smoky backdrop

Movies with smoky vibe

White Boy Rick

1. White Boy Rick

Crime Drama Narcotics Crime Coming-of-Age Drama
6.5
20181h 51min

Overview

The story of Richard Wershe Jr., a teenager who became an undercover informant for the police during the 1980s, and was ultimately arrested for drug trafficking and sentenced to life in prison.

Themes

Economic precarity, Deception and coercion, Law enforcement pressure, Family strain under crime, Informant dynamics, Illicit economy lure

Available on

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

The Outsider

2. The Outsider

Crime Drama Mystery Organized Crime Historical Drama
6.3
20182h

Overview

A former American G.I. joins a yakuza family after his release from prison in post-World War II Osaka.

Themes

Patriarchal pressure to adapt, Outsider integration into organized crime, Ritual obligation and hierarchy, Violence as currency of power, Postwar economic upheaval shaping loyalties, Loyalty and betrayal within clans

Available on

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

Errementari: The Blacksmith and the Devil

3. Errementari: The Blacksmith and the Devil

Drama Fantasy Horror Dark Fantasy Folk Horror
6.4
20181h 38min

Overview

Basque Country, Spain, 1843. A police constable arrives at a small village in Álava to investigate a mysterious blacksmith who lives alone deep in the woods.

Themes

Secrecy and revelation, Guilt and damnation, Isolation and community, Coercion and bargaining, Authority and distrust, Violence and ritual power

Available on

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

The Current War

4. The Current War

Drama History Historical Drama Historical Event
6.5
20181h 48min

Overview

Electricity titans Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse compete to create a sustainable system and market it to the American people.

Themes

Risk and restraint, Patent battles, Public persuasion strategies, Markets and innovation, Technological rivalry, Legacy of invention

Available on

Fandango At Home
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Bright

5. Bright

Fantasy Action Thriller Dark Fantasy Buddy Action
6.3
20171h 57min

Overview

In an alternate present-day where magical creatures live among us, two L.A. cops become embroiled in a prophesied turf battle.

Themes

Deception and propaganda, Secrecy vs transparency, Interspecies tension, Prejudice and bias, Prophecy-driven conflict, Marginalization of minorities

Available on

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

Wonder Wheel

6. Wonder Wheel

Drama Romance Relationship Drama Passionate Romance
6.2
20171h 41min

Overview

The story of four characters whose lives intertwine amid the hustle and bustle of the Coney Island amusement park in the 1950s: Ginny, an emotionally volatile former actress now working as a waitress in a clam house; Humpty, Ginny’s rough-hewn carousel operator husband; Mickey, a handsome young lifeguard who dreams of becoming a playwright; and Carolina, Humpty’s long-estranged daughter, who is now hiding out from gangsters at her father’s apartment.

Themes

Class pressure erodes loyalty, Lifeguard ambitions collide with duty, Amusement park presence shapes desire, 1950s mood fuels secrecy, Housewife vulnerability under strain, Coney island tensions ripple through family

Available on

Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Video
Fandango At Home
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Wheelman

7. Wheelman

Action Crime Thriller Vehicle-Driven Action Heist
6.4
20171h 22min

Overview

A getaway driver for a bank robbery realizes he has been double crossed and races to find out who betrayed him.

Themes

Family protection under threat, Pursuit and escape, Urban crime networks, Professional isolation under pressure, Money as motive and risk, Betrayal and double-cross

Available on

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

Free Fire

8. Free Fire

Action Crime Mystery Epic Action Organized Crime
6.3
20171h 30min

Overview

Set in Boston in 1978, a meeting in a deserted warehouse between two gangs turns into a shoot-out and a game of survival.

Themes

Coercion and manipulation, Betrayal under pressure, Greed vs loyalty, Survival under danger, Negotiation under fire, Group conflict escalation

Available on

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

The Limehouse Golem

9. The Limehouse Golem

Horror Mystery Thriller Monster Horror Whodunit
6.3
20161h 49min

Overview

A series of murders has shaken the community to the point where people believe that only a legendary creature from dark times – the mythical Golem – must be responsible.

Themes

Gendered power dynamics, Fame versus safety, Artistic ambition and exploitation, Deception within performance, Public spectacle pressures, Moral scrutiny by institutions

Available on

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

Overview

New York in the 1920s. Max Perkins, a literary editor is the first to sign such subsequent literary greats as Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald. When a sprawling, chaotic 1,000-page manuscript by an unknown writer falls into his hands, Perkins is convinced he has discovered a literary genius.

Themes

Romantic entanglements, Publication pressure, Mentorship and ambition, Editorial influence, Creative rivalry, Solitude and independence

Available on

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