high-pressure backdrop

Movies with high-pressure vibe

Altered Carbon: Resleeved

1. Altered Carbon: Resleeved

Animation Science Fiction Anime Cyberpunk
6.4
20201h 15min

Overview

On the planet Latimer, Takeshi Kovacs must protect a tattooist while investigating the death of a yakuza boss alongside a no-nonsense CTAC.

Themes

Tattoo program secrecy, Distant future aesthetic, Neo-noir ambiance, Yakuza influence under pressure, Adult animation tone, Cyberpunk power dynamics

Available on

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

Radioactive

2. Radioactive

Drama Romance History Historical Drama Passionate Romance
6.3
20201h 51min

Overview

The story of Nobel Prize winner Marie Curie and her extraordinary scientific discoveries—through the prism of her marriage to husband Pierre—and the seismic and transformative effects their discovery of radium had on the 20th century.

Themes

Gender bias in science, Recognition via prizes, Harassment over origins, Wartime medical innovation, Health risks of radioactivity, Ethics of scientific progress

Available on

Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Prime Video Free with Ads
Amazon Prime Video with Ads
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Assistant

3. The Assistant

Drama Professional Drama
6.3
20201h 28min

Overview

A searing look at a day in the life of an assistant to a powerful executive. As Jane follows her daily routine, she grows increasingly aware of the insidious abuse that threatens every aspect of her position.

Themes

Abuse of power, Gendered power dynamics, Barriers to reporting, Toxic workplace culture, Ambiguous moral climate, Corporate complicity

Available on

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

My Spy

4. My Spy

Family Action Comedy Spy Action Awkward Comedy
6.4
20201h 39min

Overview

A hardened CIA operative finds himself at the mercy of a precocious 9-year-old girl, having been sent undercover to surveil her family.

Themes

Deception under pressure, Surveillance disrupts trust, Undercover family life, Duty versus personal bonds, Mentor-mentee dynamic, Arms-trade underworld

Available on

Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Prime Video with Ads
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Bombshell

5. Bombshell

Drama Entertainment Industry Drama
6.8
20191h 49min

Overview

Bombshell is a revealing look inside the most powerful and controversial media empire of all time; and the explosive story of the women who brought down the infamous man who created it.

Themes

Resilience under pressure, Corporate accountability, Workplace power dynamics, Gender-based harassment, Breaking the silence, Legal confrontation in media

Available on

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

The Two Popes

6. The Two Popes

Drama History Historical Drama Biographical History
7.6
20192h 5min

Overview

Frustrated with the direction of the church, Cardinal Bergoglio requests permission to retire in 2012 from Pope Benedict. Instead, facing scandal and self-doubt, the introspective Pope Benedict summons his harshest critic and future successor to Rome to reveal a secret that would shake the foundations of the Catholic Church.

Themes

Papal conclave pressure, Cardinal duty under doubt, Sistine chapel authority, Pope succession politics, Public scrutiny within church, Confessional accountability

Available on

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

Proxima

7. Proxima

Drama Professional Drama
6.3
20191h 47min

Overview

Sarah is a French astronaut training at the European Space Agency in Cologne. She is the only woman in the arduous program. She lives alone with Stella, her seven year old daughter. Sarah feels guilty that she cannot spend more time with her child. Her love is overpowering, unsettling. When Sarah is chosen to join the crew of a year-long space mission called Proxima, it creates chaos in the mother-daughter relationship.

Themes

Career vs family conflict, Resilience under isolation, Gender bias in demanding work, Caregiver guilt and distance, Professional respect through perseverance, Single motherhood under pressure

Available on

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

The Specials

8. The Specials

Comedy Drama Psychological Drama Workplace Comedy
7.4
20191h 54min

Overview

For twenty years, Bruno and Malik have lived in a different world—the world of autistic children and teens. In charge of two separate nonprofit organizations (The Hatch & The Shelter), they train young people from underprivileged areas to be caregivers for extreme cases that have been refused by all other institutions. It’s an exceptional partnership, outside of traditional settings, for some quite extraordinary characters.

Themes

Caregiver training vs certification, Funding instability and resilience, Oversight pressure and compliance, Autism-focused support networks, Pragmatic care vs formal training, Urban youth empowerment through care

Available on

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

The Truth

9. The Truth

Drama Family Drama
6.5
20191h 46min

Overview

Fabienne is a star; a star of French cinema. She reigns amongst men who love and admire her. When she publishes her memoirs, her daughter Lumir returns from New York to Paris with her husband and young child. The reunion between mother and daughter will quickly turn to confrontation: truths will be told, accounts settled, loves and resentments confessed.

Themes

Jealousy and rivalry, Mother-daughter tension, Public image vs authenticity, Aging and artistry, Memory and performance, Family loyalty vs ambition

Available on

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

And Then We Danced

10. And Then We Danced

Drama Romance Passionate Romance Relationship Drama
7.6
20191h 53min

Overview

Merab, a devoted dancer, has been training for years with his partner Mary for a spot in the National Georgian Ensemble. The arrival of another male dancer, Irakli, sparks both an intense rivalry and romantic desire that may cause Merab to risk his future in dance as well as his relationships.

Themes

Family pressure, Tradition vs modernity, Homophobia constraints, Artistic ambition vs identity, Secret romance, Competition and rivalry in the arts

Available on

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