The 25 best drama movies on Netflix

Amadeus (1984)

This Oscar-winning classic is far from a stodgy biopic. Playing fast and loose with what we know of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and his rivalry with fellow composer Antonio Salieri, Amadeus is a rousing saga about the delicate relationship between a man driven to achieve the kind of artistry that another seems to possess inherently. F. Murray Abraham, who won an Academy Award for his performance, brilliantly portrays Salieri's envy and how it causes him to gradually lose his grip on reality. —Kevin Jacobsen

Where to watch Amadeus: Netflix

Director: Milos Forman

Cast: F. Murray Abraham, Tom Hulce, Elizabeth Berridge, Simon Callow, Roy Dotrice, Christine Ebersole, Jeffrey Jones, Charles Kay

Related content: The 25 greatest Best Actor winners in Oscar history

Boyz N the Hood (1991)

The impact of John Singleton's coming-of-age drama cannot be overstated, not only for its nuanced examination of young Black men's lives in South Central L.A., but also for being a launching pad for its stars, including Cuba Gooding Jr., Ice Cube, Morris Chestnut, Nia Long, Angela Bassett, and Regina King. Boyz N the Hood centers on Tre Styles (Gooding Jr.), a college prospect who grows up under the tutelage of his wise father (Laurence Fishburne). After his childhood friend Doughboy (Ice Cube) returns home from prison as a member of the Bloods, conflict arises when the rival Crips gang threatens Tre and Doughboy's other friend, Ricky (Chestnut). While the film has plenty of raw, devastating moments, Singleton also excels in the smaller, lighter character interactions. "The movie is most enjoyable — and perceptive — when it’s content to be a slice of urban life," writes EW's critic, adding that Singleton "gives you a feel for the neighborhood as an organic, close-knit community, and he shows some skill at throwaway repartee." —K.J.

Where to watch Boyz N the Hood: Netflix

EW grade: B– (read the review)

Director: John Singleton

Cast: Cuba Gooding Jr., Ice Cube, Morris Chestnut, Laurence Fishburne, Nia Long, Angela Bassett, Regina King

Related content: Boyz N the Hood director, stars look back on the groundbreaking drama

The Devil All the Time (2020)

Based on the novel by Donald Ray Pollock, The Devil All the Time features a tangled web of connections spanning the two decades post-WWII. When Arvin (Tom Holland) loses his parents (Bill Skarsgård and Haley Bennett), he moves in with his grandmother. He meets Lenora (Eliza Scanlen), who becomes an unofficial sibling to him. Nearly a decade later, Lenora is seduced by a new reverend in town (Robert Pattinson). She comes close to killing herself after she realizes that she's pregnant and the reverend denies his involvement, but changes her mind at the last second. Unfortunately, it was a second too late. This film's not for the faint of heart as it features murder, religious extremism, rape, and other sensitive topics. But with an all-star cast pulling off incredible performances, director Antonio Campos nails the adaptation. —Sammi Burke

Where to watch The Devil All the Time: Netflix

EW grade: B+ (read the review)

Director: Antonio Campos

Cast: Tom Holland, Bill Skarsgård, Riley Keough, Jason Clarke, Sebastian Stan, Haley Bennett, Eliza Scanlen, Mia Wasikowska, Robert Pattinson, Harry Melling

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Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (2019)

It's difficult to spoil the ending to Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile. If you're not already familiar with the true story of Ted Bundy (played here by Zac Efron), the film's title is unlikely to leave the quality of his character open to debate. What distinguishes director Joe Berlinger's 2019 attempt from the many other true crime retellings of this story, however, is the point of view on which the script is centered. Adapted from a memoir by Bundy's ex-girlfriend Elizabeth Kendall (Lily Collins), Extremely Wicked tracks Kendall's emotional processing of the case, starting as a girlfriend who refuses to believe her partner could be capable of committing such atrocities and ending as a new woman, finally beginning to heal. EW's critic writes of Efron's performance, "Alternately charming, belligerent, and incalculably shrewd, he captures both the shark-like charisma of Bundy and the deeply damaged man beneath." —S.B.

