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.

Harsh Times

1961. Harsh Times

Crime Drama Thriller Action Organized Crime
6.8

20051h 56min

United States

Director: David Ayer

Jim Davis is an ex-Army Ranger who finds himself slipping back into his old life of petty crime after a job offer from the LAPD evaporates. His best friend is pressured by his girlfriend Sylvia to find a job, but Jim is more interested in hanging out and making cash from small heists, while trying to get a law enforcement job so he can marry his Mexican girlfriend.

Themes

Deception and manipulation, Loyalty under pressure, Risk and consequence, Economic desperation pushes crime, Military past shaping behavior, Ptsd-driven violence

Available on

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

Rent

1962. Rent

Drama Romance Tragic Drama Passionate Romance
6.8

20052h 15min

United States

Director: Chris Columbus

In New York City's gritty East Village, a group of bohemians strive for success and acceptance while enduring the obstacles of poverty, illness and the AIDS epidemic.

Themes

Poverty drives art, Illness tests relationships, Drug use complicates trust, Eviction threats fuel protest, Community resilience under pressure, Lgbt visibility under scrutiny

Available on

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

Oliver Twist

1963. Oliver Twist

Crime Drama Family Organized Crime Family Drama
6.8

20052h 10min

Czechia, France

Director: Roman Polanski

When 9-year-old orphan Oliver Twist dares to ask his cruel taskmaster, Mr. Bumble, for a second serving of gruel, he's hired out as an apprentice. Escaping that dismal fate, young Oliver falls in with the street urchin known as the Artful Dodger and his criminal mentor, Fagin. When kindly Mr. Brownlow takes Oliver in, Fagin's evil henchman Bill Sikes plots to kidnap the boy.

Themes

Class inequality, Loyalty under pressure, Poverty-driven crime, Authority and mercy, Coercion and manipulation, Exploitation of orphans

Available on

Fandango At Home
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Upside of Anger

1964. The Upside of Anger

Comedy Drama Family Drama Buddy Comedy
6.8

20051h 58min

United States, Germany

Director: Mike Binder

After her husband runs off with his secretary, Terry Wolfmeyer is left to fend for herself -- and her four daughters. As she hits rock bottom, Terry finds a friend and drinking buddy in next-door neighbor Denny, a former baseball player. As the two grow closer, and her daughters increasingly rely on Denny, Terry starts to have reservations about where their relationship is headed.

Themes

Intergenerational conflict, Parental absence, Romance under scrutiny, Family disruption, Drinking as coping, Adult choices vs tradition

Available on

Google Play Movies
YouTube
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Chumscrubber

1965. The Chumscrubber

Comedy Drama Dark Comedy Relationship Drama
6.8

20051h 48min

United States, Germany

Director: Arie Posin

The Chumscrubber is a dark comedy about the lives of people who live in upper-class suburbia. It all begins when Dean Stiffle finds the body of his friend, Troy. He doesn't bother telling any of the adults because he knows they won't care. Everyone in town is too self consumed to worry about anything else than themselves. And everybody is on some form of drug just to get through their days.

Themes

Private grief under scrutiny, Suburban malaise and deceit, Suburb pressure, Public rituals and private pain, Social tension and masks, Child kidnapping

Available on

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

Dreamer: Inspired By a True Story

1966. Dreamer: Inspired By a True Story

Drama Family Family Drama Parent-Child Family
6.8

20051h 46min

United States

Director: John Gatins

Ben Crane believes that a severely injured racehorse deserves another chance. He and his daughter Cale adopt the mare and save it from being sacrificed by the owner.

Themes

Family pressure under hardship, Infertility as obstacle, Duty to care animals, Generational bonding through work, Trust and responsibility conflict, Financial strain by caregiving

Available on

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

High Fidelity

1967. High Fidelity

Drama Comedy Romance Music Romantic Comedy
7.4

20001h 53min

United Kingdom, United States

Director: Stephen Frears

After his long-time girlfriend dumps him, a thirty-year-old record store owner seeks to understand why he is unlucky in love while recounting his "top five breakups of all time".

Themes

Insecurity in relationships, Fear of commitment, Deception in relationships, Top five fixation, Artistic identity vs romance, Music culture influence

Available on

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

Malena

1968. Malena

Drama Coming-of-Age Drama
7.4

20001h 48min

Italy, United States

Director: Giuseppe Tornatore

During WWII, a teenage boy discovering himself becomes love-stricken by Malèna, a sensual woman living in a small, narrow-minded Italian town.

Themes

Rumor fueled reputation, Gendered double standards, World war ii stigma, Economic precarity and survival, Sex trafficking consequences, Social reintegration pressures

Available on

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

Together

1969. Together

Drama Comedy Romance Family Drama Feel-Good Romance
7.4

20001h 46min

Denmark, Italy

Director: Lukas Moodysson

Elisabeth leaves her abusive and drunken husband Rolf, and goes to live with her brother, Göran. The year is 1975 and Göran lives in a commune called Together. Living in this leftist commune Elisabeth learns that the world can be viewed from different perspectives.

Themes

Power dynamics in relationships, Leftist communal living, Ideological debates vs daily life, Gender and sexuality boundaries, Loneliness within collectives, Abuse and resilience

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
AMC+ Amazon Channel
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Young nurse Sissi lives a secluded life entirely devoted to her patients at Birkenhof asylum. Her first encounter with ex-soldier and drifter Bodo has a lasting impact. He causes an accident in which he provides first aid, Sissi wonders if he may be the man of her dreams. But when she finds him weeks later she is rejected, as Bodo is stuck somewhere between a traumatic past and a criminal future.

Themes

Trauma and memory, Care under pressure, Haunted past, Loyalty under crime, Pursuit and rescue, Longing amid hardship

Available on

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