smoky backdrop

Movies with smoky vibe

Gangs of New York

1. Gangs of New York

Drama History Crime Historical Drama Social History
7.5
20022h 48min

Overview

In early 1860s New York, Irish immigrant Amsterdam Vallon is released from prison and returns to the Five Points, seeking revenge against his father's killer, William Cutting, a powerful anti-immigrant gang leader. He knows that revenge can only be attained by infiltrating Cutting's inner circle. Vallon's journey becomes a fight for personal survival and to find a place for the Irish people.

Themes

Immigrant identity and belonging, Class disparity in urban politics, Corruption and political manipulation, Factional loyalty and betrayal, Violence and crowd dynamics, Power and legitimacy in street networks

Available on

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

The Legend of Al, John and Jack

2. The Legend of Al, John and Jack

Comedy Crime Satire Organized Crime
6.5
20021h 45min

Overview

Hapless Depression-era gangsters Al, John and Jack find out their boss wants to get rid of them and come up with a plan to sell him to the FBI, but Al's short-term memory loss could make it difficult.

Themes

Loyalty under pressure, Memory as liability, Deception within crime rings, Incompetence in crime, Performative crime and publicity, Betrayal among allies

Available on

Netflix
Amazon Prime Video
Mediaset Infinity
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Highway

3. Highway

Action Adventure Drama Buddy Action Globetrotting Adventure
6.1
20021h 37min

Overview

Jack is caught with the wife of his employer, a Vegas thug. The thug sends goons after Jack, who convinces his best friend, Pilot, to flee with him. Pilot insists that they head for Seattle, but doesn't tell Jack why. The goons learn from Pilot's drug source where the youths are headed, and they follow, hell bent on breaking Jack's feet. On the road, Jack and Pilot give a ride to Cassie, a distressed young woman. She and Jack hit it off. They pick up an aging stoner headed to Seattle for Kurt Cobain's memorial, and they help a circus sideshow family. Why is Pilot so set on Seattle, will the goons catch Jack, and is there any way the friends' competing needs can be resolved?

Themes

Friendship under pressure, Crime and loyalty, Love triangle, Fugitive pursuit, Road movie tension, Exploitation and survival

Available on

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

The Man Without a Past

4. The Man Without a Past

Comedy Drama Romance Bittersweet Romance Relationship Drama
7.6
20021h 37min

Overview

Arriving in Helsinki, a nameless man is beaten within an inch of his life by thugs, miraculously recovering only to find that he has completely lost his memory. Back on the streets, he attempts to begin again from zero, befriending a moody dog and becoming besotted with a Salvation Army volunteer.

Themes

Trailer park marginalization, Amnesia and reinvention, Poverty as catalyst, Work as belonging, Identity rebuilt through labor, Community solidarity under pressure, Aid and legitimacy

Available on

Netflix
Apple TV
Yle Areena
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Salton Sea

5. The Salton Sea

Crime Drama Mystery Thriller Narcotics Crime
7.0
20021h 43min

Overview

After the murder of his beloved wife, a man in search of redemption is set adrift in a world where nothing is as it seems. On his journey, he befriends slacker Jimmy "The Finn", becomes involved in rescuing his neighbor Colette from her own demons, and gets entangled in a web of deceit full of unexpected twists and turns.

Themes

Deception as strategy, Police corruption, Vengeance and loyalty, Dual identities under pressure, Betrayal within criminal networks, Addiction shaping choices

Available on

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

Knockaround Guys

6. Knockaround Guys

Crime Thriller Organized Crime
6.1
20011h 32min

Overview

Four sons of well-known New York mobsters must retrieve a bag of cash from a small Montana town ruled by a corrupt sheriff.

Themes

Trust under strain, Family loyalty under pressure, Loyalty vs betrayal, Deception within alliances, Power and belonging, Ambition within criminal networks

Available on

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

The Cat's Meow

7. The Cat's Meow

Drama Mystery Thriller Crime History
6.4
20011h 54min

Overview

Semi-true story of the Hollywood murder that occurred at a star-studded gathering aboard William Randolph Hearst's yacht in 1924.

Themes

Deception and reputation, Ambition and risk, Power dynamics under glamour, Blackmail pressure, Gossip economy, Loyalty versus self-interest

Available on

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

Moulin Rouge!

8. Moulin Rouge!

Drama Romance Music Passionate Romance Narrative Musical
7.6
20012h 8min

Overview

A celebration of love and creative inspiration takes place in the infamous, gaudy and glamorous Parisian nightclub, at the cusp of the 20th century. A young poet, who is plunged into the heady world of Moulin Rouge, begins a passionate affair with the club's most notorious and beautiful star.

Themes

Duke leverage, Courtesan agency, Nightclub constraint, Tuberculosis stigma, Bohemian aspiration, Dance hall spectacle

Available on

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

Blow

9. Blow

Crime Drama Narcotics Crime Tragic Drama
7.5
20012h 4min

Overview

A boy named George Jung grows up in a struggling family in the 1950's. His mother nags at her husband as he is trying to make a living for the family. It is finally revealed that George's father cannot make a living and the family goes bankrupt. George does not want the same thing to happen to him, and his friend Tuna, in the 1960's, suggests that he deal marijuana. He is a big hit in California in the 1960's, yet he goes to jail, where he finds out about the wonders of cocaine. As a result, when released, he gets rich by bringing cocaine to America. However, he soon pays the price.

Themes

Loyalty and betrayal in partnerships, Class ascent through crime, Family costs of crime, Risk vs reward in illicit markets, Addiction and consequences, Law enforcement pressure and consequences

Available on

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

Duets

10. Duets

Comedy Drama Music Buddy Comedy Entertainment Industry Drama
6.1
20001h 52min

Overview

Duets is a road-trip comedy which revolves around the little known world of karaoke and the whimsical characters who inhabit it. All roads lead to Omaha, site of a national karaoke competition where this motley group of singers and stars come together for a blow-out sing-off.

Themes

Economic precarity on tour, Belonging via performance, Competition as social glue, Drug-based anxiety coping, Family seeking reconciliation, Risk and violence on tour

Available on

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