Drama backdrop

Drama movies

Emotional and character-driven narratives that explore the complexities of the human condition and relationships.

Subgenres include: Psychological Drama, Professional Drama, Entertainment Industry Drama.

Frailty

1951. Frailty

Drama Thriller Crime Mind Game Thriller Serial Killer Crime
7.2

20021h 40min

Germany, United States

Director: Bill Paxton

Police are searching in vain for a serial killer. Meanwhile, a mysterious man comes to an FBI agent and says that his deeply religious father had visions in childhood, urging him to kill people who are, in fact, demons.

Themes

Trauma from loss, Rose garden violence, Angel influence, Family secrecy and manipulation, Religious fundamentalism control, Moral coercion and punishment

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Dirty Pretty Things

1952. Dirty Pretty Things

Crime Drama Thriller Organized Crime Psychological Drama
7.2

20021h 37min

United Kingdom, United States

Director: Stephen Frears

An undocumented immigrant finds a human heart in one of the toilets of the west London hotel where he works with other undocumented immigrants.

Themes

Illegal labor economy, Organ trade coercion, Immigrant precarity, Asylum seeking tension, Passport deception, Illegal hotel operation

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Amen.

1953. Amen.

Drama History Historical Drama Biographical History
7.2

20022h 12min

France, Germany

Director: Costa-Gavras

Kurt Gerstein—a member of the Institute for Hygiene of the Waffen-SS—is appalled to discover that a poison gas he helped discover is being used to kill Jews. Driven by his conscience to alert the rest of the world, Gerstein teams up with a young Jesuit priest, Riccardo Fontana, but their protestations fall on deaf ears in the Vatican.

Themes

Conscience versus authority, Concentration camp repression, Doctor complicity under pressure, Vatican restraint, Yellow badge visibility, Pope appeal and silence

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Knockin' on Heaven's Door

1954. Knockin' on Heaven's Door

Comedy Crime Action Drama
7.8

19971h 29min

Germany

Director: Thomas Jahn

Two young men, Martin and Rudi, both suffering from terminal cancer, get to know each other in a hospital room. They drown their desperation in tequila and decide to take one last trip to the sea. Drunk and still in pajamas they steal the first fancy car they find, a 60's Mercedes convertible. The car happens to belong to a bunch of gangsters, which immediately start to chase it, since it contains more than the pistol Martin finds in the glove box.


12 Angry Men

1955. 12 Angry Men

Drama TV Movie
7.8

19971h 57min

United States

Director: William Friedkin

During the trial of a man accused of his father's murder, a lone juror takes a stand against the guilty verdict handed down by the others as a result of their preconceptions and prejudices.


Ghost World

1956. Ghost World

Comedy Drama Coming-of-Age Drama Dark Comedy
7.3

20011h 51min

United Kingdom, United States

Director: Terry Zwigoff

Two quirky, cynical teenaged girls try to figure out what to do with their lives after high school graduation. After they play a prank on an eccentric, middle aged record collector, one of them befriends him, which causes a rift in the girls’ friendship.

Themes

Friendships among outcasts, Post high school aimlessness, Social exclusion and envy, Art as social commentary, Longing for belonging, Manipulation and consequences, Authenticity vs performance

Available on

Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Video
Apple TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Sexy Beast

1957. Sexy Beast

Crime Thriller Drama Heist Domestic Thriller
7.3

20011h 29min

Spain, United Kingdom

Director: Jonathan Glazer

Ex-safecracker Gal Dove has served his time behind bars and is blissfully retired to a Spanish villa paradise with a wife he adores. The idyll is shattered by the arrival of his nemesis Don Logan, intent on persuading Gal to return to London for one last big job.

Themes

Deception and betrayal, Loyalty vs coercion, Power dynamics in crime, Retirement under threat, Fear and manipulation, Violence as leverage

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Son's Room

1958. The Son's Room

Drama Tragic Drama
7.3

20011h 39min

Italy, France

Director: Nanni Moretti

A psychoanalyst and his family go through profound emotional trauma when their son dies in a scuba diving accident.

Themes

Grief and mourning, Therapist boundaries, Scuba diving danger, Fossil as catalyst, Family conflict under stress, Jogging routine disruption

Available on

Amazon Video
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Read My Lips

1959. Read My Lips

Crime Drama Romance Thriller Relationship Drama
7.3

20011h 55min

France

Director: Jacques Audiard

She is almost deaf and she lip-reads. He is an ex-convict. She wants to help him. He thinks no one can help except himself.

Themes

Class inequality, Unconventional partnership, Resilience through collaboration, Deception in crime, Workplace disrespect, Lip-reading as agency

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

His Secret Life

1960. His Secret Life

Drama Romance Passionate Romance Relationship Drama
7.3

20011h 46min

France, Italy

Director: Ferzan Özpetek

When Antonia's husband Massimo is killed in a car accident, she accidentally discovers that he has been having a same-sex affair with a produce wholesaler named Michele.

Themes

Family strain, Social expectations, Hidden desire, Marital fidelity, Sexual identity, Public vs private

Available on

Disney Plus
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.