bleak backdrop

Movies with bleak vibe

Breathe

1021. Breathe

Drama Coming-of-Age Drama
7.0

20141h 31min

France

Director: Mélanie Laurent

Charlie, a 17-year-old girl tortured by doubt, is thrilled when she becomes friends with Sarah, but when Sarah tires of Charlie and looks for a new friend, their relationship takes an ominous turn.

Themes

Family instability, Social isolation, Trauma and secrecy, Power dynamics in friendships, Jealousy and control, Deception and threats

Available on

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

Virunga

1022. Virunga

Documentary War Social & Political Documentary Modern Conflicts
8.1

20141h 40min

Congo - Kinshasa, United Kingdom

Director: Orlando von Einsiedel

Virunga in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is Africa’s oldest national park, a UNESCO world heritage site, and a contested ground among insurgencies seeking to topple the government that see untold profits in the land. Among this ongoing power struggle, Virunga also happens to be the last natural habitat for the critically endangered mountain gorilla. The only thing standing in the way of the forces closing in around the gorillas: a handful of passionate park rangers and journalists fighting to secure the park’s borders and expose the corruption of its enemies. Filled with shocking footage, and anchored by the surprisingly deep and gentle characters of the gorillas themselves, Virunga is a galvanizing call to action around an ongoing political and environmental crisis in the Congo.

Themes

Conservation under threat, Armed conflict pressure, Oil-driven exploitation, Watchful journalism, Biodiversity protection, Governance and corruption

Available on

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

The Theory of Everything

1023. The Theory of Everything

Drama Romance Relationship Drama Passionate Romance
7.7

20142h 3min

United Kingdom, United States

Director: James Marsh

The Theory of Everything is the extraordinary story of one of the world’s greatest living minds, the renowned astrophysicist Stephen Hawking, who falls deeply in love with fellow Cambridge student Jane Wilde.

Themes

Illness drives perseverance, Caregiving shapes resilience, Marital strain from caregiving, Biographical influence on ambition, Ambition versus family life, Scientific curiosity under pressure

Available on

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

Labyrinth of Lies

1024. Labyrinth of Lies

Drama History Legal Drama Political History
7.3

20142h 2min

Germany

Director: Giulio Ricciarelli

A young prosecutor in postwar West Germany investigates a massive conspiracy to cover up the Nazi pasts of prominent public figures.

Themes

Institutional complicity, Bureaucratic obstruction, Postwar reckoning, Memory vs justice, Family legacy pressure, Duty vs system

Available on

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

Girlhood

1025. Girlhood

Drama Coming-of-Age Drama
6.9

20141h 52min

France

Director: Céline Sciamma

Oppressed by her family setting, dead-end school prospects and the boys law in the neighborhood, Marieme starts a new life after meeting a group of three free-spirited girls. She changes her name, her dress code, and quits school to be accepted in the gang, hoping that this will be a way to freedom.

Themes

Class inequality, Economic precarity, Peer pressure, Gang dynamics, Abusive family dynamics, Identity through group belonging

Available on

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

Big Driver

1026. Big Driver

Crime Mystery Thriller TV Movie Revenge Thriller
5.6

20141h 27min

United States

Director: Mikael Salomon

Tess Thorne, a famous writer, is determined to seek revenge on the man who brutally assaulted and raped her on a desolate New England road.

Themes

Deception and manipulation, Trauma and resilience, Family involvement in crime, Vigilantism and consequences, Media blame and sensationalism, Survivor agency under pressure

Available on

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

Rudderless

1027. Rudderless

Music Drama Comedy Narrative Musical Family Drama
7.4

20141h 45min

United States

Director: William H. Macy

A grieving father in a downward spiral stumbles across a box of his recently deceased son's demo tapes and lyrics. Shocked by the discovery of this unknown talent, he forms a band in the hope of finding some catharsis.

Themes

Parent child relationship, Memory and guilt, Authenticity in music, Mourning to catharsis, Rock band dynamics, Legacy within family

Available on

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

Dark Was the Night

1028. Dark Was the Night

Horror Thriller Supernatural Horror Survival Thriller
5.6

20141h 37min

United States

Director: Jack Heller

An evil is unleashed in a small town when a logging company sets up shop in the neighboring woods. Isolated and threatened, a mysterious force hidden within the trees outside the small town of Maiden Woods, strikes fear in the townspeople as Sheriff Paul Shields attempts to overcome the demons of his past while protecting those that he loves.

Themes

Trauma and guilt, Fear of the unseen, Grief and responsibility, Isolation under threat, Duty and protection, Community under pressure

Available on

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

Fury

1029. Fury

War Drama Action World War II Military Action
7.6

20142h 15min

United States

Director: David Ayer

April, 1945. As the Allies make their final push in the European Theatre, a battle-hardened army sergeant named Wardaddy commands a Sherman tank and her five-man crew on a deadly mission behind enemy lines. Outnumbered and outgunned, and with a rookie soldier thrust into their platoon, Wardaddy and his men face overwhelming odds in their heroic attempts to strike at the heart of Nazi Germany.

Themes

Military obedience under pressure, Trauma from killing, Leadership vs compliance, Frontline resilience and tactics, Dehumanization in war, Cohesion under threat

Available on

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

The Best of Me

1030. The Best of Me

Drama Romance Passionate Romance Relationship Drama
6.7

20141h 57min

United States

Director: Michael Hoffman

A pair of former high school sweethearts reunite after many years when they return to visit their small hometown.

Themes

Duty vs desire, Loyalty under threat, Memory and longing, Family obligation and romance, Past vs present, Second chances under pressure

Available on

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