This year I’ve been getting super into movies, and I’ve found that my favorite style are smaller scale personal stories, especially ones that have a lot of tension. I’m looking for more movies in the vein of
\- Safdie Movies(Uncut Gems, Marty Supreme, Good time)
\- After Hours
\- Challengers
\- Whiplash
\- La Haine
Thanks for any and all recommendations!
Good Will Hunting, October Sky, My Left Foot, Angela's Ashes, Cinema Paradiso, Empire of the Sun, The Black Swan, Perfect Blue, Seabiscuit, Catch me if you can
Online suggests: I Tonya, The Wolf of Wall Street, Run Lola Run, The Hustler
Also possibly: Prisoners (2013), The Revenant
1
No-Breadfruit6137Mar 30, 2026
+1
A Ghost Story
1
urgasmicMar 30, 2026
+1
* If I Had Legs I'd Kick You
* Mass
* Fallout
1
PsychologicalOil7110Mar 30, 2026
+1
Splendor in the grass.
1
bobcardsMar 30, 2026
+1
Nightcrawler
1
makanimikeMar 30, 2026
+1
A Plein Temps
Kore-eda movies are all about that but in a sweet way - sometimes melancholically so. But they're not focused high-stress kind of tension, but rather prolonged, lingering tension that affect the characters (i.e. much more akin to real-life)
Joachim Trier movies are also all about that. Sentimental Value, The Worst Person in the World, Oslo, August 31st.
Lars von Trier is also all about that, but in a fucked up way.
Closer.
Carnage.
1
feelinuneasy1234Mar 30, 2026
+1
Looking at the movies you like I think Tropic Thunder would be good for you. It's a serious drama thriller about the struggles about what it means to be an actor.
Locke: Tom Hardy alone in a car for 85 minutes making phone calls. Sounds boring, is somehow one of the most tense movies I've ever watched; Also Prisoners: if you haven't seen it. Starts as a missing child story and just keeps tightening.
1
FairFan4543Mar 30, 2026
+1
After Hours (1985)
1
Agreeable_Skirt_5257Mar 30, 2026
+1
check out "The Night Of" if you haven't seen it, it's got that intense personal drama vibe. also "Marie Antoinette" brings some wild tension in a small scale setting.
1
RShneiderMar 30, 2026
+1
Friday, There’s Something About Mary, Just Friends, and Coming to America.
12 Comments