Where to watch Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile: Netflix

EW grade: B (read the review)

Director: Joe Berlinger

Cast: Zac Efron, Lily Collins, Kaya Scodelario, Haley Joel Osment, Jim Parsons, John Malkovich, James Hetfield

Related content: How Zac Efron survived playing Ted Bundy in Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile

Frances Ha (2012)

One of the best-known additions to the mumblecore movement that briefly invaded independent cinema during the mid-2010s, Frances Ha is also one of the most charming. Directed by Noah Baumbach and co-written by the film's star, Greta Gerwig, Frances Ha chronicles a rough period in 27-year-old aspiring dancer Frances Halladay's life. Struggling with the dissolution of one of her closest friendships, financial challenges, and difficulties with her chosen career, Frances is both unmoored and undeterred. A late-20s coming-of-age story released in 2012, Frances Ha contains some vague similarities to HBO's Girls (Adam Driver, for one), but the film offers such a high level of style, point of view, and performance as to distinguish itself from the rest of the genre. —S.B.

Where to watch Frances Ha: Netflix

EW grade: B+ (read the review)

Director: Noah Baumbach

Cast: Greta Gerwig, Mickey Sumner, Adam Driver, Michael Zegen

Related content: Frances Ha: Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach interview

I'm Thinking of Ending Things (2020)

If you're looking for structure or a linear story with a clearly defined ending, then Charlie Kaufman's I'm Thinking of Ending Things might not be the right film for you. Written and directed by Kaufman and adapted from Ian Reid's novel by the same name, the film is a psychological thriller that traffics in the surreal, shifting fluidly between narrative and free association, all grounded in excellent performances by the film's actors. Jessie Buckley stars as the Young Woman — her name and occupation changing frequently — who contemplates ending her seven-week relationship during a Thanksgiving trip to meet her new boyfriend Jake's (Jesse Plemons) parents (David Thewlis and Toni Collette) at their farmhouse. Throughout the visit, character ages change, an old janitor weaves himself in and out of the story, and a maggot-infested pig makes more than a few appearances. There is an explanation for all the absurdity — but you might not catch it on the first viewing. With the film's true premise often clouded, what audiences are left with are Kaufman's "dizzying stretches of dialogue," as EW's critic describes them. These conversations, she says, "have the quality of both earnest debate and avant-garde theater, ebbing and flowing on their own inscrutable tides." —S.B.

Where to watch I'm Thinking of Ending Things: Netflix

EW grade: B (read the review)

Director: Charlie Kaufman

Cast: Jesse Plemons, Jessie Buckley, Toni Collette, David Thewlis

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The Imitation Game (2014)

Benedict Cumberbatch has made a cottage industry of playing tortured geniuses, and this handsomely mounted biopic is one of the better demonstrations of his strength within this subgenre. Set during World War II, the film follows Alan Turing (Cumberbatch), a gifted mathematician whom MI6 tasks with cracking the Nazis' Enigma code. Turing designs an innovative machine to help decode the German messages, though he is met with numerous obstacles both professionally and personally, as he is pressured to conceal his homosexuality. Directed with "chess-match ingenuity" by Morten Tyldum, The Imitation Game was a hit with both critics and audiences, earning eight Oscar nominations including a win for Best Adapted Screenplay. —K.J.

Where to watch The Imitation Game: Netflix

EW grade: B+ (read the review)

Director: Morten Tyldum

Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode, Rory Kinnear, Charles Dance, Mark Strong

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The Impossible (2012)

Based on the harrowing experiences of one of the surviving families of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, The Impossible is a gripping testament to resilience. Naomi Watts stars as Maria, a doctor on vacation with her husband and three sons in Thailand when the tsunami hits land. The film chronicles their struggle to survive against the harsh elements and attempt to find each other after being separated. The disaster drama features powerful performances from Watts — who earned an Oscar nomination — and a young Tom Holland in his film debut. EW's critic writes, "It's agony, in a rewarding way, to squirm and cringe and groan through an ordeal so realistically re-created." —K.J.

