cynical backdrop

Movies with cynical vibe

August: Osage County

391. August: Osage County

Comedy Drama Family Drama Dark Comedy
7.2

20132h 1min

United States

Director: John Wells

Overview

An intense look at the lives of the strong-willed daughters of the Weston family, whose paths have diverged until a family crisis brings them back to the Midwest house they grew up in, and to the dysfunctional mother who raised them.

Themes

Intergenerational conflict, Family secrets, Dysfunctional family dynamics, Addiction and illness, Affairs and betrayal, Power dynamics at home

Available on

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

Chinese Puzzle

392. Chinese Puzzle

Comedy Drama Romance Romantic Comedy Family Drama
6.9

20131h 57min

Belgium, France

Director: Cédric Klapisch

Overview

Xavier is a 40-year-old father of two who still finds life very complicated. When the mother of his children moves to New York, he can't bear them growing up far away from him and so he decides to move there as well.

Themes

Deception in relationships, Urban alienation, Immigration policy pressure, Cross-cultural negotiation, Family obligation and independence, Transnational belonging

Available on

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

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

393. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Adventure Action Science Fiction Dystopian Sci-Fi Adventure Epic
7.5

20132h 26min

United States

Director: Francis Lawrence

Overview

After surviving the Hunger Games, Katniss and Peeta struggle with the consequences of their victory as unrest spreads across Panem. Forced back into the spotlight, they become symbols of hope and resistance while the Capitol prepares a new and deadly challenge that will change the future of the nation forever.

Themes

Survival under pressure, Loyalty and sacrifice, Propaganda as control, Uprising under scrutiny, Rebellion against authority, Game dynamics and spectacle

Available on

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

Dom Hemingway

394. Dom Hemingway

Comedy Crime Drama Dark Comedy Organized Crime
6.1

20131h 33min

United Kingdom

Director: Richard Shepard

Overview

After spending 12 years in prison for keeping his mouth shut, notorious safe-cracker Dom Hemingway is back on the streets of London looking to collect what he's owed.

Themes

Deception and manipulation, Loyalty under pressure, Economic desperation, Consequences of crime, Impulsive violence, Fatherhood and abandonment

Available on

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

A Case of You

395. A Case of You

Comedy Romance Romantic Comedy Awkward Comedy
5.6

20131h 31min

United States

Director: Kat Coiro

Overview

Young writer Sam has a crush on Birdie, the cute and quirky barista at his local coffee shop. When his conventional attempts to woo her crash and burn, he takes his efforts online, creating an Internet profile embellished with all of the details that would make him Birdie’s dream guy. When the harebrained scheme is a surprise success and Birdie falls for his exaggerated alter ego, Sam must keep up the act or lose his dream girl forever.

Themes

Romantic deception, Public image vs private life, Social media influence, Performative self, Online persona manipulation, Insecurity and self-doubt

Available on

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

Last Vegas

396. Last Vegas

Comedy Buddy Comedy
6.6

20131h 45min

United States

Director: Jon Turteltaub

Overview

Aging pals Billy, Paddy, Archie, and Sam have been best friends since childhood. When Billy finally proposes to his much-younger girlfriend, all four friends go to Las Vegas to celebrate the end of Billy's longtime bachelorhood and relive their glory days. However, the four quickly realize that the intervening decades have changed Sin City and tested their friendship in ways they had not imagined.

Themes

Memory and loss, Romantic competition, Loyalty under temptation, Midlife reassessment, Aging friendship, Bachelor party excess

Available on

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

Inside Llewyn Davis

397. Inside Llewyn Davis

Drama Music Entertainment Industry Drama Narrative Musical
7.4

20131h 45min

France, United Kingdom

Director: Joel Coen

Overview

In Greenwich Village in the early 1960s, gifted but volatile folk musician Llewyn Davis struggles with money, relationships, and his uncertain future.

Themes

Economic precarity shaping decisions, Hospitality dependency and isolation, Self-expression vs commercial demand, Artistic legitimacy under pressure, Melancholy as creative fuel, Interpersonal betrayals within scenes

Available on

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

The Art of the Steal

398. The Art of the Steal

Comedy Crime Dark Comedy Heist
6.3

20131h 30min

Canada, United States

Director: Jonathan Sobol

Overview

Crunch Calhoun, a third-rate motorcycle daredevil and part-time art thief, teams up with his snaky brother to steal one of the most valuable books in the world. But it's not just about the book for Crunch — he's keen to rewrite some chapters of his own past as well.

Themes

Risk versus reward, Brotherhood under pressure, Trust versus betrayal, Art as leverage, Deception and forgery, Loyalty questioned

Available on

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

Thanks for Sharing

399. Thanks for Sharing

Comedy Drama Adult Comedy Relationship Drama
6.4

20131h 52min

United States

Director: Stuart Blumberg

Overview

A romantic comedy that brings together three disparate characters who are learning to face a challenging and often confusing world as they struggle together against a common demon—sex addiction.

Themes

Trust under pressure, Addiction and recovery, Relapse and consequences, Emotional accountability, Stigma and disclosure, Group dynamics

Available on

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

Diana

400. Diana

Drama Romance Historical Drama Passionate Romance
5.6

20131h 53min

Belgium, France

Director: Oliver Hirschbiegel

Overview

During the last two years of her life, Princess Diana campaigns against the use of land mines and has a secret love affair with a Pakistani heart surgeon.

Themes

Romance under scrutiny, Privacy vs celebrity, Intercultural relationship tension, Public life pressure, Humanitarian work vs fame, Media gaze shaping choices

Available on

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