Netflix got into producing original film content with the release of 2015’s Beasts of No Nation. Since then, the streamer has made a name for itself, boasting multiple nominees in the Best Picture category at the Academy Awards and attracting top talents like Martin Scorsese, Alfonso Cuarón, Jane Campion, and David Fincher. Netflix now has one of the strongest dramatic libraries in streaming, producing daring and thought-provoking films that not many other studios would try. Its offerings also include stellar efforts from other studios, thanks to several well-made arrangements over the years.
Overall, Netflix has an impressive collection of dramatic movies, making it easier for you to avoid drama while searching for something to watch. To save you some time and effort, we’ve compiled a list of the best dramas on Netflix right now.
Netflix may be a treasure trove when it comes to content, but it doesn’t have everything. Thankfully, we’ve also curated a list of the best dramas on Hulu and the best drama shows on Amazon Prime Video.
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Emily the Criminal2022 -
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Still Alice2014
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The Power of the Dog2021
Pride & Prejudice (2005)
82%
7.8/10Lady Chatterley's Lover (2022)
67%
6.6/10The Dig (2021)
73%
7.1/10Academy Award nominee Carey Mulligan and Harry Potter‘s Ralph Fiennes star opposite Lily James in the 2021 historical drama The Dig. The plot dramatizes the real-life story of Edith Pretty and Basil Brown and his 1939 excavation on her land in Sutton Hoo. Although the plot might not sound like a prime source for a compelling drama, The Dig is a rich and gorgeously-shot story about friendship, legacy, and the importance of the past. Mulligan and Fiennes are at their usual best, while Mike Eley’s cinematography perfectly captures the lush vistas of the English countryside.
Prisoners (2013)
70%
8.1/10Denis Villeneuve’s 2013 drama Prisoners is among the best thrillers of the 2010s. Jake Gyllenhaal and Hugh Jackman star as a detective and a desperate father looking into the disappearance of two young girls in Pennsylvania. With a stellar supporting cast, including Viola Davis, Melissa Leo, and Paul Dano, and Villeneuve’s assured hand behind the camera, Prisoners is a challenging and riveting mystery. The film benefits from a lingering sense of dread dominating every scene, with Jackman delivering a career-best performance in service of a thrilling and twisting story.
The Wonder (2022)
71%
6.6/10Sebastián Lelio’s 2022 period psychological drama The Wonder stars Academy Award nominee Florence Pugh. Based on the eponymous 2016 novel, the film follows an English nurse sent to a rural village to observe a young girl who has seemingly survived for months without eating. Led by a remarkable turn from Pugh and benefitting from Lelio’s atmospheric approach, The Wonder is a fascinating look at faith and prejudice that ranks as one of Netflix’s most ambitious original efforts.
The Woman King (2022)
77%
6.8/10Academy Award winner Viola Davis leads an impressive ensemble cast in Gina Prince-Bythewood’s historical epic The Woman King. Davis plays General Nanisca, the leader of an all-female group of warriors, the Agojie, tasked with protecting the kingdom of Dahomey.
As Nanisca trains the next generation of warriors, a foreign threat forces the Agojie to defend their kingdom and way of life. The Woman King received praise for its cast and action sequences, with many considering it among the best films of 2022. Unfortunately, it received no recognition from the Academy, with Davis’ snub in the Best Actress category being particularly controversial.
Carol (2015)
94%
7.2/10Acclaimed director Todd Haynes united Oscar winner Cate Blanchett and Oscar nominee Rooney Mara in the sweeping romantic drama Carol. The film follows the blossoming romance between Carol Aird, a mature woman going through a divorce, and Therese Belivet, an aspiring photographer, in 1950s New York.
Carol received universal acclaim from critics, who praised Haynes’ direction, Blanchett and Mara’s performances, and the film’s screenplay and production values. Carol often ranks among critics’ best movies of the 2010s, cementing its place as a modern classic.
