Movies can transport you into a whole new dimension, evoking strong emotions, and waking up your tactile sensibility. They can be portals through time and space, immersing you in their stories with atmospheric illusions.
Movies that create a unique sense of atmosphere are the best to engage in, as they leave a permanent mark in your memory, and affect your entire sensory faculty. They focus on lighting, sounds, and often silence to affect how you feel. The plot and characters almost don’t matter. It’s all about visually-appealing cinematography. If you’re looking for the best atmospheric movies to immerse in, you should start with these.
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Blade Runner
Blade RunnerThis 1982 neo-noir sci-fi movie by Ridley Scott is arguably the one atmospheric movie to rule them all. Set in a dystopian 2019, it follows Replicant Deckard (Harrison Ford), who has the assignment to eliminate four escaped Replicants (futuristic androids). What makes his mission more complicated is him falling in love with Rachel (Sean Young), another Replicant. Blade Runner combines neo-noir, cyberpunk, and tech-noir fiction to provide the viewer with an ascetic, and exceedingly nostalgic atmosphere. It tackles the metaphysical themes of humanity, soul, and death, touching various existential issues. It’s loosely based on the “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” novel and poses questions about identity, free will, and what it means to be human. It’s a remarkable movie for a perfect night in.
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The Road
The RoadSet in a treacherous post-apocalyptic world, The Road follows a father (Viggo Mortensen) and his son (Kodi Smit-McPhee) on their slow journey toward the sea. They wander through wastelands of desolate America, scavenging to survive, and trying to stay away from various gangs of savages, who only want to kill or turn people into slaves. The atmosphere in the movie is very sad and depressing. It keeps you at the edge of your seat, as danger and brutality are lurking around every corner. It’s gorgeous in terms of cinematography, beautifully presenting isolation, and the world as an empty vessel, but really grim and gut-wrenching in terms of the story.
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Children of Men
Children of MenYet another dystopian movie, Children of Men is set in a chaotic 2027 world, where sudden infertility threatens to extinct the human race. A twist happens when a former activist (Clive Owen) discovers that one woman, Kee (Clare-Hope Ashitey), is miraculously pregnant, so he sets on a path to protect her at all costs, leading her to a sanctuary by the sea.The cinematography is absolutely brilliant here. The story takes you through the world of anarchy and utter hopelessness but also conveys a heartfelt and moving message that lifts your spirits.
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Pan’s Labyrinth
Pan’s LabyrinthPan’s Labyrinth is a Spanish movie by Guillermo del Toro, set in 1944 Spain, five years after the Spanish Civil War. It’s a dark, nightmarish fantasy that follows Ofelia (Ivana Baquero), a little girl, who makes up an entire mythical world focused around an abandoned labyrinth. This is her form of escapism from her stepfather, a Falangist Captain Vidal (Sergi López). However, it’s very haunting, twisted, and brutally violent. Ofelia’s imagination actually explores the monsters of real life. The movie merges reality and fantasy very well, presenting Ofelia’s imagination with wonderful CGI, animatronics, and makeup. It won three Oscars for best cinematography, art direction, and makeup, among many other awards.
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Se7en
Se7enNo list of top atmospheric movies is ever complete without David Fincher’s crime thriller Se7en. It follows two detectives (Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman) trying to catch a serial killer (Kevin Spacey), who uses the seven deadly sins as a motif in every murder. It’s a very dark, disturbing, gory, and brutal psychological thriller, infused with neo-noir elements. It grips you tight and doesn’t let go until the very end when truly shocking revelations await.
Use a VPN for Secure Video Streaming
If you stream movies online, you should take some steps for protecting your privacy, and enhancing your security. Using a VPN is the best you can take, as it will encrypt your internet connection, mask your IP address, and hide your online activity (you can download one here).
It will prevent cybercriminals from targeting you and trying to steal or misuse your personal and sensitive information. What’s more, it will help you bypass geo-restrictions, which comes it very handy when trying to access content that’s not available in your region.
So, find a Virtual Private Network you can count on, access your favorite video streaming platform, find these outstanding atmospheric movies, and enjoy a fantastic night in.