Summary

• The best drama movies on Netflix showcase a wide range of stories, from true tragedies to triumphs, highlighting the best and worst of humanity.
• These movies feature acclaimed actors like Gary Oldman and Tom Hanks, as well as renowned filmmakers such as David Fincher and Paul Thomas Anderson.
• From period pieces to modern relatable stories, these drama movies offer compelling and impactful narratives that are worth watching and sharing.

The best drama movies on Netflix represent some of the most acclaimed and influential works in modern Hollywood. The drama genre can sometimes elicit a negative reaction from audiences as there is a tendency to look at it as overly emotional, hard-hitting, and intimate movies. While this can certainly be true, there is an impressive versatility to what movies can fit into this category. Netflix's extensive library of movies, both curated content and original Netflix projects, showcases the versatility drama movies can have while still delivering impactful stories.

Among this diverse collection of movies, there are incredible true stories of harrowing tragedies and great triumphs. There are stories about the worst and the best of humanity. There are also movies from some of the greatest modern filmmakers of all time, like Paul Thomas Anderson and David Fincher, as well as some of the biggest names like Tom Hanks and Daniel Day-Lewis. From period pieces to modern relatable stories, these great drama movies on Netflix highlight compelling stories worth sharing.

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15 Mank (2020)

The Story Of The Man Who Wrote Citizen Kane

Director David Fincher delivered this Best Picture nominee about the making of one of the greatest movies of all time. Gary Oldman stars in Mank as Herman Mankiewicz, the screenwriter behind Orson Welles' Citizen Kane. The movie, written by Fincher's late father, is an entertaining, funny, and eye-opening look at the Hollywood story from an untold perspective.

It puts many of the famous players in the story in a new light while being brought to life by Fincher's typically beautiful direction. Oldman earned an Oscar nomination for his performance while Amanda Seyfried earned her first nomination for her role as actress Marion Davies.

14 Legends Of The Fall (1994)

A Love Triangle Forms Between Brothers And Their Widowed Sister-In-Law

Among the great Westerns on Netflix available now, Legends of the Fall stands out as an epic family story. The movie follows three brothers living on their father's ranch. When one of them dies in the war, the other two find themselves in a love triangle with his alluring widow.

It is a sweeping, throwback romance movie that feels like something out of Old Hollywood.

The movie helped to cement Brad Pitt as the heartthrob of the 1990s while the sweeping, romantic nature of the movie feels like something out of Old Hollywood. It is a sweeping, throwback romance movie that feels like something out of Old Hollywood.

13 Darkest Hour (2017)

Winston Churchhill Contends With An Approaching War

Gary Oldman gives another transformative performance, taking on the daunting task of playing Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour. The movie follows Churchill becoming Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and attempting to lead his country away from a negotiation with Adolf Hitler and continue to fight in World War II.

Oldman's performance renders him unrecognizable and it resulted in the acclaimed actor earning an Oscar for Best Actor. It is a thrilling look at one of the darkest moments in modern history and one of the most interesting figures involved.

12 ing (2021)

Two Black Women Pose As White Women In The 1920s

The captivating period piece ing marks a powerful directorial debut from Rebecca Hall. Set in 1920s New York City, the movie stars Tessa Thompson as a woman who reunites with a childhood friend (Ruth Negga), each of them sharing an ability to hide among the wealthy upper-class white society by ing as white.

The movie is a fascinating and complex look at race uniquely. It is also elevated by wonderful performances from Thompson and Negga.

11 The Lost Daughter (2022)

A Woman Becomes Entangled With A Young Family On Vacation

Oscar-nominated actor Maggie Gyllenhaal makes a stunning directorial debut with the Netflix drama The Lost Daughter. Olivia Colman stars as a woman who takes a trip to a Greek island where she is drawn into the lives of another family vacationing there. Soon, she is forced to confront her own unsettled past.

It is a captivating and stirring drama with an intelligent and insightful script by Gyllenhaal.

The movie features an incredible cast with Colman leading an ensemble of Dakota Johnson, Paul Mescal, and Jessie Buckley in an Oscar-nominated role. It is a captivating and stirring drama with an intelligent and insightful script by Gyllenhaal.

10 Beasts Of No Nation (2015)

The Story Of A Child Soldier In An Unnamed African Nation

Beasts of No Nation is one of the first Netflix Original movies that earned a strong reaction from both critics and viewers, and it remains a powerful entry in their catalog. Inspired by a true story, it tells the tale of a young boy living in an unnamed African country who is abducted and brainwashed into becoming a child soldier.

The movie is a brutal and painful look at the horrors that happen in real life yet which most audiences could never imagine. It also features a strong and sinister performance from Idris Elba as the leader of the child soldier army.

9 Hustle (2022)

An NBA Coach Bets On An Unexpected Talent

There have been several Adam Sandler sports movies, but Hustle trades in the goofy and fun humor for a grounded and inspiring story. Sandler plays an NBA scout looking to find the next great talent that will pull him off the road and put him behind a bench.

Sandler continues to prove himself a terrific actor with another charming and authentic performance

He finds his answers with a street ball player (Juancho Hernangonez) from Spain, leading them both to risk everything to follow a shared dream. Sandler continues to prove himself a terrific actor with another charming and authentic performance while the movie itself strikes a fine balance between sports story and character drama.

8 Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2020)

The Legendary And Eccentric Blues Singer Records An Album

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom is an adaptation of an August Wilson play that wonderfully captures the energy and engrossing nature of the writer's words. Set in 1927, the entire movie takes place during a recording session for Ma Rainey (Viola Davis) a blues singer who challenged the industry run by white people.

Davis gives yet another powerful performance and leads an amazing ensemble filled with great players. However, it is Chadwick Boseman in his final onscreen performance who steals the show as the ambitious trumpet player with dreams of his own. The movie is a vibrant and compelling story despite its small setting.

7 Captain Phillips (2012)

A Captain Is Taken Hostage On The High Seas

Of the many real people Tom Hanks has played, Captain Phillips provides him with one of the most riveting roles. Hanks plays the titular Phillips, the captain of a cargo ship that pirates take over. In an effort to save his crew, he agrees to be taken hostage by the pirates, putting his life on the line.

Hanks gives a grounded and visceral performance as this man is thrown into an incomprehensible and terrifying situation. Barkhad Abdi steals the show as the desperate yet ruthless leader of the pirates in a role that earned him an Oscar nomination.

6 Trial Of The Chicago 7 (2020)

A Fiery Protest Leads To A Momentous Court Case

Trial of the Chicago 7 is based on the true story of the aftermath of a protest against the Vietnam War during the Democratic National Convention in 1968. An all-star cast brings this Aaron Sorkin courtroom drama to life as the defendants are put through a politically minded trial filled with its own brand of injustice.

With the likes of Eddie Redmayne, Sacha Baron Cohen, Michael Keaton, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II delivering excellent performances, it is a sharply written and engrossing legal story with plenty of relevancy today.