Les Misérables (2012)
63%
7.5/10Tom Hooper, Oscar-winning director for The King’s Speech, brought the iconic stage musical Les Misérables to the screen in 2012. The decade-spanning epic stars Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean, a man released from prison after serving a nineteen-year sentence who seeks to reinvent himself. He becomes the guardian of an orphaned child and cares for her while being pursued by a ruthless policeman at a time of deep social unrest in 18th-century France.
Although the film’s approach to live singing received mixed reviews — Russell Crowe’s vocal prowess earned particular scorn from critics and audiences –, Les Misérables was positively reviewed, with praise for Jackman and Anne Hathaway’s performances. Both earned Oscar nominations, with Hathaway winning Best Supporting Actress.
Mudbound (2017)
85%
7.4/10Dee Rees directs the 2017 historical drama Mudbound. Set in World War II, the film centers on two veterans dealing with severe PTSD returning from the war as their families struggle with poverty in rural Mississippi. Carey Mulligan, Garrett Hedlund, Jason Clarke, and Mary J. Blige star. Mudbound received acclaim from critics, with the cast attracting near-universal praise. Blige earned considerable praise, including an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress and one for Best Original Song for the film’s theme, Mighty River.
Rocky (1976)
70%
8.1/10Sylvester Stallone wrote and starred in 1976’s Rocky, a sports drama now considered an American classic. The film follows Rocky Balboa, an Italian-American small-time club fighter who receives a once-in-a-lifetime chance to challenge the world heavyweight champion, Apollo Creed. Rocky received ten Oscar nominations and won three, including Best Picture at the 1977 Oscars. It spawned a successful Rocky franchise, including five sequels and the highly-successful Creed spin-off trilogy.
The Harder They Fall (2021)
68%
6.6/10Jeymes Samuel makes his feature directorial debut with The Harder They Fall, starring Jonathan Majors, Idris Elba, Zazie Beetz, Regina King, Delroy Lindo, and Lakeith Stanfield. The plot centers on an outlaw who reunites his gang upon realizing his long-time enemy will soon get released from prison. The Harder They Fall is among the few Westerns with an all-Black cast, with characters loosely based on real-life figures from the American West.
If Beale Street Could Talk (2018)
87%
7.1/10If Beale Streets Could Talk, Barry Jenkins’ follow-up to the Oscar-winning Moonlight, is an adaptation of James Baldwin’s 1974 novel of the same name. The film tells the story of Clementine “Tish” Rivers, a pregnant young woman on a mission to clear her lover’s name after he was wrongly accused of a crime. If Beale Street Could Talk earned three Oscar nominations at the 2019 Oscars, winning Best Supporting Actress for Regina King’s outstanding performance.
Emily the Criminal (2022)
75%
6.7/10Da 5 Bloods (2020)
82%
6.5/10Spike Lee directs an ensemble cast including Delroy Lindo — robbed of an Oscar nomination — Jonathan Majors, and the late Chadwick Boseman in Da 5 Bloods. The plot follows a group of four aging Black Vietnam veterans who return to the country to retrieve the remains of their squad leader and the gold treasure they buried during their war days.
Hustle (2022)
68%
7.3/10Roma (2018)
96%
7.7/10All Quiet on the Western Front (2022)
77%
8.1/10Still Alice (2014)
72%
7.5/10Phantom Thread (2017)
90%
7.5/10The Lost Daughter (2021)
85%
7.1/10The Power of the Dog (2021)
89%
7.7/10Passing (2021)
85%
6.6/10The Fundamentals of Caring (2016)
55%
7.3/10The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020)
76%
7.8/10Pieces of a Woman (2020)
66%
7.1/10Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2020)
87%
7.0/10Mank (2020)
79%
6.8/10Concrete Cowboy (2020)
67%
6.3/10Marriage Story (2019)
94%
7.9/10The Two Popes (2019)
75%
7.6/10The Irishman (2019)
94%
7.8/10Editors' Recommendations
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