance the more money we make" is the business model for health care providers in America.

Themes

Bureaucratic denial of care, Cross-border health disparities, Systemic inequality, Advocacy and reform pressure, Profit motive in healthcare, Public vs private systems

Available on

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