2223 Best Drama Movies to Watch (Page 124)

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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1846. Blood Vessel, 2023

Pollution disproportionately affects developing nations, and when governments continue to allow the lackluster waste management processes of large-scale industries, sometimes the only option is to leave. That’s what the six protagonists do in Blood Vessel, though escaping the situation isn’t as easy as it sounds. The first half starts out fairly slow, as we get to know the group, but it’s all to bring about emotional devastation as the film unfolds into violent ends. While certain plot elements don’t have a neat resolution, and certain technical aspects sometimes feel distracting, Blood Vessel works through the strength of its six lead performances.

Genre: Drama, Thriller

Actor: Alex Budin, Bimbo Manuel, David Ezekiel, Dibor Adaobi, Jidekene Achufusi, René Mena, Slyvester Ekanem

Director: Moses Inwang

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1847. Black Book, 2006

Of course, with wartime spy romances, it’s expected to have conflicted desire, twisty betrayals, and the internal war between personal love and national duty. Black Book delivers this in spades, infusing the drama with writer-director Paul Verhoeven’s propensity for sex and violence, which he brings back to his homeland after two decades apart. The drama is well-made, especially with the talented Carice van Houten as a survival-first composite spy character inspired by several resistance members, but the familiar plot, the melodrama, and the pacing can make the 2 and a half hour runtime feel a bit tedious for some viewers. Still, for fans of the genre, Black Book isn’t a terrible choice to watch.Genre: Drama, Thriller, War
Actor: Bert Luppes, Carice van Houten, Christian Berkel, Derek de Lint, Diana Dobbelman, Dolf de Vries, Frank Lammers, Garrick Hagon, Gijs Naber, Halina Reijn, Hugo Metsers, Johnny de Mol, Marcel Musters, Marisa van Eyle, Matthias Schoenaerts, Menno van Beekum, Merel Pauw, Michiel Huisman, Mike Reus, Nolan Hemmings, Peter Blok, Pieter Tiddens, Ronald Armbrust, Sebastian Koch, Theo Maassen, Thom Hoffman, Timothy Deenihan, Waldemar Kobus, Xander Straat
Director: Paul Verhoeven
Rating: R

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1848. Beyond the Light Barrier, 2023

Documentaries tend to depict real subjects through grounded, true-to-life ways, but the subject matter of Beyond the Light Barrier feels quite fantastic. Based on the autobiography of a South African meteorologist, this documentary isn’t about the science of weather watching – instead, it’s about Elizabeth Klarer and her strange account of her alien lover. Director Uga Carlini reimagines her encounters through 50’s style graphics, comic book-like illustrations, and John Kani’s serene narration. The film doesn’t make the conclusion whether aliens are true, as the film’s interviews vary between believers and skeptics. However, it’s an interesting look into these encounters, and how people use these unusual accounts to express certain fears and ideologies, especially in its last fifteen minutes.

Genre: Documentary, Drama

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1849. Bent, 1997

In this day and age, it thankfully has become less risky to come out as gay, due to the struggle of many LGBTQ+ people from the past. However, this struggle was hard won– while gay people were persecuted in the Nazi regime, it was only until decades later people started to discuss it, and one reason why research and education about it increased was due to the play Bent, depicted in film in 1997. The screen version admittedly falters compared to the West End original, with static staging and focus on the dialogue over action, but the performances are fairly decent, with an unexpected collection of cast members that maximize each moment they’re in. It’s quite depressing, and sometimes heavy handed, but Bent is a needed perspective.Genre: Drama, History, Romance
Actor: Brian Webber, Clive Owen, Crispian Belfrage, David Meyer, David Phelan, Gresby Nash, Holly Davidson, Ian McKellen, Johanna Kirby, Jude Law, Lothaire Bluteau, Lou Gish, Mick Jagger, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Paul Bettany, Rachel Weisz, Richard Laing, Rupert Graves, Rupert Penry-Jones, Sadie Frost, Suzanne Bertish
Director: Sean Mathias

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1850. Belascoarán, PI, 2022

Mexico City, 1970. Héctor Belascoarán leaves his stable office job and beautiful (but unhappy) marriage to pursue the adrenaline-filled life of a private detective. The police are useless, Héctor points out, not to mention corrupt and often in on the crime, so it's up to him to tackle the many unsolved cases that haunt the city he loves.

Because he thinks himself a hero, Héctor narrates each episode in that nostalgic noir way, but the catch is that he is, in fact, no slick savior. Hector is still a rookie, prone to blunders and miscalculations, but his perseverance saves the day. In this way Belascoarán, PI is both a tribute and a sendup of detective films of yore; it references the genre in style and substance, but it isn't above joking about it either. It's proof that you can challenge viewers without sacrificing the laughs, and vice versa.

Genre: Crime, Drama

Actor: Andrés Parra, Irene Azuela, Luis Gerardo Méndez, Paulina Gaitan

Director: Ernesto Contreras, Hiromi Kamata

Rating: TV-MA

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1851. Bagdad Cafe, 1987

This quirky 1988 adventure drama is newly available on Amazon Prime. It’s the classic that never was, the story of a rundown gas station motel in the Southern US where a lonely West German lady called Jasmin Munchgstettner ends up by accident.

