deliberate backdrop

Movies with deliberate vibe

201. The Half of It

The Half of It
Comedy Romance Drama Romantic Comedy Coming-of-Age Drama
6.9
20201h 44minUnited States
Director: Alice Wu

Overview

Shy, straight-A student Ellie is hired by sweet but inarticulate jock Paul, who needs help wooing the most popular girl in school. But their new and unlikely friendship gets tricky when Ellie discovers she has feelings for the same girl.

Themes

Authenticity vs performance, Class dynamics, Coming-of-age tensions, Small-town norms, Asian american identity, Lgbt representation

Available on

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

202. The Dark and the Wicked

The Dark and the Wicked
Horror Supernatural Horror
6.1
20201h 35minUnited States
Director: Bryan Bertino

Overview

On a secluded farm in a nondescript rural town, a man is slowly dying. His family gathers to mourn, and soon a darkness grows, marked by waking nightmares and a growing sense that something evil is taking over the family.

Themes

Faith vs doubt, Rural threat and confinement, Isolation and dread, Grief under siege, Possession and intrusion

Available on

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

203. Nobody Knows I'm Here

Nobody Knows I'm Here
Drama Psychological Drama
6.5
20201h 31minChile
Director: Gaspar Antillo

Overview

Memo lives on a remote Chilean sheep farm, hiding a beautiful singing voice from the outside world. A recluse with a glittery flair, he can't stop dwelling on the past, but what will happen once someone finally listens?

Themes

Isolation and longing, Media exposure consequences, Public perception vs reality, Hidden talent vs fame, Memory and voice, Performance and authenticity

Available on

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

204. Uncorked

Uncorked
Drama Comedy Entertainment Industry Drama
6.4
20201h 44minUnited States
Director: Prentice Penny

Overview

Elijah must balance his dream of becoming a master sommelier with his father's expectations that he carry on the family's Memphis BBQ joint.

Themes

Family expectations vs ambition, Career vs family business, Illness impact on goals, Economic sacrifice and fundraising, Perseverance after setback, Peer achievement and inspiration

Available on

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

205. The Occupant

The Occupant
Thriller Drama Domestic Thriller Psychological Drama
6.4
20201h 43minSpain
Director: David Pastor

Overview

An unemployed executive is forced to sell his apartment. When he discovers that he still has the keys, he becomes obsessed with the family that now lives there and decides to recover the life he has lost, at any price.

Themes

Economic precarity, Invasion of privacy, Obsession and intrusion, Boundary crossing, Loss and recovery price, Manipulation of access

Available on

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

206. Never Rarely Sometimes Always

Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Drama Coming-of-Age Drama
7.4
20201h 41minUnited Kingdom, United States
Director: Eliza Hittman

Overview

A pair of teenage girls in rural Pennsylvania travel to New York City to seek out medical help after an unintended pregnancy.

Themes

Teenage pregnancy stigma, Abortion access barriers, Rural pennsylvania tension, Misinformation by clinics, Economic precarity during crisis, Bus ride to city

Available on

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

207. Minamata

Minamata
Drama History Biographical History Historical Drama
7.2
20201h 55minUnited States, United Kingdom
Director: Andrew Levitas

Overview

War photographer W. Eugene Smith travels back to Japan where he documents the devastating effect of mercury poisoning in coastal communities.

Themes

Authorities under pressure, Industrial pollution consequences, Corporate greed accountability, Power versus evidence, Journalistic resilience, Vulnerable coastal communities

Available on

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

208. I Still Believe

I Still Believe
Music Drama Romance Music Biopic Tragic Drama
6.5
20201h 55minUnited States
Director: Andrew Erwin

Overview

The true-life story of Christian music star Jeremy Camp and his journey of love and loss that looks to prove there is always hope.

Themes

Enduring faith under hardship, Artistic calling vs sacrifice, Love tested by illness, Anger toward god, Hope through storytelling, Resilience after loss

Available on

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

209. Radioactive

Radioactive
Drama Romance History Historical Drama Passionate Romance
6.3
20201h 51minFrance, United Kingdom
Director: Marjane Satrapi

Overview

The story of Nobel Prize winner Marie Curie and her extraordinary scientific discoveries—through the prism of her marriage to husband Pierre—and the seismic and transformative effects their discovery of radium had on the 20th century.

Themes

Gender bias in science, Recognition via prizes, Harassment over origins, Wartime medical innovation, Health risks of radioactivity, Ethics of scientific progress

Available on

Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Prime Video Free with Ads
Amazon Prime Video with Ads
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

210. First Cow

First Cow
Drama Western Historical Drama Revisionist Western
7.1
20202h 2minUnited States
Director: Kelly Reichardt

Overview

In the 1820s, a taciturn loner and skilled cook travels west to Oregon Territory, where he meets a Chinese immigrant also seeking his fortune. Soon the two team up on a dangerous scheme to steal milk from the wealthy landowner’s prized Jersey cow – the first, and only, in the territory.

Themes

Secrecy and deception, Frontier class tension, Immigrant aspiration and risk, Craft-based livelihood, Mutual reliance under pressure, Wealth and crime dynamics

Available on

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