456 Best Dramatic Movies to Watch (Page 18)

Set in the seemingly idyllic town of Three Pines in Quebec, Canada, Three Pines the series follows Chief Inspector Armand Gamache (Alfred Molina) as he attempts to solve a string of murders and disappearances in the area. It’s a classic whodunnit that doesn't try too hard to be twisty and complicated; instead, it lays out its clues neatly and cleverly without giving too much away, all while digging deep into local issues such as the institutional neglect of indigenous people.

There’s no shortage of mysteries and crime thrillers on TV at the moment, but what makes Three Pines stand out is its seemingly virtuous lead. “You look for good even in the worst of humanity, don’t you?” says one witness about Armand, but it will be interesting to find out just how far his well-meaning ways can go.

Genre: Crime, Mystery

Actor: Alfred Molina

Rating: TV-14

Mazher Mahmood’s true story is so rich, improbable, and dramatic, that it almost seems like a movie. It’s certainly edited like one. The Fake Sheikh is filled with quotable one-liners and thrilling reenactments, and at the center of it all is the compelling anti-hero, Mahmood. Director Ceri Isfryn does a commendable job of balancing the facts about her controversial subject, interviewing both Mahmood’s champions and critics, colleagues and victims, while also interweaving narratives of race and class into his story. After all, this is a man who was initially denied the chance to cover anything other than race and immigration, and so he carved his own (warped) path as a celebrity journalist. There are times when it seems like Isfryn tips the scales a bit to favor Mahmood, but it all falls in line with her movie narrative. The Fake Sheikh is just as enthralling as any good fictional thriller out there.

Genre: Documentary

Director: Ceri Isfryn

You just wouldn't expect yet another superhero show from The CW to carry the sort of emotional weight typically reserved for prestige melodramas, but Superman & Lois gets close. In contrast to recent darker portrayals of the Man of Steel, this series allows Clark Kent to remain a nerdy, wholesome dad, whose greatest challenges come from the problems he can't solve with his powers. In fact, some of the superheroics only slow the show down from doing what it does best: navigating different relationships within the Smallville community, exploring various conflicts that can still pop up in a loving marriage, and looking at how Clark and Lois's kids deal with the secrecy around having (or not having) powers.

Strong, character-focused writing and mature, measured performances help put Superman & Lois above a number of its superhero contemporaries. It still falls victim to cheesy situations and occasional stretches of monotony (especially in the second season), but its dedication to human drama over action set pieces and expanding its lore makes it easy to be moved by their most personal problems. This is what DC has needed all this time.

Genre: Action & Adventure, Drama, Family, Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Actor: Alex Garfin, Chad L. Coleman, Dylan Walsh, Elizabeth Tulloch, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Erik Valdez, Inde Navarrette, Sofia Hasmik, Tayler Buck, Tyler Hoechlin, Wolé Parks

After the ending of the show Suburra: Blood on Rome, it had seemed like there was nowhere else for the franchise to go, with plenty of the main cast dead. But after three years, the world of Suburra is back on Netflix in Suburræterna, and despite the chaos that reigns in Rome, there are still opportunistic survivors circling over remaining scraps of control. One survivor is Spadino Anacleti, who, after he had left for a more tolerant Berlin, is now forced to return home, with no other suitable heir for the family. While new viewers might be lost with the names referencing previous characters, fans of the franchise would enjoy the way Suburræterna unfolds, as the Suburra story, inspired by the real life Mafia Capitale, takes on a life of its own.

Genre: Crime, Drama

Actor: Carlotta Antonelli, Federica Sabatini, Federigo Ceci, Filippo Nigro, Giacomo Ferrara, Giorgia Spinelli, Marlon Joubert, Paola Sotgiu

Rating: TV-MA

These days, pandemic stories can go either of two ways: horribly or profoundly. The realism may be too much to bear, causing so-called pandemic fatigue, or it can compel you to move in the world in kinder, more self-aware ways.

Thankfully, HBO’s overlooked Station Eleven falls under the latter category. Epic, poignant, and lighthearted, the ten-episode miniseries (adapted from the bestselling novel of the same name) is one of the few pandemic-set, post-apocalyptic shows that takes a closer look at the kind and creative ways humans approach survival.

Genre: Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Mystery, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Science Fiction

Actor: Daniel Zovatto, David Wilmot, Himesh Patel, Lori Petty, Mackenzie Davis, Matilda Lawler, Nabhaan Rizwan, Philippine Velge

Rating: TV-MA

After titles like Tár (2022) and the Dutch film The Conductor (2018), Western female conductors continue to intrigue audiences as they strive to succeed in the last glass ceiling in music. But classical music isn’t restrained to the West, and South Korea’s orchestral world is now showcased in Maestra: Strings of Truth. A remake of the French television series Philharmonia, the series goes through the trials and tribulations Cha Se-eum goes through to establish her leadership in the conductor role back home, as well as the multiple mysteries that might have caused her to leave in the first place. While the show’s first two episodes slowly portray her backstory, Lee Young-ae holds the show on her shoulders, and grounds the drama with her stoic and charismatic presence. It’s a compelling drama, with such a compelling personality, and it’s scored with some of the best classical pieces in the world.

Genre: Drama, Mystery

Actor: Hwang Bo-reum-byeol, Jin Ho-eun, Jung Dong-hwan, Kim Min-kyu, Kim Young-jae, Lee Byung-joon, Lee Moo-saeng, Lee Mu-saeng, Lee Si-won, Lee Young-ae, Lim Se-joo, Park Ho-san, Ye Su-jeong

Director: Kim Jeong-kwon

Genre: Drama

Actor: Arachaporn Pokinpakorn, Chayapak Tunprayoon, Christiaan Churaporn Bos, Jirayus Khaobaimai, Krit Amnuaydechkorn, Naphat Vikairungroj, Nat Kitcharit, Oabnithi Wiwattanawarang, Parada Thitawachira, Pongpol Panyamit, Putthipong Assaratanakul, Putthipong Assarattanakul, Theethat Suk-im

Director: Naruebet Kuno