The HBO miniseries makes many changes to Ingmar Bergman’s original, but most of them are necessary to recontextualize the story so that the character motivations feel genuine to the current audience. Irrespective of the series’ merits in comparison to Bergman’s masterpiece, what undeniably stands out is Chastain and Isaac’s chemistry, which makes the tension between the couple even more compelling.
Fans still have some burning questions about Scenes from a Marriage that will likely never get answered, since the show was a limited series that was not given a second season. However, if you want more of the central duo and miss the general vibe of the show, a 12-year-old crime movie might fill some of the void.
A Most Violent Year Is A Mafia-Adjacent Movie
J. C. Chandor’s 2014 movie, A Most Violent Year, stars Oscar Isaac as Abel Morales, a man who runs an oil business, whose truck drivers are regularly attacked by robbers who steal the oil. He suspects that these robbers are being sent by his business rivals or that they’re buying the oil from the robbers, but Abel is under investigation.
As Abel tries to close the biggest deal of his life, the onslaught of the robbers and the impending investigation derail his efforts to secure the money. Gun-wielding men also visit his home, but Abel refuses to use illicit means for his business. His reluctance to become a criminal creates a perspective that is considerably unique for a mafia movie.
A Most Violent Year then becomes a mafia movie from the perspective of an outsider whose work puts him in the same circle of influence as godfathers and major criminals, but whose moral compass steers him clear of that lifestyle. The movie’s slowly progressing drama is mostly focused on Abel’s ability to cling to his principles in these trying times.
Oscar Isaac And Jessica Chastain Are The Leads
This crime movie is associated with Scenes from a Marriage because both feature the same leads. Jessica Chastain stars in A Most Violent Year as Anna Morales, Abel’s wife. She’s a protective mother and has a shrewd business mind, but Abel tries to keep her away from the dirty side of his work because she isn’t as steadfast.
The chemistry between the leads makes A Most Violent Year a forgotten movie everyone should watch once. Oscar Isaac is brilliant as Abel, conveying the man’s quiet but violent struggle to keep his composure even as everything goes wrong for him as he races against the clock. Isaac’s performance is delicate but deliberate, gradually building up to an inevitable surrender.
The Characters’ Dynamic Reminds Me Of Scenes From A Marriage
It is particularly the dynamic between Abel and Anna that is reminiscent of Chastain and Isaac’s work in the HBO miniseries. There are signs of trouble in their married life in A Most Violent Year, but they love and respect each other a lot. They work through their differences before that shocking climax, which proves the strength of their love.
The composure with which the couple’s fights are written to convey their mutual faith in each other while still exploring the distinct personalities they have makes A Most Violent Year one of Jessica Chastain’s best movies. Her screen presence allows the film to feel like a prequel to Scenes from a Marriage, where the central couple’s dynamic has devolved significantly.
A Most Violent Year Has An Immersive Scope
Even beyond the reminders of Scenes from a Marriage, the movie is impressive on its own. A Most Violent Year fleshes out its world with a visually stimulating approach whereby you don’t learn much about the characters, but feel like the city is familiar because the cinematography is inviting. The warm color palette and the large-scale storytelling keep viewers engrossed.
In a little over two hours, the movie depicts multiple facets of Abel’s business dealings, making it one of Oscar Isaac’s best movies, allowing him to showcase his range as an actor. A Most Violent Year follows his polite, thoughtful, and thorough attempts to grapple with a police investigation, a desperate bank deal, some criminal rivals, and a runaway employee.
The Movie Should Be More Popular
A Most Violent Year has been streaming on HBO Max since January 2026, but has not become as popular as it should be. It is a fantastic entry in the mafia movie genre with a few stellar performances and engaging visual grammar that will get you invested in the characters’ lives. It explores all aspects of a major business.
Fleshing out the side characters enough for you to care about their circumstances and developing the dynamic between the central couple also make the world of A Most Violent Year feel lived-in. Even empty spaces in the film have reminders of humanity, as if to portray the shadow of a criminal background that never quite leaves any mafia man alone.