Watch With Us is obsessed with the drama movie offerings that Netflix has available in its streaming library.
Between buzzy Oscar contenders, daring originals, austere period pieces and beloved classics, there’s no shortage of drama films to choose from.
This month, the Watch With Us team is highlighting five of the best drama films on the platform, including the Nicolas Cage indie Pig, the moody Tom Cruise crime film Collateral and the late Scorsese masterpiece The Irishman.
Each film is ranked based on its respective IMDb score. Read below to find out if we picked any of your faves and where they rank.
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5. ‘Pig’ (2021)
A formerly renowned chef named Rob Field (Nicolas Cage) has isolated himself deep within the Oregon forests, where he lives hunting for truffles with his prized foraging pig. One night, Rob is attacked by a group of unknown assailants who take his pig from him. Rob is forced to reluctantly return to Portland in search of his friend, but it is there that he must face the trauma that he’s been running from.
Pig was a little independent gem from 2019 that received rave reviews for Cage’s performance in particular, which critics hailed as being some of the actor’s best work in years. Overall, despite the simplistic title, Pig is anything but. It’s an engaging, meditative drama about grief.
4. ‘Wind River’ (2017)
In rural Wyoming, wildlife officer Cory Lambert (Jeremy Renner) finds the body of a teenage girl on a Native American reservation. After an autopsy reveals that she was sexually assaulted, the FBI gets involved, and Lambert’s investigation is joined by agent Jane Banner (Elizabeth Olsen). Together, the duo searches for the truth, soon realizing that their lives may be at risk.
This riveting mystery-noir from Yellowstone’s Taylor Sheridan is a patient character drama with careful direction, magnetic performances and a story that will chill you as much as the film’s setting. Luring you in with the promise of a whodunit, Wind River subverts expectations through Sheridan’s unconventional directing and storytelling approach, with actors who ride right on that wavelength.
3. ‘Collateral’ (2004)
Los Angeles cabbie Max Durocher (Jamie Foxx) idles at the LAX airport after a long day, preparing to wind down when a sharp-dressed man named Vincent (Tom Cruise) hops into his cab. Vincent offers Max $600 to make five stops, and Max can’t resist making a little extra cash. But Max soon realizes he’s fallen into a dark plot — Vincent is a hitman, and each stop is one of his kills. Now, Max’s main concern is getting through the night alive.
Michael Mann’s stylish character drama features fantastic lead performances from Cruise and Foxx, with Foxx receiving particular praise for his dramatic turn after having established a comedy career. The film’s neo-noir genre is elevated by the central relationship between Max and Vincent and Mann’s always commanding, distinctive direction.
2. ‘Society of the Snow’ (2024)
Society of the Snow is based on the real-life plane crash in 1972 of a Uruguayan flight that crashed into the Andes mountains, stranding the passengers, which included members of the Old Christians Club rugby union team and their friends and family, in inhospitable conditions. The film dramatizes the events of the survivors’ desperate struggle to stay alive amidst the cruel conditions of the Andes, many of whom succumbed to starvation and freezing, while others were forced to resort to more unholy methods of survival.
Society of the Snow is not just a survival drama, but a thoughtful, bracing interrogation of faith with its philosophical screenplay, separating it from past adaptations of a famous incident. Featuring a cast of largely unknown Spanish-speaking Uruguayan and Argentine actors, the film’s powerful performances and fantastic direction from J.A. Bayona create a truly unforgettable and emotional experience.
1. ‘The Irishman’ (2019)
In 1950s Philadelphia, truck driver Frank Sheehan (Robert De Niro) begins driving shipments to a member of the Philadelphia crime family and is soon intimately involved with their dealings after being introduced to the powerful Russell Bufalino (Joe Pesci). Sheehan becomes Russell’s man, carrying out jobs and hits and rising to the top within the syndicate. When Frank is sent to Chicago to help out teamster Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino), the two form a close relationship, and the three men are soon caught in a murky web of corruption and deceit.
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Don’t let The Irishman’s three-and-a-half-hour runtime scare you away — while a decidedly patient film, anyone who has seen one of Martin Scorsese‘s other movies knows that he’s one of the best directors of all time for a reason. With an endlessly compelling script and masterful performances from three of our greatest living actors, The Irishman is a dark world that you feel compelled to get cozy in.
