deliberate backdrop

Movies with deliberate vibe

Moon

811. Moon

Science Fiction Drama Space Sci-Fi
7.8

20091h 37min

United Kingdom, United States

Director: Duncan Jones

Sam Bell's countdown to freedom shatters when a rover crash unearths a chilling mystery on the Moon. Alone except for GERTY, his computer assistant, Sam spirals into a desperate quest for truth. What he discovers could change everything—or drive him to madness. What lies beyond the crash site?

Themes

Memory manipulation, Corporate deception, Existential crisis, Isolation in space, Cloning ethics, Labor under contract

Available on

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

I Killed My Mother

812. I Killed My Mother

Drama Coming-of-Age Drama
7.4

20091h 36min

Canada

Director: Xavier Dolan

Hubert, a brash 17-year-old, is confused and torn by a love-hate relationship with his mother that consumes him more and more each day. After distressing ordeals and tragic episodes, Hubert will find his mother on the banks of Saint Lawrence river, where he grew up, and where a murder will be committed: the murder of childhood.

Themes

Parent child relationship strain, Absent father influence, Overbearing mother dynamics, Coming of age tension, Gay theme conflict, Lgbt teen pressure

Available on

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

Mother

813. Mother

Crime Drama Mystery Serial Killer Crime Psychological Drama
7.7

20092h 9min

South Korea

Director: Bong Joon Ho

A mother lives quietly with her son. One day, a girl is brutally killed, and the boy is charged with the murder. Now, it's his mother's mission to prove him innocent.

Themes

Maternal protection under social pressure, Rumor vs evidence in town, Memory manipulation as coping, Disability stigma and misperception, Debt and moral risk, Family loyalty vs public judgment, Small-town justice flaws

Available on

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

Castaway on the Moon

814. Castaway on the Moon

Drama Comedy Romance Bittersweet Romance Relationship Drama
8.0

20091h 59min

South Korea

Director: Lee Hae-jun

Mr. Kim is jobless, lost in debt and has been dumped by his girlfriend. He decides to end it all by jumping into the Han River – only to find himself washed up on a small, mid-river island. He soon abandons thoughts of suicide or rescue and begins a new life as a castaway. His antics catch the attention of a young woman whose apartment overlooks the river. Her discovery changes both their lives.

Themes

Isolation and longing, Urban alienation, Debt and escape, Improvised communication, Accidental companionship, Resilience through improvisation

Available on

The Roku Channel
Tubi TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Soloist

815. The Soloist

Drama Music Entertainment Industry Drama Narrative Musical
6.7

20091h 49min

France, United States

Director: Joe Wright

A Los Angeles journalist befriends a homeless Juilliard-trained musician, while looking for a new article for the paper.

Themes

Mental illness stigma, Identity through performance, Marginalized artistry, Art as shelter, Journalistic responsibility, Dependency in care, Community-based rehabilitation

Available on

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

City of Life and Death

816. City of Life and Death

Drama History War Historical Drama Historical Event
7.7

20092h 12min

China, Hong Kong SAR China

Director: Lu Chuan

In 1937, during the height of the Second Sino-Japanese War, the Imperial Japanese Army has just captured Nanjing, then-capital of the Republic of China. What followed was known as the Nanking Massacre, or the Rape of Nanking, a six week period wherein tens of thousands of Chinese soldiers and civilians were killed.

Themes

Survival under occupation, Duty versus humanity, Safety zones under pressure, War crimes against civilians, Gendered vulnerability in war, Moral ambiguity in soldiers

Available on

Kanopy
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Mary and Max

817. Mary and Max

Animation Comedy Drama Adult Animation Dark Comedy
8.1

20091h 32min

Australia

Director: Adam Elliot

A tale of friendship between two unlikely pen pals: Mary, a lonely, eight-year-old girl living in the suburbs of Melbourne, and Max, a forty-four-year old, severely obese man living in New York.

Themes

Solace through letters, Loneliness through isolation, Friendship across distance, Family neglect effects, Identity through diagnosis, Resilience through connection

Available on

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

Welcome

818. Welcome

Drama Romance Coming-of-Age Drama Passionate Romance
7.5

20091h 50min

France, United Kingdom

Director: Philippe Lioret

Bilal is 17 years old, a Kurdish boy from Iraq. He sets off on an adventure-filled journey across Europe. He wants to get to England to see his love who lives there. Bilal finally reaches Calais, but how do you cover 32 kilometers of the English Channel when you can't swim? The boy soon discovers that his trip won't be as easy as he imagined... The community of struggling illegal aliens in Calais

Themes

Refugee mobility pressures, Illegal immigration hazards, Mentorship and shelter dynamics, Family opposition to unions, Cross-border longing, Diaspora resilience

Available on

Kanopy
France Channel Amazon Channel
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Young Victoria

819. The Young Victoria

Drama History Romance Historical Drama Passionate Romance
7.2

20091h 45min

United Kingdom, United States

Director: Jean-Marc Vallée

As the only legitimate heir of England's King William, teenage Victoria gets caught up in the political machinations of her own family. Victoria's mother wants her to sign a regency order, while her Belgian uncle schemes to arrange a marriage between the future monarch and Prince Albert, the man who will become the love of her life.

Themes

Family political bargaining, Marital alliance strategy, Succession under pressure, Autonomy vs influence, Public scrutiny and reform, Institutional independence

Available on

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

The Secret of Moonacre

820. The Secret of Moonacre

Adventure Fantasy Romance Coming-of-Age Adventure Quest Fantasy
6.1

20091h 43min

Australia, France

Director: Gábor Csupó

When 13 year old Maria Merryweather's father dies, leaving her orphaned and homeless, she is forced to leave her luxurious London life to go and live with Sir Benjamin, an eccentric uncle she didn't know she had, at the mysterious Moonacre Manor.

Themes

Duty vs desire, Deception yields leverage, Greed drives conflict, Legacy shapes belonging, Unity through alliance, Purity as power

Available on

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