Where to watch The Impossible: Netflix

EW grade: B+ (read the review)

Director: J.A. Bayona

Cast: Naomi Watts, Ewan McGregor, Tom Holland

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The Irishman (2019)

Longtime collaborators Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro reunited for this 2019 gangster epic, about the real-life hitman Frank Sheeran and his experiences working for the Mafia. Spanning several decades, the film tracks Frank's evolution from truck driver to trusted gunman for crime boss Russell Bufalino (Joe Pesci) and bodyguard for the infamous Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino). Despite his professional success, his home life deteriorates, particularly his relationship with his daughter. While its 209-minute runtime may be daunting, the film moves along at an entertaining clip (thanks in part to master editor Thelma Schoonmaker), and the viewer's patience is rewarded with a haunting conclusion that recontextualizes all that came before. The Irishman scored 10 Oscar nominations, and though it was criminally shut out when it came to wins, time will be kind to the film, even if it wasn't to Sheeran. —K.J.

Where to watch The Irishman: Netflix

EW grade: B+ (read the review)

Director: Martin Scorsese

Cast: Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci, Harvey Keitel, Anna Paquin, Ray Romano, Stephen Graham, Bobby Cannavale

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King Richard (2021)

While Will Smith's actions at the 2022 Oscars have arguably overshadowed the film for which he won Best Actor that night, this sports biopic is still very much worth a watch. King Richard recounts the meteoric rise of tennis superstars Venus and Serena Williams, under the tutelage of their demanding father, Richard (Smith). Featuring committed performances by Smith, Aunjanue Ellis, Saniyya Sidney, and Demi Singleton, King Richard is an earnestly told success story with an even-handed approach to its central figure's strengths and flaws. EW's critic calls it "a smart reminder that when a story is told well it can hit all the beats we know, and still somehow surprise us." —K.J.

Where to watch King Richard: Netflix

EW grade: B+ (read the review)

Director: Reinaldo Marcus Green

Cast: Will Smith, Aunjanue Ellis, Saniyya Sidney, Demi Singleton, Tony Goldwyn, Jon Bernthal

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Marriage Story (2019)

Noah Baumbach reached new heights with this bittersweet examination of a relationship in the aftermath of a breaking point. Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver star as Nicole and Charlie, artists in the entertainment industry whose amicable separation soon turns into a nasty divorce and fight for custody over their son. The film even-handedly explores the nature of relationships and societal expectations, with two fully committed performances at its center (plus a scene-stealing, Oscar-winning turn from Laura Dern as Nicole's lawyer). EW's critic calls Marriage Story "a movie that somehow makes its intimacy seem like a radical act, one messy, heart-wrecking moment at a time." —K.J.

Where to watch Marriage Story: Netflix

EW grade: A– (read the review)

Director: Noah Baumbach

Cast: Scarlett Johansson, Adam Driver, Laura Dern, Alan Alda, Ray Liotta, Julie Hagerty, Merritt Wever

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May December (2023)

Todd Haynes' mesmerizing new film defies genre, blending psychological drama and ironic satire as it unravels. Natalie Portman stars as Elizabeth, a television actress who travels to the home of Gracie (Julianne Moore) — a woman she's set to portray in a film — to study her. Gracie was tabloid fodder in the '90s for her sexual relationship with a boy named Joe, whom she met when he was 13, while she was 36 (loosely inspired by the real-life story of Mary Kay Letourneau). All these years later, the couple is married with three kids, and doing their best to leave their controversy behind them. But the arrival of Elizabeth leads a now-grown-up Joe (Charles Melton) to reexamine his relationship, while Gracie gradually becomes resentful of the actress insinuating herself into their lives. May December succeeds most as a well-observed, well-acted character study; the nature of Gracie and Joe's relationship is thorny, but so is Elizabeth's obsessive probing. Because, as the film demonstrates on both a surface and subtextual level, there's always more to the story. —K.J.

Where to watch May December: Netflix

EW grade: A– (read the review)

Director: Todd Haynes

Cast: Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore, Charles Melton

Related content: How Todd Haynes' May December channeled Mary Kay Letourneau and classic female melodramas

Melancholia (2011)

This haunting drama from provocative director Lars von Trier centers on two sisters: Justine (Kirsten Dunst), a newlywed struggling with depression, and Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg), who is anxious over the possible collision of a rogue planet with Earth. Melancholia blends multiple genres — psychological drama, science fiction, thriller — and creates something wholly unique and unforgettable. As EW's critic writes, the film is von Trier's "ecstatic magnum opus on the themes of depression, cataclysm, and the way the world might end." —K.J.

