Movies About the Countryside

Films depicting country life can cover every aspect, from tiny hamlets to sprawling estates, making these films both captivating and thought-provoking.

Sissy Spacek’s Oscar-nominated turn in Fried Green Tomatoes or a touching remake of All Creatures Great and Small are films worth checking out when it comes to movies about rural areas.

1. The Last Days of Judah (1971)

The Last Days of Judah is an epic tale about the final kingdom of Judah as it falls apart under the leadership of brothers Jehoahaz and Jehoiakim as it is overrun with invaders from Egypt, Syria, Moabites, and Ammonites Babylon. Jerusalem ultimately falls to Nebuchadnezzar, who exiles any remaining Jewish society into exile – it’s an emotional yet thrilling drama that could only have been made in 1971; its only drawback lies with its writer, who seems stuck within an academic style creative writing textbook!

4. The Big Sleep (1939)

Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall shine in Howard Hawks’ 1946 adaptation of Raymond Chandler’s first novel featuring L.A. private eye Philip Marlowe titled The Big Sleep. With its fast pace, engaging character interactions, and atmospheric setting – The Big Sleep stands as a hallmark of film noir cinema.

Raymond Chandler had an acute sense of atmosphere and truly grasped California. For instance, in one haunting passage, Marlowe drives through Laurel Canyon along winding roads past mansions that rise like witch houses from its hillsides.

Hawks recruited the screenwriters behind To Have and Have Not to adapt The Big Sleep, giving them strict instructions to stay true to its original dialogue as much as possible. Though its plot may require diagramming for maximum comprehension, the final product never feels forced or artificial.

5. The Secret in Their Eyes (1995)

Based on Eduardo Sacheri’s novel “La pregunta de sus ojos,” this Argentine Oscar winner provides a chilling and hard-boiled perspective on the murder of an old acquaintance and subsequent search for justice. It provides a compelling study of both human obsession with violence and the potential cost associated with passions pursued without proper reasoning.

Billy Ray’s 2015 remake of an Argentine film doesn’t quite match its predecessor in terms of acting talent; however, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Nicole Kidman, and Julia Roberts give excellent performances as Chiwetel Ejiofor, Nicole Kidman, Julia Roberts all do an admirable job paralleling present and past storylines, building suspense, exploring morally gray areas and paralleling present and past storylines – making for a compelling tale that rewards repeated viewings despite its brutal and disturbing conclusion; nonetheless this remake succeeds at creating drama alongside thrills

6. The Last Days of Judah (1971)

Although charming but cumbersome and slow, this Barnyard-meets-Sunday school flannelgraph parable explores grand themes of spiritual redemption and hope through Jesus. Judah mistakingly thinks he’s a lion (he even roars to prove it), yet eventually realizes he and his stablemates are being groomed for slaughter and sacrifice.

Slink, Esmay, and Drake, the clueless rooster; Monty, the fearful horse; and Horace, an ill-mannered pig looking for trouble, are all eager to save Judah from imprisonment, but ultimately, it is Christ who saves everyone, including themselves, and Judah bound and terrified on an altar with someone about to thrust a blade into him. Although mildly disturbing at times due to Judah being captured multiple times and put into crates, bound on an altar, bound and terrified when a man threatens with a blade thrust upon him by men with swords ready.

7. The Last Days of Judah (1993)

This intense biblical drama showcases the struggles between Judea’s rulers, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah during their respective reigns of Judea. After the death of his brother, Judah, Maccabi marched his trained troops across Judea in an effort to assist their villages whose inhabitants had been harassed by spiteful neighbors. It is visually stunning with an excellent cast (Joaquin Phoenix and Mary-Louise Parker particularly stand out), yet this movie doesn’t offer much in terms of religious devotion. Nonetheless, it is still entertaining!

9. The Secret in Their Eyes (1995)

Secret in Their Eyes, an unsparing thriller featuring Chiwetel Ejiofor and Nicole Kidman, follows an ex-FBI agent searching for those responsible for killing his daughter while seeking justice and seeking revenge against them. It explores some uncomfortable morally grey areas.

Billy Ray wrote and directed this 2015 American film as a remake of the 2009 Argentine movie El Secreto de Sus Ojos; both films were inspired by La Pregunta de Sus Ojos by Eduardo Sacheri.

Though not as captivating as its original version, this film still does an adequate job of exploring themes such as vengeance, obsession, and corruption in today’s society. This thriller-drama should appeal to fans of thrillers with exciting twists and endings; plus, Dean Norris, Alfred Molina, and Michael Kelly make for an impressive cast!