Last updated March 2024
Want to watch Best Drama Movies 2012 that make an impression? We assembled 30 marvelous Best Drama Movies 2012 adored by IMDB and our own exacting user community. Available for instant viewing, these rave-worthy titles qualify as downright sensational. Lend a hand to fellow viewers by voting up the Best Drama Movies 2012 you feel are keepers. We appreciate members who take the extra time to highlight elite content!
Django Unchained (2012)
Plot Summary:
With the help of a German bounty hunter, a freed slave sets out to rescue his wife from a brutal Mississippi plantation owner
Duration: 165 min
IMDB Rating: 8.5/10
IMDB Votes: 17000000
Genere: Drama, Western
Country: USA
Plot tags: slavery, racism, revenge, violent, bounty hunter, old west, vengeance, african american, dark humor, gunfight, racial violence, slave, society, gory, one against many, shootout, brutality, racial stereotype, racial slur, hitman, freedom, friendship, courage, rescue, torture
The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Plot Summary:
Following the death of District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman assumes responsibility for Dent's crimes to protect the late attorney's reputation and is subsequently hunted by the Gotham City Police Department. Eight years later, Batman encounters the mysterious Selina Kyle and the villainous Bane, a new terrorist leader who overwhelms Gotham's finest. The Dark Knight resurfaces to protect a city that has branded him an enemy
Duration: 164 min
IMDB Rating: 8.4/10
IMDB Votes: 18000000
Genere: Action, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA, UK
Plot tags: superhero, batman, heroes, good versus evil, secret identity, double life, chaos and mayhem, terrorism, villainess, motorcycle, self sacrifice, terrorist plot, revenge, anger, comic book, plot twist, criminal underworld, disguise, femme fatale, twists and turns, captain, hallucination, bravery, waterfall, motorcycle chase
The Hunt (2012)
Plot Summary:
A teacher lives a lonely life, all the while struggling over his son’s custody. His life slowly gets better as he finds love and receives good news from his son, but his new luck is about to be brutally shattered by an innocent little lie
Duration: 115 min
IMDB Rating: 8.3/10
IMDB Votes: 355000
Genere: Drama
Country: Denmark, Sweden
Plot tags: injustice, life turned upside down, child abuse, false accusation, divorce, social injustice, social relations, pedophile, parents and children, teacher, church, friendship between men, punched in the face, witch hunt, christmas eve, deer, gossip, society, psychology, human nature, gossip and rumors, dishonesty, nordic, great ending, father son relationship
Shahid (2012)
Plot Summary:
This compelling drama tells the remarkable true story of slain human rights activist Shahid Azmi, who became a powerful voice against the intercommunal violence that has engulfed Mumbai since the early 1990s
Duration: 129 min
IMDB Rating: 8.2/10
IMDB Votes: 17000
Genere: Biography, Drama
Country: India
Plot tags: human rights, muslim, legal, terrorist, lawyer, courtroom, false arrest, life is a bitch, society, civil rights, injustice, social activist, hopes, religions or cults, indians, motivation, islam, justice, death of protagonist, hindu, activist, prejudice, dying, judgment, law
Ustad Hotel (2012)
Plot Summary:
Ustad Hotel is a quaint place run by a foodie named Kareem, who is fondly called Ustad, on a beach in Kozhikode. He sells biriyani – not to make money but to ensure that his biriyani has his customers Faizie's stay in Kozhikode continues for a bit longer than what he had anticipated and during his stay with his grandfather, Faizie unearths a real world that exists beyond the sea and its shores. The film is about the bonding between Faizi and his grandfather and how a few days with his grandfather and Ustad Hotel changes his life for ever
Duration: 151 min
IMDB Rating: 8.2/10
IMDB Votes: 16000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: India
Plot tags: chef, food, hotel, muslim, business, land grab, debt, father son relationship, hotel manager, widower, loss of wife, eviction, ambition, cooking, businessman, direction and purpose, aspiration, lifestyle change, ambitious man, cooking and food, rape, art, father, entrepreneurship, humanity
It's Such a Beautiful Day (2012)