Where to watch Melancholia: Netflix

EW grade: A (read the review)

Director: Lars von Trier

Cast: Kirsten Dunst, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Alexander Skarsgård, Kiefer Sutherland, Charlotte Rampling, John Hurt

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Minari (2020)

"It grows anywhere, like weeds. So anyone can pick and eat it. Rich or poor, anyone can enjoy it and be healthy...Minari is wonderful, wonderful!" Grandmother Soon-ja (Yuh-Jung Youn) explains this to young David (Alan Kim) of the titular plant in Lee Isaac Chung's tender family drama. This proves an apt metaphor for the Yi family, Korean immigrants who are trying to get by in rural Arkansas. David's parents, Jacob (Steven Yeun) and Monica (Han Ye-ri), often squabble over work and money, leaving David under the care of Soon-ja, who doesn't act the way he thinks a grandmother should. Despite the harsh realities of their situation, Minari's strength lies in the chemistry of the cast as the family faces obstacles both big and small. "There’s great despair around them — a crumbling marriage, a flailing farm, health scares," EW's critic writes, "but in their dynamic there is joy, a sense of the future." —K.J.

Where to watch Minari: Netflix through May 22

EW grade: A– (read the review)

Director: Lee Isaac Chung

Cast: Steven Yeun, Han Ye-ri, Alan Kim, Noel Kate Cho, Yuh-Jung Youn, Will Patton

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Miss Juneteenth (2020)

One of the most underrated indie dramas of the decade so far, Miss Juneteenth is a lived-in examination of a mother and daughter's relationship as they grapple with expectations placed on them. Nicole Beharie plays Turquoise, single mother to Kai (Alexis Chikaeze), who is working multiple jobs to make ends meet. She pushes Kai to compete in the Miss Juneteenth pageant, which she won in her youth, even though her daughter expresses little interest in following in her footsteps. Featuring an impressively naturalistic turn from Beharie — who earned multiple critics' award notices for her work — Miss Juneteenth is a loving yet realistic tribute to finding one's path despite the roadblocks that inevitably pop up along the way. —K.J.

Where to watch Miss Juneteenth: Netflix

Director: Channing Godfrey Peoples

Cast: Nicole Beharie, Kendrick Sampson, Alexis Chikaeze

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Molly's Game (2017)

Generally critiqued for his struggles in writing complex female characters with agendas independent of the men with whom they work, Aaron Sorkin strikes a commendable balance with Molly’s Game, his feature directorial debut. The story follows Molly Bloom (Jessica Chastain), a young skier who, after her Olympic dreams end in injury, uses her athletically-earned gifts of confidence and composure to run an exclusive underground poker ring. Based on Molly Bloom's memoir, the film’s two-hour and 20-minute run time races past in a series of flashbacks and narration as Bloom relays her riches-to-rags story to her lawyer (Idris Elba). Fans of celebrity gossip will delight in Michael Cera's performance as an unpleasant Hollywood actor and poker enthusiast who, according to clues dropped in the movie and book, is likely Tobey Maguire. —S.B.

Where to watch Molly's Game: Netflix

EW grade: A– (read the review)

Director: Aaron Sorkin

Cast: Jessica Chastain, Idris Elba, Kevin Costner, Michael Cera, Jeremy Strong, Chris O'Dowd, Bill Camp

Related content: Jessica Chastain shows her cards on Molly's Game, poker, and Idris Elba

Moneyball (2011)

Not unlike Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) building a new roster for the Oakland Athletics, Moneyball takes a refreshingly different approach to the sports drama. The film, based on Michael Lewis' book of the same name, tells the true story of Beane and his work as general manager of the Oakland A's to reinvigorate his team during the 2002 baseball season. Faced with a limited budget, he partners up with a whizkid Yale graduate (Jonah Hill), who has developed a method for identifying undervalued players worth signing. Aaron Sorkin and Steven Zaillian's razor-sharp script breathes new life into this underdog story, with Pitt delivering one of his most nuanced performances to date. "It's a baseball drama about something novel and rich: Billy's desire not just to win but to change the game," writes EW's critic, "to take it back from the accountants and rediscover the joy of players who could still triumph by surprising you." —K.J.

