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.

Fireworks

2001. Fireworks

Crime Drama
7.7

19971h 43min

Japan

Director: Takeshi Kitano

Beleaguered police detective Nishi takes desperate measures to try and set things right in a world gone wrong. With his wife suffering from leukemia and his business partner paralyzed from a brutal gangster attack, Nishi borrows from a yakuza loan shark and then robs a bank to clear his debt.


Character

2002. Character

History Drama
7.7

19972h 2min

Belgium, Netherlands

Director: Mike van Diem

In pre-WWII Holland, the penniless, illegitimate son of a powerful bailiff sets out to become a lawyer as he spends a lifetime struggling to prove his worth to his relentlessly spiteful father.


Dreamgirls

2003. Dreamgirls

Drama Music Entertainment Industry Drama Narrative Musical
6.6

20062h 10min

United States

Director: Bill Condon

A trio of female soul singers cross over to the pop charts in the early 1960s, facing their own personal struggles along the way.

Themes

Class inequality, Labor and exploitation, Market-driven image, Artistic merit vs commercial appeal, Fame costs and resilience, Payola and manipulation

Available on

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

Last Holiday

2004. Last Holiday

Adventure Comedy Drama Globetrotting Adventure Parody
6.6

20061h 52min

United States

Director: Wayne Wang

The discovery that she has a terminal illness prompts introverted department store saleswoman Georgia Byrd to reflect on what she realizes has been an overly cautious life. With weeks to live, she withdraws her life savings, sells all her possessions and jets off to Europe where she lives it up at a posh hotel. Upbeat and passionate, Georgia charms everybody she meets, including renowned Chef Didier. The only one missing from her new life is her longtime crush Sean Matthews.

Themes

Class inequality, Romance and self-discovery, Public persona vs private life, Material indulgence, Illness and agency, Risk-taking independence

Available on

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

Take the Lead

2005. Take the Lead

Drama Music Professional Drama Dance-Centered Music Film
6.6

20061h 58min

United States

Director: Liz Friedlander

A former professional dancer volunteers to teach dance in the New York public school system and, while his background first clashes with his students' tastes, together they create a completely new style of dance. Based on the story of ballroom dancer, Pierre Dulane.

Themes

Youth mentorship in adversity, Education under pressure, Dance as social mobility, Trust and teamwork, Discipline through art, Resource constraints in schools

Available on

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

A.I. Artificial Intelligence

2006. A.I. Artificial Intelligence

Drama Science Fiction Adventure AI Sci-Fi Family Drama
7.2

20012h 26min

United Kingdom, United States

Director: Steven Spielberg

In a world where an ecological catastrophe and Earth’s overpopulation have led to strict limits on childbirth, a series of humanlike androids appears—capable of thoughts and emotions, yet tightly restricted in their rights.

Themes

Abandonment and dependency, Desire for humanity, Exploitation of sentient technology, Artificial love and belonging, Identity under replication, Precarity of autonomy

Available on

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

Gosford Park

2007. Gosford Park

Drama Mystery Thriller Whodunit Historical Drama
7.2

20012h 17min

Italy, United States

Director: Robert Altman

A group of wealthy people and celebrities gathers to unwind at a country hunting estate. Suddenly, the owner of the estate, Sir William, is found dead—and everything suggests that someone among the guests is involved.

Themes

Deception and blackmail, Master servant dynamics, Money and inheritance pressures, Dark secret and family ties, Class tensions in country estate, Appearance versus reality in high society

Available on

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

Tape

2008. Tape

Drama Entertainment Industry Drama
7.2

20011h 27min

United States

Director: Richard Linklater

Jon, a first-time filmmaker, finds himself in Lansing, Michigan to present his film at a local film festival. Vince, his high school friend who is now a volunteer fireman and small-time drug dealer, also visits the town to support Jon on his big day, or so it seems. After a raucous hello and much backslapping, it appears that there is an undercurrent of tension in the air.

Themes

Memory versus interpretation, Consent and accusation, Obsession and jealousy, Confession and consequence, Isolation in a motel room, Past versus present consequences

Available on

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

Lantana

2009. Lantana

Crime Drama Mystery Detective Mystery Crime Investigation Mystery
7.2

20012h 1min

Germany, Australia

Director: Ray Lawrence

Plagued with grief over the murder of her daughter, Valerie Somers suspects that her husband John is cheating on her. When Valerie disappears, Detective Leon Zat attempts to solve the mystery of her absence. A complex web of love, sex and deceit emerges -- drawing in four related couples whose various partners are distrustful and suspicious about each other's involvement.

Themes

Deception and betrayal, Marital strain, Family fragility, Infidelity and trust, Grief and coping, Police investigation impact

Available on

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

The Exorcism of Emily Rose

2010. The Exorcism of Emily Rose

Crime Drama Horror Thriller Legal Drama
6.7

20052h 2min

United States

Director: Scott Derrickson

In a courtroom hearing over a chilling death, the girl’s family accuses a priest of involuntary manslaughter. The defendant’s lawyer is convinced the real cause was medical negligence and sticks to that line—until disturbing details from the girl’s final days begin to surface.

Themes

Science versus faith, Public scrutiny of belief, Legal accountability of clergy, Institutional pressure, Medical explanation vs spiritual claim, Reliance on testimony and evidence

Available on

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