2596 Best Drama Movies to Watch (Page 103)

In life and cinema, drama is everywhere. You’ll find it in thrillers, animations, romances, you name it. For entertainment that explores the human experience with sensitivity and sincerity, here’s a mixed bag of the best dramas to stream now.

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1531. Maurice, 1987

In this romantic drama, James Ivory adapts E.M. Forster's novel Maurice. Set in the early 20th century, Maurice Hall befriends Clive Durham while studying at Cambridge. Clive is rich, handsome, endlessly charming—and in love with Maurice. The two’s relationship blossoms quietly as they steal intimate moments in lush pastures and empty hallways. Fans of Call Me By Your Name will recognize some of the most tender and tense scenes, wherein Clive and Maurice lie together in the grass, surrounded only by weeds and flowers, as if they were the only two lovers left in the world.

But their love story is stunted and complicated by notions of class and etiquette in an oppressive, conservative England. This is a coming-of-age story in which Maurice must ask himself not only who he is, but also who he wants to become, and how to live an earnest, honest life in the light.

Genre: Drama, Romance

Actor: Alan Foss, Alan Whybrow, Arthur Whybrow, Barry Foster, Ben Kingsley, Billie Whitelaw, Breffni McKenna, Catherine Rabett, Christopher Hunter, Denholm Elliott, Harriet Thorpe, Helena Bonham Carter, Helena Michell, Hugh Grant, James Wilby, Jean-Marc Barr, John Elmes, Judy Parfitt, Julian Wadham, Kitty Aldridge, Maria Britneva, Mark Payton, Mark Tandy, Matthew Sim, Michael Jenn, Miles Richardson, Olwen Griffiths, Orlando Wells, Patrick Godfrey, Peter Eyre, Philip Fox, Phillada Sewell, Phoebe Nicholls, Richard Warner, Rupert Graves, Serena Gordon, Simon Callow

Director: James Ivory

Rating: R

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1532. Matlock, 2024

Except for the fact that it’s a genderswapped reboot starring the Kathy Bates, Matlock is hard to distinguish from the rest of the legal dramas airing on network TV. It follows the same formula shows like Suits, Law & Order, and The Good Fight do, where each episode is dedicated to an interesting case that also happens to reveal something new about the characters and whatever they’re going through. But what sets it apart (again apart from Bates, a force to be reckoned with), is its folksy humor and a consistent, throughline advocacy that would be a spoiler to reveal if you haven’t seen the pilot yet. That advocacy is a strong one, and not all that is represented yet on TV, so for the show’s enlightening and empathetic take on it alone, it’s a good watch. But add reliably engaging procedural cases and enjoyable performances, what you have is something great—or at least way better than most things currently on weekly TV.

Genre: Crime, Drama

Actor: Beau Bridges, David Del Rio, Eme Ikwuakor, Jason Ritter, Kathy Bates, Leah Lewis, Skye P. Marshall

Director: Brad Silberling, Daniel Willis, Kat Coiro

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1533. Mask Girl, 2023

Mask Girl is a dark comedic thriller that follows people on the fringes of beauty norms trying to live with their pain and shame. Low self-esteem and a desire for attention are at the center of the drama, making it relatable and easy to empathize with even when everything goes awry. Although Mo-mi, the titular Mask Girl, is at the forefront of the narrative, subsequent episodes switch to new perspectives, allowing us to interact with Mo-mi in different ways. And with each new character's POV, we witness how other ostracized people find comfort in and hurt each other when there's no one else to turn to. The first three episodes are intense and surprisingly violent, but ultimately seeing the extremes of the discrimination that beauty standards perpetuate makes the story worthwhile.