Where to watch Moneyball: Netflix

EW grade: A– (read the review)

Director: Bennett Miller

Cast: Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman

Related content: Jonah Hill on Moneyball and being an underdog: 'I was at the bottom of a list of other actors you'd expect to see in this part.'

The Nest (2020)

Sean Durkin's enigmatic '80s-set drama is a masterwork of unease. An American family transplants to London for patriarch Rory's (Jude Law) new job, and, despite the promise of prosperity and happiness, soon falls into dysfunction. Rory hasn’t informed his wife, Allison (Carrie Coon), that he’s nearly broke, Allison struggles to adjust to her new life, and their new mansion home is so creaky and uninviting it may as well be haunted. Imbued with dread, The Nest is an enrapturing portrait of a marriage and a family, with two stellar performances in Law and Coon. "Durkin captures it all with a sort of menacing restraint, building a deeply disquieting mood from long, almost voyeuristic shots and loaded gazes," EW's critic observes. "Is he giving us gothic romance, domestic drama, existential horror?" —K.J.

Where to watch The Nest: Netflix

EW grade: B+ (read the review)

Director: Sean Durkin

Cast: Jude Law, Carrie Coon, Charlie Shotwell, Oona Roche, Adeel Akhtar

Related content: Carrie Coon hopes audiences can 'escape into' eerie marriage drama The Nest

The Other Boleyn Girl (2008)

While those sensitive to historical accuracy will certainly have their quibbles, The Other Boleyn Girl's strengths lie in the dual performances at its center. Natalie Portman stars as Anne Boleyn, whose attempt to woo King Henry VIII (Eric Bana) is thwarted, leading to Anne's sister Mary (Scarlett Johansson) stepping into her place. Following exile, Anne manipulates her way back into Henry's good graces, and a delicious power struggle ensues. Both Portman and Johansson are in control of their star personas here, while the film revels in all the juicy palace intrigue of its setting. As EW's critic notes, "The Other Boleyn Girl offers the pleasures you want, and expect, from a middlebrow royal-court soaper." —K.J.

Where to watch The Other Boleyn Girl: Netflix

EW grade: B (read the review)

Director: Justin Chadwick

Cast: Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson, Eric Bana, Kristin Scott Thomas, Mark Rylance, David Morrissey

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Phantom Thread (2017)

Paul Thomas Anderson's beautiful, dark, twisted love story unfolds with the precision of the urbane fashion designer at its center. Daniel Day-Lewis, in what is presumed to be his final film role, plays Reynolds Woodcock, a celebrated dressmaker in 1950s London who falls in love with Alma (Vicky Krieps), a waitress who soon becomes his muse. Though Reynolds' sister Cyril (a scene-stealing Lesley Manville) fears that Alma may be distracting him from his work, Alma proves herself equally matched with the stubborn Reynolds. With Oscar-winning costumes and a nominated score by Jonny Greenwood, Phantom Thread is a hypnotic (and shockingly honest) exploration of love and the shifting power dynamics therein. —K.J.

Where to watch Phantom Thread: Netflix

EW grade: B (read the review)

Director: Paul Thomas Anderson

Cast: Daniel Day-Lewis, Vicky Krieps, Lesley Manville

Related content: Phantom Thread star Vicky Krieps talks holding her own with Daniel Day-Lewis

The Power of the Dog (2021)

Simmering with tension, Jane Campion's moody revisionist Western is a transfixing examination of power and control — and the lengths to which a boy will go to protect his mother. Benedict Cumberbatch stars as Phil, a spiteful rancher who torments his brother's (Jesse Plemons) new wife (Kirsten Dunst) and her sensitive teenage son Peter (Kodi Smit-McPhee) against the backdrop of 1920s Montana. As Phil plays psychological mind games on his farm's new inhabitants, Peter quietly calculates how to get back at his uncle after discovering a buried secret. The widely-acclaimed drama earned a whopping 12 Oscar nominations, including acting nominations for all four central performances, with Campion becoming only the third woman to win Best Director. —K.J.

