305 Best Drama Movies to WatchBest TV-MA Movies to Watch (Page 15)

It’s tempting to say that Heartbreak High, with its gloriously unfiltered takes on relationships of all kinds, is just another Sex Education replica, especially since both shows don the same multicolored fashion and Commonwealth accent. But while Heartbreak High isn’t breaking new ground by having kids and adults talk openly about sex and gender, it’s also bold, funny, and insightful in its own right. The characters are well-drawn and the problems are relatable; the show itself is sometimes annoying but also, more importantly, authentic. It’s perfectly imperfect in that contradictory teens can only be.

Genre: Comedy, Drama

Actor: Asher Yasbincek, Gemma Chua-Tran, Josh Heuston, Rachel House, Thomas Weatherall, Will McDonald

Director: Adam Murfet, Gracie Otto, Jessie Oldfield, Neil Sharma

Rating: TV-MA

Continuing on the 2021 film, which in turn, was the prequel to the Belgian-Dutch series Undercover, Ferry: the Series now delves into the titular mob boss’ start of his ecstasy empire. While the drug lord was suitably menacing in Undercover, Bouman in his beginnings is broke, trying to create bigger deals that would allow him to continue sustaining his small-scale drug pushing, and personally bumping with the cops in some botched buyings. As the future kingpin deals with day-to-day mishaps, there’s an old-school, lightly comedic tone as Bouman tries to gain the same respect he’ll get in Undercover. It makes for a goofier and less serious side on the all-too-familiar organized crime plotlines, and makes it a fun series to watch.

Genre: Crime, Drama

Actor: Elise Schaap, Frank Lammers, Raymond Thiry, Tim Haars, Yannick van de Velde

Director: Eshref Reybrouck, Nico Moolenaar

Rating: TV-MA

With the number of murder mysteries popping up since Knives Out, Death and Other Details can seem like a copy. However, the latest mystery show on Hulu has a few twists up its sleeve, as Detective Coteworth and Imogene Scott aim to solve two cases at once– the first, of course, being the luxury liner murder, and the second being the murder of Scott’s mother eighteen years ago. Because of this, the backstory has more personal stakes, as it puts into question human memory itself. While the balance between timelines sometimes falters, Death and Other Details has enough style to at least make the journey interesting.

Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery

Actor: Angela Zhou, Hugo Diego Garcia, Lauren Patten, Rahul Kohli, Violett Beane

Rating: TV-MA

It starts off slowly, if a bit unevenly, but Black Earth Rising gradually finds its footing over the course of eight episodes. The series, a political thriller that takes a closer look at the legality of international war crimes, is led by the ever-commanding Michaela Coel and always-reliable John Goodman. 

As the Rwandan adoptee and legal investigator Kate Ashby, Coel attempts to reconcile her internal turmoil with that of the cases she's tasked with. She's at once indignant and empathetic, shut off and loving. She wants to be grateful for surviving a genocide and finding a home in the UK, but guilt is eating away at her. On top of the dangers that she faces as a refugee and investigator, Kate is also dealing with depression, and it's a testament to the show's skill that her condition is treated with as much thought and care as the other, more excitable aspects of the show. 

As Kate digs deeper into the mystery of who she is and exposes, along the way, the bloody involvement of different countries and institutes in African affairs, we’re forced to confront ethical questions (difficult but necessary) that stay with us long after the credits have rolled.

Genre: Crime, Drama

Actor: Abena Ayivor, Danny Sapani, Emmanuel Imani, Harriet Walter, John Goodman, Lucian Msamati, Michaela Coel, Noma Dumezweni, Ronald Guttman, Tamara Tunie, Tyrone Huggins

Director: Hugo Blick

Rating: TV-MA

Any parent would defend their kid in court, though, sometimes it depends on the case. A Nearly Normal Family brings one such Swedish family through a case, as their nineteen year old daughter is accused of murdering a man, four years after the family decides not to prosecute their daughter’s rapist without evidence. The thriller series unfolds into a compelling murder mystery, as the show plays with the family members’ different perspectives that expands and continues the show’s intrigue, even if you think you have it all figured out. And as the investigation continues, the family’s secrets slowly get unveiled, threatening to break the Sandells apart, with their conflicting morals and unresolved trauma. While some viewers might not appreciate the slow burn, it’s an interesting crime thriller-family drama mix that questions how far we’re willing to go for our loved ones.

Genre: Crime, Drama

Actor: Alexandra Karlsson Tyrefors, Björn Bengtsson, Christian Fandango Sundgren, Lo Kauppi, Melisa Ferhatovic

Rating: TV-MA

Domestic abuse is a delicate matter, and onscreen depictions always run the risk of being either too sensational or mopey. The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart, thankfully, is neither. It sensitively and creatively tells the story of Alice and all the other survivors who June shelters on her flower farm. More than just decor, these flowers serve as a lifeline to the girls: not only do they grow and sell them to earn a living, but they’ve also made a special secret language out of them. Different blooms mean different things, and when you live in a world where your pain is systematically ignored, it makes sense to communicate in hiding. Granted, the Lost Flowers of Alice Hart can get overly dramatic at times. Some plotlines include hiding who the child's real father is and fighting to get custody of said child. But it’s unfair to dismiss the series as mere melodrama. It’s doing important work by shedding light on the manifold ways women are mistreated, and it does so in a commendably original and artful way.

Genre: Drama, Mystery

Actor: Alycia Debnam-Carey, Charlie Vickers, Frankie Adams, Leah Purcell, Sigourney Weaver

Rating: TV-MA

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

Actor: Jeon So-nee, Kim In-kwon, Koo Kyo-hwan, Kwon Hae-hyo, Lee Jung-hyun

Director: Yeon Sang-ho

Rating: TV-MA