Genre: Drama

Actor: Ahn Jae-hong, Ko Hyun-jung, Lee Han-byul, Nana, Yeom Hye-ran

Director: Kim Yong-hoon

Rating: TV-MA

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1534. Marmalade, 2024

	
At first, Marmalade just seemed like a good ol’ fashioned Bonnie and Clyde story being told by one inmate to another. As Baron tells Otis about his titular Bonnie in Joe Keery’s Southern drawl, there’s a charming bittersweet romance about a man pushed into crime because of healthcare costs and a compelling Camila Marrone as a manic pixie dream girl-flavored femme fatale. By its own, it’s already an intriguing twist to the film noir plot. But the second half turns this romance into something completely unexpected, pulling an insane set of interconnected plot twists that’s just fun to experience. There are certain moments that could have been tighter, but the performances were great, the images were stunning, and the plot was surprising. It’s such a daring move for first time writer-director Keir O'Donnell.Genre: Crime, Drama, Romance, Thriller
Actor: Aldis Hodge, Amy Warner, Camila Morrone, Hans Christopher, Jim Lichtscheidl, Joe Keery, Ozioma Akagha, Susan Brava, Wayne Duvall
Director: Keir O'Donnell

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1535. Mario, 2018

	
When striving towards your life goal, some concessions have to be made in order to get there, e.g. you would forgo some wants in order to fulfill that higher purpose. But how much are you willing to sacrifice? Mario is a sports drama about an aspiring football player that wants to make it higher up in the league, but it’s also a queer drama, since to be that professional means to stick to a rigid notion of masculinity for the fans, for the sponsors, and sometimes for fellow homophobic teammates competing against them. At two hours, the naturalistic depiction of Mario’s experience might be a tad too long for some viewers, but the film understands the fear, the pressure, and the compromises gay athletes are forced to go through.Genre: Drama, Romance
Actor: Aaron Altaras, Beat Marti, Doro Müggler, Jessy Moravec, Julian Koechlin, Jürg Plüss, Max Hubacher
Director: Marcel Gisler
Rating: NR

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1536. Lost and Found, 1996

	
At one of the world’s largest shipping hubs, packages (and sometimes people) can get easily lost. It can be disheartening to lose something important, but that’s why it’s important to remember to check the lost and found. Through the titular niche industry, writer-director Lee Chi-Ngai crafts a existential love story that intertwines the lost souls of Hong Kong with a mournful melancholy marked with each repetition of Dance Me to the End of Love. It’s beautiful and depressing, and yet somehow Lee manages to tie all of the pieces together eloquently into something hopeful, despite the inevitable, if abrupt, ending.Genre: Drama, Romance
Actor: Alan Mak, Cheung Tat-Ming, Cheung Ying-Tsoi, Henry Fong, Henry Fong Ping, Hilary Tsui, James Yuen, Joe Ma, Jordan Chan, Josie Ho, Joyce Tang Lai-Ming, Kelly Chen, Maria Cordero, Michael Wong, Moses Chan, Steven Ma, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Teddy Chan
Director: Lee Chi-Ngai

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1537. Like Flowers in Sand, 2023

Do we need to convince you about the spectacle of half naked, handsome, buff men wrestling? Like Flowers in Sand has plenty of that, with Jang Dong-yoon at the helm, but it’s more than just eye candy. It’s a warm, down-to-earth sports drama celebrating Korea’s traditional wrestling, set in the county that is known for ssireum. It has an intricate web of relationships that realistically depict the small town friend groups of childhood. And the cast is excellent, making each ordinary slice-of-life moment still feel compelling. Like Flowers in Sand may not have the crazy fantastical premises other K-dramas are known for, but it still feels unique with its straightforward passion of ssireum.

Genre: Comedy, Drama, Mystery

Actor: Jang Dong-yoon, Kim Bo-ra, Lee Jae-joon, Lee Joo-myung, Yun Jong-seok

Director: Kim Jin-woo

Rating: TV-14

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1538. Kidding, 2020

Jim Carrey stars in this unusual show dubbed a “tragicomedy”. He plays Mr. Jeff Pickles, the host of a beloved children’s show who has a do-gooder way of looking at life. In contrast to his job cheering up kids and giving lessons in what’s good or bad, he has to deal with a dark reality: the passing of his son. His wife left him as a consequence and he lives alone and away from his family. Kidding is about the contradictions that a life in show business brings and about what it takes for an optimistic person like Jeff to break. Produced and directed by Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind director, Michel Gondry.

