high-pressure backdrop

Movies with high-pressure vibe

161. Things to Come

Things to Come
Drama Relationship Drama
6.9
20161h 42minGermany, France
Director: Mia Hansen-Løve

Overview

Nathalie teaches philosophy at a high school in Paris. She is passionate about her job and particularly enjoys passing on the pleasure of thinking. Married with two children, she divides her time between her family, former students and her very possessive mother. One day, Nathalie’s husband announces he is leaving her for another woman. With freedom thrust upon her, Nathalie must reinvent her life.

Themes

Gendered expectations, Family duty vs freedom, Intellectual independence, Education as dialogue, Caregiving and loss, Midlife reinvention

Available on

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

162. Beware the Slenderman

Beware the Slenderman
Documentary Crime True Crime Documentary Serial Killer Crime
6.2
20161h 55minUnited States
Director: Irene Taylor

Overview

In this horrifyingly modern fairytale lurks an online Boogeyman and two 12-year-old girls who would kill for him. The entrance to the internet quickly leads to its darkest basement. How responsible are our children for what they find there?

Themes

Media framing of crime, Online influence on youth, Parental responsibility in digital age, Online communities and harm, Creepypasta culture and fear, Peer pressure within internet folklore

Available on

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

163. Standoff

Standoff
Thriller Drama Survival Thriller Psychological Drama
6.1
20161h 20minCanada
Director: Adam Alleca

Overview

A troubled veteran gets a chance at redemption by protecting a girl from an assassin after she witnesses a murder. Holding a shotgun with a single shell, he engages in physical and psychological warfare in a desperate fight for the girl's life.

Themes

Grief and guilt, Trauma and memory, Survival under isolation, Agency in crisis, Protective duty under danger, Duty versus revenge

Available on

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

164. Eddie the Eagle

Eddie the Eagle
Comedy Drama History Adventure Underdog Sports
7.3
20161h 46minUnited Kingdom, United States
Director: Dexter Fletcher

Overview

The feel-good story of Michael 'Eddie' Edwards, an unlikely but courageous British ski-jumper who never stopped believing in himself—even as an entire nation was counting him out. With the help of a rebellious and charismatic coach, Eddie takes on the establishment and wins the hearts of sports fans around the world by making an improbable and historic showing at the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics.

Themes

Underdog perseverance, Self-trained breakthrough, Institutional resistance to outsiders, Unorthodox coaching methods, National pride and recognition, Time pressure to qualify

Available on

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

165. Misconduct

Misconduct
Drama Thriller Legal Drama Courtroom Thriller
5.3
20161h 46minUnited States
Director: Shintaro Shimosawa

Overview

An ambitious lawyer finds himself caught in a power struggle between a corrupt pharmaceutical executive and his firm’s senior partner. When the case takes a deadly turn, he must race to uncover the truth before he loses everything.

Themes

Corporate corruption, Ambition vs loyalty, Power and betrayal, Legal manipulation and deceit, Pharmaceutical ethics under pressure, Professional integrity under threat

Available on

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

166. The Bronze

The Bronze
Drama Comedy Parody Sports Biography
6.1
20161h 48minUnited States
Director: Bryan Buckley

Overview

In 2004, Hope Ann Greggory became an American hero after winning the bronze medal for the women's gymnastics team. Today, she's still living in her small hometown, washed-up and embittered. Stuck in the past, Hope must reassess her life when a promising young gymnast threatens her local celebrity status.

Themes

Inheritance as motive, Legacy vs self-worth, Local celebrity status pressure, Competition and recognition, Mentorship vs self-interest, Deception for gain

Available on

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

167. Dirty Grandpa

Dirty Grandpa
Comedy Adult Comedy
5.9
20161h 42minUnited States, Germany
Director: Dan Mazer

Overview

Jason Kelly is one week away from marrying his boss's uber-controlling daughter, putting him on the fast track for a partnership at the law firm. However, when the straight-laced Jason is tricked into driving his foul-mouthed grandfather, Dick, to Daytona for spring break, his pending nuptials are suddenly in jeopardy. Between riotous frat parties, bar fights, and an epic night of karaoke, Dick is on a quest to live his life to the fullest and bring Jason along for the ride.

Themes

Loyalty under strain, Wedding pressure, Peer influence, Duty versus freedom, Midlife rebellion, Misrepresentation and deceit

Available on

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

168. 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi

13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi
War Action History Drama Thriller
7.3
20162h 24minUnited States
Director: Michael Bay

Overview

An American Ambassador is killed during an attack at a U.S. compound in Libya as a security team struggles to make sense out of the chaos.

Themes

Contractor-led security, Outsourcing ethics, Interagency coordination tension, Diplomatic risk in crisis, Local militia influence, Civilian protection under threat

Available on

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

169. The Hateful Eight

The Hateful Eight
Drama Mystery Western Locked-Room Mystery Revisionist Western
7.8
20153h 8minUnited States
Director: Quentin Tarantino

Overview

Bounty hunters seek shelter from a raging blizzard and get caught up in a plot of betrayal and deception.

Themes

Betrayal and alliance, Deception under pressure, Class tension and suspicion, Hidden agendas emerge, Frontier power dynamics, Survival vs loyalty

Available on

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

170. Joy

Joy
Drama Comedy Professional Drama
6.6
20152h 4minUnited States
Director: David O. Russell

Overview

A story based on the life of a struggling Long Island single mom who became one of the country's most successful entrepreneurs.

Themes

Gendered expectations, Financial precarity, Patent deception, Social mobility pressure, Family obligations versus ambition, Entrepreneurial perseverance

Available on

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