Learn about the best drama movies you can watch on Netflix that will keep you hooked.
1. Netflix is the best at exciting stories;
2. Watch award-winning movies with a wide range of topics.
Netflix’s Impact on Drama Cinema
By producing a sizable number of original movies that have received positive reviews from critics and have received multiple Best Picture Academy Award nominations, Netflix has established itself as a major player in dramatic storytelling. There are also many great shows from foreign companies on the site, so there is something for everyone.
It Ends with Us (2024)
Blake Lively plays Lily Bloom, who deals with love and domestic violence in the movie It Ends with Us, which is based on Colleen Hoover’s best-selling book of the same name.
She moves to Boston and falls in love with a charming doctor. However, her high school love reappears in her life, challenging her new relationship.
The Whale
Brendan Fraser plays Charlie in The Whale. Charlie is an English teacher who lives alone and is very overweight. This moving movie shows Charlie’s fight to get back in touch with his daughter after a long separation.
Fraser’s Oscar-winning performance explores themes of regret and forgiveness.
Melancholia
In Lars von Trier’s psychological thriller, Kirsten Dunst and Charlotte Gainsbourg play sisters who are battling their emotions as a perilous planet races toward Earth.
Melancholia looks at deep issues like sadness and worry, showing how people deal with the knowledge that bad things are going to happen in different ways.
Lion
Lion is based on the true story of Saroo Brierley, played by Dev Patel, who sets out on a journey that will change his life to find his real family after being separated for 25 years.
This moving movie about the strength of love and determination has been nominated for six Academy Awards.
Schindler’s List
The movie Schindler’s List by Steven Spielberg is a work of historical fiction. It tells the story of Oskar Schindler, who goes from being a greedy businessman to a hero who saves more than 1,000 Jewish lives during the Holocaust. This movie will go down in cinema history because of Liam Neeson’s strong performance.
Out of Africa
Karen Blixen is a Danish baroness whose life changes when she goes to Kenya. Meryl Streep plays her in the movie Out of Africa.
The movie, which won seven Academy Awards, is about her complicated relationships and finding herself in a world of love and lies.
Erin Brockovich
Based on a true story, Erin Brockovich is a great movie starring Julia Roberts about a single mother who looks into how a big company messed up the water.
Because she was determined and brave, she filed a case that changed the law and showed how one person can affect a whole community.
Judy (2019)
Judy is the last part of Judy Garland’s life, and Renée Zellweger gives an amazing performance. This movie, which takes place during her 1968 tour, beautifully shows her struggles and passion, and it earned Zellweger an Academy Award for Best Actress.
I Used to Be Funny
In this drama-comedy, Rachel Sennott plays Sam, a wannabe comic with PTSD. There are two timelines in the story, which show how Sam changes emotionally as she faces her past and the mystery of a lost friend.
Sisters (2023)
In The Sisters, three brothers who have grown apart come back together when they learn that their father is dying. The movie shows how complicated family relationships can be and how painful it can be to lose someone you love.
Aftersun
Frankie Corio plays Sophie, who reflects on a trip she took with her dad Calum in this moving film. Home movies are a beautiful way to explore memory and the details of their relationship.
Carol
Carol is set in the 1950s and is about a young photographer and an older woman who are trying to start a relationship but are told they can’t because of social norms. This movie, which got great reviews, shows how complicated love and identity can be.
The Peanut Butter Falcon
In this touching story, Zak, a young man with Down syndrome, runs away with Tyler, an outlaw fisherman, to follow his wrestling dreams. The main ideas of their trip are friendship and psychological growth.
The Good Nurse
Based on real events, The Good Nurse is about a nurse named Amy Loughren who finds out about Charlie Cullen’s dark past. This exciting story looks into the bad side of healthcare and the search for justice.
Hustle
Adam Sandler plays a scout who finds a great streetball player in the movie Hustle. The movie shows how to keep going even when things get hard, which makes it an inspiring movie for sports fans.
Emily the Criminal
Aubrey Plaza plays Emily, a recent college graduate who gets involved in crime because she is having trouble paying off her debts.
This dark story deals with problems that people face in the real world and the moral difficulties of being desperate.
All Quiet on the Western Front
This movie version of Erich Maria Remarque’s book shows how scary it was for young men in World War I. The harsh facts of war are shown, making a powerful statement about the loss of youth.
The Power of the Dog
The Power of the Dog takes place on a field and looks into Phil Burbank’s mind, touching on themes of being a man and jealousy. Benedict Cumberbatch’s acting gives this interesting story more depth.
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
The issues that arise during a recording session with the well-known Ma Rainey are the main focus of this powerful movie about race and music, which stars Viola Davis. The movie shows Chadwick Boseman in his last part and talks about the problems Black artists face.
Mank
Mank talks about the steps author Herman J. Mankiewicz takes to write the story for Citizen Kane. David Fincher’s film, which depicts what went on behind the scenes in Hollywood during its Golden Age, combines fact and fiction.
Tick, Tick… Boom!
This autobiographical play starring Andrew Garfield shows how Jonathan Larson deals with his artistic goals and his relationships with other people. The movie speaks to anyone who is fighting for their dreams even when things look bad.
Phantom Thread
Phantom Thread is about Reynolds Woodcock, a seamstress, and his muse, Alma. They have a very close connection. Daniel Day-Lewis’s acting makes this story about love, desire, and creation more interesting.
Marriage Story
This film is very moving and shows a pair going through a breakup in a very real way. Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver give strong performances that make this a gripping story about love and loss.
The Two Popes
In The Two Popes, the relationship between Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis is explored as they deal with their different ideas about how the Catholic Church should be run.
This moving movie takes a deep look at faith, leadership, and getting along with others.
The Guilty
Jake Gyllenhaal plays a detective who deals with personal problems while taking calls for help. People are on the edge of their seats as he races against time to save a woman who has been kidnapped in this intense movie.
The Irishman
This epic story is about Frank Sheeran’s life as a hitman who is linked to Jimmy Hoffa’s absence. With an all-star cast, The Irishman shows how complicated organized crime has become over the years.
The Lost Daughter
Maggie Gyllenhaal’s first movie as a director is about Leda’s vacation by the sea, where she thinks about the choices she made as a mother in the past. This play shows how complicated parenting and making your own decisions can be.
The King
Timothée Chalamet plays Prince Hal, who has to accept his role as king in the midst of chaos. This historical thriller does a great job of exploring power, duty, and identity.
The Devil All the Time
This psychological thriller ties together several stories to show how hard life is for the characters in America after World War II.
Tom Holland and a group of excellent actors are the main characters in this compelling story about morals and life.
Roma
Román tells the story of Cleo, a housekeeper in Mexico City in the early 1970s. This Oscar-winning movie shows how family love and social problems can be beautiful during a time of political change.
You can find a wide range of great drama movies on Netflix, from biopics to intense stories. With such a wide range of shows, fans are sure to find stories that are interesting and connect with their own feelings and experiences.