Genre: Comedy, Drama

Actor: Catherine Keener, Frank Langella, Jim Carrey, Judy Greer, Justin Kirk

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1539. Janis: Little Girl Blue, 2015

Amy Berg’s documentary offers an insightful account of one of the most revered and iconic rock and roll singers of all-time, from her musical rise in the 1960s to her battle with alcohol and heroin addiction. Janis Joplin’s independent spirit and sense of not fitting in are meticulously presented in the film through archival footage, rare personal letters, and interviews with her school friends, family members, and fellow musicians. Powerfully narrated by musician Cat Power, Janis: Little Girl Blue presents a profoundly nuanced and very personal portrait of Janis Joplin, in a well-curated homage to an artist who changed music forever.

Genre: Documentary, Drama, Music

Actor: Cat Power, D. A. Pennebaker, Dick Cavett, Janis Joplin, Karleen Bennett, Laura Joplin, Peter Albin

Director: Amy J. Berg

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1540. Isle of Dogs, 2018

Isle of Dogs has all the hallmarks of a Wes Anderson picture—it's stylish, otherworldly, and deadpan hilarious. But the film is also uniquely its own thing, a stop-motion animation deeply and gorgeously immersed in Japanese history and lore. Instead of merely relegating culture in the background for mere aesthetic purposes (as Anderson has done in the past with The Darjeeling Limited), culture here plays a vital role in the adventure and overall plot of the film. It's up to the viewer to decide whether Isle of Dogs is a case of appropriation or appreciation, but what can't be denied is that this is a movie with a strong and unforgettable bite to it.

Genre: Adventure, Animation, Comedy, Drama

Actor: Akira Takayama, Alex Orman, Anjelica Huston, Bill Murray, Bob Balaban, Bryan Cranston, Chris Benz, Courtney B. Vance, Edward Norton, Elaiza Ikeda, Erica Dorn, F. Murray Abraham, Fisher Stevens, Frances McDormand, Frank Wood, Greta Gerwig, Harvey Keitel, Jake Ryan, Jeff Goldblum, Kara Hayward, Ken Watanabe, Koyu Rankin, Kozue Akimoto, Kunichi Nomura, Liev Schreiber, Mari Natsuki, Nijiro Murakami, Roman Coppola, Ryuhei Matsuda, Ryuhei Nakadai, Scarlett Johansson, Shota Matsuda, Taichi Kodama, Takayuki Yamada, Tilda Swinton, Yojiro Noda, Yoko Ono

Director: Wes Anderson

Rating: PG-13

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1541. Inu-Oh, 2022

	
Inu-oh is a visually stunning and thought-provoking anime that reimagines a Japanese folk tale as it explores themes of artistic freedom, individuality, and the consequences of challenging societal norms. The movie's striking imagery, original music, and captivating story make it a memorable viewing experience, delving into issues of identity and the prejudices faced by disabled individuals with sensitivity. While the catchy music may not appeal to everyone, the film's unique blend of ancient and contemporary storytelling creates a creative triumph that anime fans will appreciate, offering social commentary and a reflection on the power of staying true to oneself.Genre: Animation, Drama, Fantasy, History, Music
Actor: Avu-chan, Chikara Honda, Gota Ishida, Haruki Nakagawa, Kazunari Tosa, Kenjiro Tsuda, Mirai Moriyama, Tasuku Emoto, Yoshifumi Sakai, Yutaka Matsushige
Director: Masaaki Yuasa

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1542. Informa, 2023

Informa is a thrilling and fun look into the world of yakuza informants. As the titular character Keijiro Kihara takes new writer Kanji Mishima around town to show him the ropes, the series plays with a buddy cop dynamic without the restrictions that police have. Fresh-faced Mishima remains wide-eyed, as Kihara brings him to yakuza hotspots, sometimes intentionally provoking situations with the yakuza through taunting words, but walking away without harm. The series sometimes makes weird shifts, with the first episode halving a serious torture sequence of one gang, and inserting a more lighthearted sequence with Mishima’s crew in between. However, the strange edits don’t distract from the overall mystery and vibe of the series. Informa feels as intriguing but as chaotic as its titular protagonist.

