2218 Best Drama Movies to Watch (Page 124)

Daisy Haggard plays Miri, a girl who just got out of an 18-year prison sentence for a crime she committed in her teens. And what an important 18 years she missed: so many technological developments - and actually much of her own development-, plus, shocker, it looks like her boyfriend from back then did not wait around for her. 

But Miri's biggest problem is that the town hates her guts. So the show is her navigating all of that while trying to get a job and put her life on track. It's an endearing comedy about fighting for normalcy when nothing seems to be going your way. 

Genre: Comedy, Drama

Actor: Adeel Akhtar, Daisy Haggard, Geraldine James

With a ludicrous amount of cash, and one of the perpetrators escaping into a luxurious European life posted on Facebook, it’s no wonder Netflix decided to create Baby Bandito. The source material practically writes itself, and it’s easy to fictionalize some details for added drama. The show does this, turning the original robber into a well-meaning skateboarder Kevin Tapia that steals the plans of a mob in order to escape his rough neighborhood, but some of the characterization falters, specifically when it involves his girlfriend Génesis. There are moments it goes into generic territory, but the series is certainly well-shot, full of charm, and daring in the way it focuses more on the consequences rather than the heist itself.

Genre: Crime, Drama

Actor: Carmen Zabala, Francisca Armstrong, Marcelo Alonso, Nicolás Contreras, Pablo Macaya

Rating: TV-MA

Before the late 2000s, people didn’t have social networking sites like Facebook and Instagram to connect with loved ones from afar, but every family reunion, there’s still some posturing in order to feel accepted by older family members. Analog Squad takes this to the extreme as Pond hires actors in order to act out the perfect family. It’s… an interesting solution. This premise naturally delivers some comedic hijinks, as lies pile up over time, but it also drives the plot as it creates two mysteries: 1) What happened that was so bad that Pond needed to resort to this? And 2) Who is crazy enough to accept this job? It takes a while to get there, and the story is uneven between the fake family members, but the ensemble charms Pond’s family (and the viewers) with ease as Analog Squad explores how loving families end up being dysfunctional.

Genre: Drama

Actor: Bhumibhat Thavornsiri, Kritsanapoom Pibulsonggram, Kullanat Preeyawat, Nopachai Jayanama, Surasee Ithikul, Wipawee Patnasiri

Director: Nithiwat Tharathorn

African Folktales Reimagined is exactly what it says in the tin. The anthology isn’t exactly a cohesive, one-plot show – it’s a collection of folktale-inspired short films from six different countries, by six different filmmakers, funded by grants from a rare Netflix-UNESCO partnership. As such, the collection features a variety of genres and styles. If you like Westerns, you might want to watch Katera of the Punishment Island. If you’re into Afrofuturistic sci-fi, try watching Halima’s Choice first. Into supernatural stories? Watch Enmity Djinn. Katope and MaMlambo lean more on the fantastical side of the folklore, while Anyango and the Ogre feels like a straightforward drama. It’s a fairly varied collection, and there’s something here for everyone. African Folktales Reimagined takes a modern twist to the folktales that shaped the continent.

Genre: Drama, Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Rating: TV-MA

Netflix released yet another coming-of-age show, and this time it’s a lovely coastal vacation set in the Polish seaside. Absolutely Beginners feels familiar, as the quirky protagonists set out to make a short film, they also get into a trio with someone living in the area. It’s not quite a love triangle though, even if the series is marked as romance, and even with its limited runtime, it’s dedicated to building up the friendship between the three. And this friendship is portrayed in such a tender and sweet way that respects both their unique dynamic and their individual paths.

Genre: Drama

Actor: Bartłomiej Deklewa, Jan Sałasiński, Kefas Brand, Martyna Byczkowska

Rating: TV-MA

Based on the 2019 Taiwanese drama, A Time Called You is a fresh take on the time travel romance with its unique premise and structure. The series seamlessly shifts between the decades, flitting between them with ease. It simultaneously introduces both couples on separate, parallel timelines, 1998 at the start of the love triangle, with 2023 at the untimely end of Jun-hee’s. These two timelines merge through time travel via a gifted cassette tape. Because of these shifts, the show creates the expected nostalgia, but it also effectively drives the show’s mystery, as Jun-hee tries to figure out the photo and the trio on it. While the show takes its sweet time doing so, A Time Called You twists the heart in exploring the grief of lost love, and the hope for a second chance.

Genre: Drama

Actor: Ahn Hyo-seop, Jeon Yeo-been, Kang Hoon

Director: Kim Jin-won

Rating: TV-MA

For better or for worse, we don’t know who our guardians really are, whether that be our parents or other older relatives. However, that usually means that we don’t get to know their dreams, not that they are involved with assassins, like the way Ji-an’s uncle is in A Shop for Killers. The action strikes hard and fast, starting the series off with a sniper attempt on Ji-an’s life, but luckily, the surprised girl can fight back, with the eccentric training that she didn’t anticipate she’ll need. While the time jumps can be a bit confusing, A Shop for Killers has a surprising mix of action and mystery that keeps things entertaining, even if it’s unclear for now how it’s a spin-off to The Killer’s Shopping List.

Genre: Action & Adventure, Crime, Drama, Mystery

Actor: Geum Hae-na, Kim Hye-jun, Lee Dong-wook, Park Ji-bin, Seo Hyun-woo

Director: Lee Kwon, Noh Gyoo-yeob

Based on the 1992 classic of the same name, A League of Their Own tells the story of the Rockford Peaches—how the women’s baseball team came to be, who its eccentric members are, and what life was like in wartime America, especially for driven women with unconventional goals.

More than a remake, 2022's A League of Their Own actually updates the premise to be more conscious of sexuality and race, making it feel very modern and up-to-date despite its period setting. It’s a funny and enlightening show with some anachronistic tendencies here and there (expect non-1940s pop music to play), which might rebuff historical purists but will likely charm everyone else.

Genre: Comedy, Drama, History

Actor: Abbi Jacobson, Chanté Adams, D'Arcy Carden, Dale Dickey, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Kate Berlant, Kelly McCormack, Melanie Field, Molly Ephraim, Priscilla Delgado, Roberta Colindrez

Rating: Not Rated