Where to watch The Power of the Dog: Netflix

EW grade: A– (read the review)

Director: Jane Campion

Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Jesse Plemons, Kirsten Dunst, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Thomasin McKenzie, Genevieve Lemon, Keith Carradine, Frances Conroy

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Sweet Girl (2021)

Killers for hire, big pharma's lies, and a touch of corporate espionage, oh my! Sweet Girl's got it all. Starring Jason Momoa as Ray, a man seeking answers and responsibility after his wife's death, Sweet Girl puts the greed of pharmaceutical companies on blast. Featuring subway stabbings, FBI ambushes, and a twist that nobody could see coming, this action-packed drama is definitely the film version of a page-turner. (A scene-flipper? Frame-forwarder? Eh, we'll work on that.) Sweet Girl received mixed critical reviews, but anything that can make your jaw drop like that is a winner in our book. —S.B.

Where to watch Sweet Girl: Netflix

Director: Brian Andrew Mendoza

Cast: Jason Momoa, Isabela Merced, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Adria Arjona, Raza Jaffrey, Justin Bartha, Lex Scott Davis, Michael Raymond-James, Amy Brenneman

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Thank You For Your Service (2017)

While numerous films have depicted the hellishness of war, sometimes the more interesting story comes from what happens when soldiers return home. Such is the case with Thank You For Your Service, which finds Miles Teller's Iraq War veteran Adam Schumann struggling to readjust to life in Kansas between his PTSD and survivor's guilt. The underrated drama, as EW's critic writes, proved "successful at capturing the Iraq War's effects on American lives," centering on the specific sense of malaise experienced by veterans coming back to a country that doesn't always provide them with the help they need to re-acclimate. —K.J.

Where to watch Thank You For Your Service: Netflix

EW grade: N/A (read the review)

Director: Jason Hall

Cast: Miles Teller, Haley Bennett, Joe Cole, Amy Schumer, Beulah Koale, Scott Haze

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To Leslie (2022)

The 2023 Oscar nominations featured high-profile favorites like Top Gun: Maverick and Avatar: The Way of Water, but Andrea Riseborough's surprise nomination for this largely unknown indie drama was one of the top stories of the day. Riseborough stars as the eponymous Leslie, a Texas woman who wastes her lottery winnings on drugs and alcohol and is now looking for a second chance, hoping to make amends with her estranged son. To Leslie had a tiny release in 2022 but was subsequently boosted by numerous celebrity endorsements for Riseborough, with the film's creative team forgoing traditional awards campaigning in favor of strong word of mouth. While the film treads a similar path as other stories about addiction, the strength of Riseborough's raw performance is more than enough to make this worth watching. —K.J.

Where to watch To Leslie: Netflix

Director: Michael Morris

Cast: Andrea Riseborough, Allison Janney, Marc Maron, Andre Royo, Owen Teague, Stephen Root

Related content: Andrea Riseborough responds to Oscar nomination criticism, says Hollywood is 'abhorrently unequal'

The Wonder (2022)

Following the Great Famine in 19th-century Ireland, British nurse Lib (Florence Pugh) is called to look after a girl who has not eaten in months, claiming to be fed with "manna from Heaven." As villagers come to be in the presence of a seemingly holy girl, Lib meets a journalist (Tom Burke) who suspects it all to be a ruse. Tackling themes of science vs. faith and family trauma, this period drama nearly tips over into gothic horror, brimming with moody atmosphere. As EW's critic notes, "The sumptuous cinematography, by Ari Wegner (The Power of the Dog, Zola), makes the landscape look like a Brönte novel, full of windswept moors and flickering, fire-lit shadows. Pugh, too, is pretty much perfectly cast, an actress with such a keen emotional presence that she tends to cut through pretense and triviality like a hot knife." —K.J.

Where to watch The Wonder: Netflix

EW grade: B (read the review)

Director: Sebastián Lelio

Cast: Florence Pugh, Kíla Lord Cassidy, Tom Burke, Niamh Algar, Elaine Cassidy, Caolán Byrne, Toby Jones, Ciarán Hinds

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