Genre: Drama, Mystery

Actor: Go Morita, Kana Kita, Kenta Kiritani, Reo Sano, Yasushi Fuchikami

Director: Hirokawa Hayashida

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1543. In My Mother's Skin, 2023

There's a cruelty to In My Mother's Skin that may seem off-putting at first, but one must reckon with the sheer scale of the violence already occurring before these characters are even introduced to us. The Japanese occupation of the Philippines was a particularly vicious period in the country's history; if Filipinos weren't fighting or hiding from their invaders, many of them were trying to maintain a precariously submissive, neutral existence, or they were being turned against each other due to the conflict of war trickling down between the social classes. All these things are implicit throughout Kenneth Dagatan's film, which doesn't try to reenact World War II but capture the total absence of hope during this period.

Dagatan's style of horror insists on a very slow pace, emphasizing every footstep leading to a horrifying reveal, and not just the main scare itself. This choice doesn't always work, especially as certain beats begin to repeat themselves, but the film's incredibly confident visual style fills every moment with an eerie paranoia. Gothic, shadowy interiors, nasty gore, and one opulently costumed fairy make everything perpetually unsettling—gradually forcing us to accept that these contradictions are just the reality of life under war.

Genre: Action, Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Thriller, War

Actor: Angeli Bayani, Arnold Reyes, Beauty Gonzalez, Brian Sy, Felicity Kyle Napuli, James Mavie Estrella, Jasmine Curtis-Smith, Noel Sto. Domingo, Ronnie Lazaro

Director: Kenneth Dagatan, Kenneth Lim Dagatan

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1544. In Love All Over Again, 2023

In Love All Over Again has many of the romance tropes fans of the genre would enjoy. The star-crossed lovers, the gay best friend, the absent-minded but well-meaning parent, and the classic romance drama jobs are present in the series. However, unlike other series, the show literally starts off with a bang. The main couple don’t get separated because of toxic dynamics or tragedy, but literally because of the 2004 Madrid train bombings. But this isn’t just a one-off event, it’s the event that shifts Irene’s life forever, as she tries to heal and process the event as best as she can. Some of the series’ plot points may not be new, but it’s sincere in examining how that event affected people’s lives, without being overly dramatic. The resulting series is sweet and it captures the Y2K nostalgia that’s currently en vogue.

Genre: Drama

Actor: Albert Salazar, Blanca Martínez, Carlos González, Franco Masini, Georgina Amorós

Rating: TV-MA

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1545. House of Flying Daggers, 2004

	
If there’s one thing to say about House of Flying Daggers, it’s that it’s absolutely, absurdly, downright beautiful. The sets are lavishly designed, the landscapes are gorgeous, the colorful costumes are elaborately embroidered, the fight and dance choreography are breathtaking, every shot is colorful, and even the three leads in the love triangle are some of the most beautiful Chinese actors of the time (maybe, perhaps, of all time). That being said, some viewers might find that the beauty of each scene isn’t enough to carry through the film’s fairly convoluted plot, with everyone lying to each other all the time. There’s a thread here about being ordered into actions that would later be used to condemn you, and the way love intersects with that is fairly romantic stuff, but House of Flying Daggers doesn’t quite reach the emotional heights it could have had with a more streamlined script.Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama
Actor: Andy Lau, Andy Lau Tak-Wah, Chengyuan Li, Dandan Song, Hao Bojie, Hongfei Zhao, Jiusheng Wang, Jun Guo, Li Qiang, Liu Tengyuan, Shu Zhang, Song Dandan, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Wang Jiusheng, Yang Guang, Yongxin Wang, Zhang Shu, Zhang Ziyi, Zheng Xiao-Dong, Zhengyong Zhang, Ziyi Zhang
Director: Yimou Zhang, Zhang Yimou
Rating: PG-13

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