Theaters may be dominated by blockbuster action and superhero flicks, but it’s the drama movies that define the decades and win the vast majority of awards.
The downside of dramas is that quality films don’t always find a warm reception at the box office. With rare exceptions, dramas tend to draw fewer fans into theaters. But thanks to the streaming era, it’s never been easier to find a great drama movie to watch.
Watch With Us recently selected the seven best drama movies of the 2020s so far, and ranked them from worst to first.
These are the movies that prove cinema still has a profound impact on audiences beyond a film’s box office numbers.
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7. ‘The Whale’ (2022)
Brendan Fraser was in dire need of a comeback project, and he got one in director Darren Aronofsky‘s The Whale. Fraser plays Charlie, a morbidly obese man who is deeply ashamed of what he’s become and for the way he abandoned his family years earlier. His only friends are his nurse, Liz (Hong Chau), and a missionary, Thomas (Ty Simpkins), who want to save his life and his soul, respectively.
The only thing Charlie wants to save is his relationship with his daughter, Ellie (Sadie Sink), who doesn’t hide her resentment for him. Charlie may not know how to be a good father, but he’s willing to do anything he can to bridge the emotional gap with Ellie. It just may not be enough.
The Whale is streaming on Max.
6. ‘Mank’ (2020)
Netflix let director David Fincher make some big swings with Mank, which was filmed entirely in black and white to reflect the 1930s setting. The film is largely inspired by the true story of Herman J. Mankiewicz (Gary Oldman), the screenwriter behind Orson Welles‘ Citizen Kane.
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As Herman writes the story, he finds himself in the orbit of William Randolph Hearst (Charles Dance), the media mogul who inspired Citizen Kane. He also forms a friendship with Hearst’s lover, actress Marion Davies (Amanda Seyfried), which becomes more complex once Herman gets a first-hand look at how much power Hearst truly wields in Hollywood.
Mank is streaming on Netflix.
5. ‘The Father’ (2020)
It shouldn’t be a surprise that Anthony Hopkins turned in another Oscar-winning performance for Best Actor in The Father. Hopkins remains an actor’s actor, and he’s rarely been more vulnerable than when playing Anthony, a man with severe memory problems.
Anthony refuses to let his daughter, Anne (Olivia Coleman), hire a caretaker to look after him, which causes friction with Annie’s husband, Paul (Rufus Sewell). The details are important, and viewers who watch closely will notice that people and locations tend to shift around Anthony as he finds himself trapped by his worsening dementia.
The Father is available to rent or buy on Prime Video.
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4. ‘Conclave’ (2024)
Few could have predicted that a real-life conclave would be held for a new Pope just a few months after Conclave debuted in theaters. That only deepened the impact of one of 2024’s most unexpectedly sharp dramas. In the aftermath of the Pope’s death, Cardinal Thomas Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) is called upon to convene a conclave and determine who will be the next leader of the Catholic Church.
Four primary candidates emerge, each with vastly different visions about where they want to take the church. This election is about more than just picking a winner; it’s also a referendum on the church’s future. And there are some skeletons in the closet that could cause another crisis for the church at the worst possible time.
Conclave is streaming on Prime Video.
3. ‘The Banshees of Inisherin’ (2022)
No one can break your heart like your best friend. Some aspects of The Banshees of Inisherin are darkly funny, but it still has a dramatic edge. In 1923, Colm Doherty (Brendan Gleeson) abruptly cuts his lifelong pal, Pádraic Súilleabháin (Colin Farrell), out of his life and refuses to properly explain himself. As Pádraic’s hurt feelings give way to despair and anger, Colm threatens to mutilate himself if his former friend dares to speak to him.
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Not even Pádraic’s sister, Siobhán Súilleabháin (Kerry Condon), nor their mutual friend, Dominic Kearney (Barry Keoghan), can break through the impasse between Pádraic and Colm. When the situation escalates, everyone around them will feel the consequences.
The Banshees of Inisherin is streaming on Hulu.
2. ‘The Brutalist’ (2024)
Adrien Brody is the reigning Best Actor winner thanks to his fantastic turn as László Tóth in The Brutalist. After surviving the holocaust and emigrating to America, László is unwillingly separated from his wife, Erzsébet Tóth (Felicity Jones), and his niece, Zsófia (Raffey Cassidy). He is also unable to resume his life as an architect.
Harrison Lee Van Buren (Guy Pearce) eventually recognizes László’s talent and commissions him to design an ambitious project. However, Harrison is also deeply abusive towards László, who suffers immensely while chasing his dream to once again create.
‘The Brutalist is streaming on Max.
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1. ‘Oppenheimer’ (2023)
For all of the hype surrounding the Barbenheimer phenomenon, Christopher Nolan‘s Oppenheimer transcends it as a masterpiece that will likely be remembered for decades to come. This movie won most of the major Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director for Nolan, and Best Actor for Cillian Murphy for his role as J. Robert Oppenheimer.
The narrative of the movie unfolds in a nonlinear order, including flashbacks to Oppenheimer’s college days, but the primary focus is split between two time frames. During World War II, Oppenheimer leads America’s team of scientists to assemble the atomic bomb, while in the 1950s, Rear Admiral Lewis Strauss (Robert Downey Jr.) engineers a plan to ruin Oppenheimer’s reputation. The outcome of both stories is a matter of historical record, but the film is incredibly powerful. For years to come, it’s likely to remain No. 1 on this list.
Oppenheimer is streaming on Peacock.