The owner of the operation, a short-tempered woman by the name of Brenda, doesn’t really take to Jasmin. However, the longer the West German guest stays at the motel, the more a friendship forms between the two.

Genre: Comedy, Drama

Actor: Alan S. Craig, Apesanahkwat, CCH Pounder, Christine Kaufmann, Darron Flagg, G. Smokey Campbell, Gary Lee Davis, George Aguilar, Hans Stadlbauer, Jack Palance, Marianne Sägebrecht, Mark Daneri, Monica Calhoun, Ray Young, Ronald Lee Jarvis

Director: Percy Adlon

Rating: PG

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1852. Back to Life, 2019

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

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1853. Baby Bandito, 2024

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

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1854. Atlantics, 2019

A poetic and peculiar movie from Senegal about a girl who is forced to marry a wealthy businessman instead of her love interest. The latter, a poor construction worker, embarks on a risky journey across the sea to Europe. The story takes a supernatural turn thereafter, one that is unlike anything seen before in stories around immigration, but one which makes sense. Still, the excellent acting and the long takes that immerse you in what life is like in Senegal, both in and out of the margins of society, are the reasons to watch here. Atlantics' characters are believable and will capture your interest throughout the usual and unusual parts of the movie. They provide rare insight into narratives that most of us have never been exposed to.

Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Mystery, Romance

Actor: Abdou Balde, Amadou Mbow, Amina Kane, Aminata Kane, Arame Fall Faye, Babacar Sylla, Coumba Dieng, Diankou Sembene, Ibrahima Mbaye, Ibrahima Traore, Mama Sane, Mame Bineta Sane, Mariama Gassama, Mati Diop, Nicole Sougou, Traore

Director: Mati Diop

Rating: TV-14

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1855. As Tears Go By, 1988

Before Wong Kar Wai made his signature romantic dramas, he first made his directorial debut As Tears Go By, a film that wouldn’t be out of place in the crime and action flicks that characterized 1980s cinema. There are moments that feel a tad derivative, such as the use of Take My Breath Away from 1986’s Top Gun, and the gangster love triangle reminiscent of Martin Scorcese’s Mean Streets, but Wong’s style starts to peek through with his use of color and light, and of course, the distinctive blurred action that transforms movement into lines. It’s not as sleek as Wong’s better known works, but As Tears Go By is still a good film to watch, marking Wong as one of the biggest names in the then-emerging Hong Kong New Wave.Genre: Crime, Drama, Romance
Actor: Alex Man, Andy Lau, Benz Kong To-Hoi, Chan Chi-Fai, Cheung Wing-Cheung, Chow Gam-Kong, Chun Kwai-Bo, Ho Wing-Cheung, Hui Fan, Jacky Cheung, Kam Shan, Lam Kau, Lee Chi-Git, Maggie Cheung, Maggie Cheung Man-Yuk, Pak Yan, Ronald Wong Ban, William Chang Suk-Ping, Wong Aau, Wong Chi-Wai
Director: Wong Kar-wai

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1856. Anne at 13,000 Ft., 2021

A character study in the absolute purest sense, Anne at 13,000 Ft. doesn't even have the kind of satisfying closure one would expect from any story, nor does it explain anything about its protagonist's difficult, erratic behavior in the context of mental health. It's an exercise in testing how much empathy a character can earn solely on account of their being a human being having a hard time. Appropriately, the filmmaking on display makes for a deliberately uncomfortable experience, with tension ratcheting up in practically every given situation, enhanced by the fact that director Kazik Radwanski and star Deragh Campbell improvised much of the movie as they were making it.

Genre: Drama

Actor: Deragh Campbell, Dorothea Paas, Helly Chester, Joseph Simon, Lawrene Denkers, Lisa Aitken, Matt Johnson, Michael Kuthe, Suzanne Pratley, Tiffany Blom

Director: Kazik Radwanski

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1857. Analog Squad, 2023

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

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1858. American Girl, 2021

American Girl follows 13-year-old Fen as she returns to Taiwan from the US and tries to make sense of a culture that’s supposedly her own. In addition to her awkward but relatable attempts to understand identity and adolescence, Fen also struggles to connect with her mother Lily, whose own problems further push her away from her teenage daughter. If you’ve seen Lady Bird, you may recognize a bit of Christine and Marion in Fen and Lily as they throw themselves into an endless tug-of-war of emotions. Their fights are genuinely frustrating, but only because of how true-to-life they are.

As painful as it sometimes is to see them clash, it’s their love-hate dynamic that charges much of the film’s emotional energy and makes it ultimately irresistible to watch.

Genre: Drama, Family

Actor: Blaire Chang, Bowie Tsang, Caitlin Fang, Hsia Yu-chiao, Jia-Yin Tsai, Kaiser Chuang, Karena Lam, Karena Lam Kar-Yan, Ming-shiou Tsai, Teng-Hui Huang, Winnie Chang, Winnie Shih-Ying Chang

Director: Feng-I Fiona Roan, Fiona Roan

Rating: Not Rated

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1859. African Folktales Reimagined, 2023

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

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1860. Absolute Beginners, 2023

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

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