deliberate backdrop

Movies with deliberate vibe

The Salt of the Earth

581. The Salt of the Earth

Documentary Biographical Documentary
8.4

20141h 50min

Italy, France

Director: Juliano Ribeiro Salgado

During the last forty years, the photographer Sebastião Salgado has been travelling through the continents, in the footsteps of an ever-changing humanity. He has witnessed the major events of our recent history: international conflicts, starvations and exodus… He is now embarking on the discovery of pristine territories, of the wild fauna and flora, of grandiose landscapes: a huge photographic project which is a tribute to the planet's beauty. Salgado's life and work are revealed to us by his son, Juliano, who went with him during his last journeys, and by Wim Wenders, a photographer himself.

Themes

Labor and exploitation, Displacement and exile, Documentary photography as witness, Human impact of conflict, Land restoration and renewal, Indigenous resilience and tradition

Available on

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

Love Is Strange

582. Love Is Strange

Drama Family Drama
6.7

20141h 38min

United States, Greece

Director: Ira Sachs

After 39 years together, Ben and George finally tie the knot, but George loses his job as a result, and the newlyweds must sell their New York apartment and live apart, relying on friends and family to make ends meet.

Themes

Wedding-induced employment loss, Gay marriage stigma, Social scrutiny of same-sex relationships, Housing insecurity amid marriage, Economic reliance on networks, Long-term commitment under pressure

Available on

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

Learning to Drive

583. Learning to Drive

Drama Comedy Relationship Drama Buddy Comedy
6.4

20141h 45min

United Kingdom, United States

Director: Isabel Coixet

As her marriage dissolves, a Manhattan writer takes driving lessons from a Sikh instructor with marriage troubles of his own. In each other's company they find the courage to get back on the road and the strength to take the wheel.

Themes

Loneliness and connection, Home and belonging, Marital strain under routine life, Cross-cultural differences, Mentorship and companionship, Learning as empowerment

Available on

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

Clouds of Sils Maria

584. Clouds of Sils Maria

Drama Entertainment Industry Drama
6.7

20142h 4min

France, Germany

Director: Olivier Assayas

A veteran actress comes face-to-face with an uncomfortable reflection of herself when she agrees to take part in a revival of the play that launched her career 20 years earlier.

Themes

Aging pressure from gender ideals, Personal assistant dynamics, Divorce and aging, Time and memory tension, Stage life vs real life, Mentor dynamics and power

Available on

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

Force Majeure

585. Force Majeure

Drama Family Drama
7.2

20142h

Denmark, France

Director: Ruben Östlund

While holidaying in the French Alps, a Swedish family deals with acts of cowardliness as an avalanche breaks out.

Themes

Marital strain, Open relationship dynamics, Family vulnerability, Cowardice under pressure, Public vs private self, Group dynamics under crisis

Available on

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

That Sugar Film

586. That Sugar Film

Documentary Social & Political Documentary
7.4

20141h 37min

Director: Damon Gameau

One man's journey to discover the bitter truth about sugar. Damon Gameau embarks on a unique experiment to document the effects of a high sugar diet on a healthy body, consuming only foods that are commonly perceived as 'healthy'. Through this entertaining and informative journey, Damon highlights some of the issues that plague the sugar industry, and where sugar lurks on supermarket shelves.

Themes

Health risk of sugar, Perceived healthy foods, Bliss point manipulation, Food industry influence, Experimental dieting, Public health implications

Available on

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

Frontera

587. Frontera

Western Drama Revisionist Western Psychological Drama
6.6

20141h 43min

United States

Director: Michael Berry

After crossing the border illegally for work, Miguel, a hard-working father and devoted husband, finds himself wrongfully accused of murdering a former sheriff’s wife. After learning of his imprisonment, Miguel’s pregnant wife tries to come to his aid and lands in the hands of corrupt coyotes who hold her for ransom. Dissatisfied with the police department’s investigation, the former sheriff tries to uncover the truth about his wife’s death and discovers disturbing evidence that will destroy one family’s future, or tear another’s apart.

Themes

Family resilience under pressure, Hostage dynamics, Illegal border crossing, Investigative tension, Pregnant wife, Corrupt coyotes

Available on

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

A Most Wanted Man

588. A Most Wanted Man

Thriller Political Thriller
6.7

20142h 1min

Belgium, Germany

Director: Anton Corbijn

A Chechen Muslim illegally immigrates to Hamburg and becomes a person of interest for a covert government team tracking the movements of potential terrorists.

Themes

Deception as strategy, Influence through manipulation, Loyalty over expediency, Financial leverage and risk, Ethical ambiguity of aid, State power and surveillance

Available on

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

When Marnie Was There

589. When Marnie Was There

Animation Drama Family Mystery Anime
7.6

20141h 43min

Japan

Director: Hiromasa Yonebayashi

Upon being sent to live with relatives in the countryside due to an illness, an emotionally distant adolescent girl becomes obsessed with an abandoned mansion and infatuated with a girl who lives there - a girl who may or may not be real.

Themes

Appearance versus reality, Unseen family ties, Foster care payments, Memory across generations, Trust and secrecy, Loneliness and belonging

Available on

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

I Origins

590. I Origins

Science Fiction Drama Bio-Genetic Sci-Fi Psychological Drama
7.3

20141h 46min

United States

Director: Mike Cahill

A molecular biologist's study of the human eye has far-reaching implications about humanity's scientific and spiritual beliefs.

Themes

Grief and guilt, Memory and identity, Obsession and pursuit, Science vs spirituality, Ethics of biomed data, Playing god in science

Available on

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