615 Best Thought-provoking Movies to Watch (Page 30)

When watching fantasy anime, there’s a wonderfully whimsical world that viewers can fully explore. Spectacular magic, brave warriors, and strange creatures are all expected, but every exploring troop needs supplies. Money, weapons, and of course, food are needed to survive the wondrous yet perilous adventures they set out to embark on. Delicious in Dungeon recognizes these practicalities, and creates a whole episodic adventure that focuses more on the possible food ecosystems of a fantasy world rather than the seemingly serious quests they embark upon. It makes for a slightly silly approach poking fun at the fantasy genre, but it’s definitely something unique, especially when it brings about mouthwatering exotic dishes made from monsters.

Genre: Action & Adventure, Animation, Comedy, Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Actor: Asuna Tomari, Hiroshi Naka, Kentaro Kumagai, Miyu Tomita, Rie Takahashi, Saori Hayami, Sayaka Senbongi, Shinji Kawada, Toru Nara, Wataru Katoh, Yuya Hirose

Rating: TV-MA

As the world becomes more globalized, it’s possible for people to form relationships with people across the world, from different countries and cultures. Crashing Eid portrays an international couple that are both Muslim, but come from different countries – Razan is from Saudi Arabia, and Sameer is born and raised in Britain, but his parents come from Pakistan – and this difference keeps their parents from agreeing to the marriage. This Romeo-Juliet romance is familiar, but Crashing Eid feels fresh with its excellent balance between humor and drama, and its commitment to sincerely depicting their respective cultures. It plays safe at certain moments, but the lighthearted show isn’t afraid to portray its challenges, and it neatly does so within just four episodes.

Genre: Comedy

Actor: Bateel Qamlo, Hamza Haq, Khalid Alharbi, Summer Shesha, Yassir Al Saggaf

Rating: TV-14

The so-called “Octopus,” that is the eight powerful but sketchy individuals journalist Danny Casolaro believed to be in control of the entire country, is already a complex topic. Crazy, but impressively complex. Equally interesting is the series of mysterious deaths allegedly committed by the Octopus, which includes what looks to be Casolaro’s framed suicide. This four-part documentary by Netflix efficiently dives into all of that with the added bonus of duo Zachary Treitz and Christian Hansen’s perspectives. The former is the director who expertly weaves all the tangles into a coherent web, while the latter is our guide into it, a researcher who wishes to follow in Casolaro's footsteps despite the multiple signs that he should maybe stop, if not out of fear of what lurks in the shadows then out of fear of insanity. Not only do Treitz and Hansen relay the information in an accessible and intriguing way, they also effectively reproduce that paranoid feeling of falling deep into a conspiracy rabbit hole. If you’re not a fan of true crime, this is worth the watch if only for that feeling.

Genre: Crime, Documentary

Any parent would defend their kid in court, though, sometimes it depends on the case. A Nearly Normal Family brings one such Swedish family through a case, as their nineteen year old daughter is accused of murdering a man, four years after the family decides not to prosecute their daughter’s rapist without evidence. The thriller series unfolds into a compelling murder mystery, as the show plays with the family members’ different perspectives that expands and continues the show’s intrigue, even if you think you have it all figured out. And as the investigation continues, the family’s secrets slowly get unveiled, threatening to break the Sandells apart, with their conflicting morals and unresolved trauma. While some viewers might not appreciate the slow burn, it’s an interesting crime thriller-family drama mix that questions how far we’re willing to go for our loved ones.

Genre: Crime, Drama

Actor: Alexandra Karlsson Tyrefors, Björn Bengtsson, Christian Fandango Sundgren, Lo Kauppi, Melisa Ferhatovic

Rating: TV-MA

A house isn’t just a building– it’s a space where one can be one’s self, where one can have control over one’s space. Of course, houses can differ between social classes, as the rich often hire househelp, while those less fortunate manage their own, or might not even have one. Their Stories draws its drama from this disparity, as the rich Isabel and Rosa lose control of their assets and have to move to the house where working class Marta and Jasmim live. It’s an interesting dynamic, a twisted mix of gratitude and resentment forged between former employer and employee, and all four leads portray this with the nuance and complexity that it requires. A Historía Delas might literally be hard to search on Hulu, but it’s an interesting story, one that feels unique and real enough to follow.

Genre: Drama

Actor: Bia Arantes, Cris Vianna, Emma Araujo, Johnnas Oliva, Letícia Spiller

Director: Luciana Baptista, Maria Farkas, Pablo Uranga