Plot Summary:
Bill struggles to put together his shattered psyche, in this new feature film version of Don Hertzfeldt's animated short film trilogy
Duration: 62 min
IMDB Rating: 8.2/10
IMDB Votes: 15000
Genere: Animation, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA
Plot tags: surrealism, illness, mental health, mental illness, dark humor, nightmare, hospital, divorced parents, narration, death, loneliness, depression, destiny, life & death, existentialism, introspection, obsession, art, imagination, self discovery, direction and purpose, hopes, trippy, conversation, love
Gangs of Wasseypur (2012)
Plot Summary:
Shahid Khan is exiled after impersonating the legendary Sultana Daku in order to rob British trains. Now outcast, Shahid becomes a worker at Ramadhir Singh's colliery, only to spur a revenge battle that passes on to generations. At the turn of the decade, Shahid's son, the philandering Sardar Khan vows to get his father's honor back, becoming the most feared man of Wasseypur
Duration: 321 min
IMDB Rating: 8.2/10
IMDB Votes: 102000
Genere: Action, Comedy, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: India, France
Plot tags: gangster, revenge, organized crime, macabre, brutality, greed, small town, mafia, abuse, killings, rivalry, dishonesty, uninhibited rivalry, blood, storytelling, violence, murder, bad guy wins, asian gangster, twists and turns, depression, death, graphic violence, wartime, bad guy
Barfi! (2012)
Plot Summary:
He is cute. He's shrewd. The girls love him. The cops hate him. He can't speak but is always talked about. His naughty antics will make you scream, but he will never listen. Cos he can't! Next summer ride a rollercoaster of emotions with Barfii - the Chalu Chaplin!
Duration: 151 min
IMDB Rating: 8.1/10
IMDB Votes: 86000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: India
Plot tags: mute or deaf, true love, autism, love, love and romance, beautiful scenery, lovers, love triangle, loneliness, wedding, destiny, happy ending, young woman, society, young man, heartwarming, bittersweet, deaf, hindu, wedding planning, love story, relationships, motivation, railway, meditation
Wolf Children (2012)
Plot Summary:
After her werewolf lover unexpectedly dies in an accident, a woman must find a way to raise the son and daughter that she had with him. However, their inheritance of their father's traits prove to be a challenge for her
Duration: 117 min
IMDB Rating: 8.1/10
IMDB Votes: 48000
Genere: Animation, Drama, Family, Fantasy
Country: Japan
Plot tags: werewolf, childhood, parents and children, children, single mother, wolf, female werewolf, death of father, supernatural, family relations, wilderness, school, friendship, breast feeding, social relations, human becomes animal, furry, transformation, love, self discovery, heartwarming, nature, coming of age, brother sister relationship, mother daughter relationship
OMG: Oh My God! (2012)
Plot Summary:
A shopkeeper takes God to court when his shop is destroyed by an earthquake
Duration: 125 min
IMDB Rating: 8.1/10
IMDB Votes: 64000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
Country: India
Plot tags: lawyer, satire, supernatural, down on your luck, against the odds, hopes, religions or cults, atheist, legal action, social relations, righting the wronged, earthquake, priest, judge, hindu, religious, revenge, afterlife, bureaucracy, judgment, trial, innovation, criticism of religion, media, legal
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1 (2012)
Plot Summary:
Batman has not been seen for ten years. A new breed of criminal ravages Gotham City, forcing 55-year-old Bruce Wayne back into the cape and cowl. But, does he still have what it takes to fight crime in a new era?
Duration: 76 min
IMDB Rating: 7.9/10
IMDB Votes: 62000
Genere: Animation, Action, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA
Plot tags: batman, superhero, vigilantism, comic book, revenge, good versus evil, gang, heroic mission, mortal combat, undercover, rivalry, comeback, middle aged, fighting crime, master villain, distopia, violent, villain, psychiatrist, fight, violence, murder, brutality, chase, blood
Life of Pi (2012)
Plot Summary:
The story of an Indian boy named Pi, a zookeeper's son who finds himself in the company of a hyena, zebra, orangutan, and a Bengal tiger after a shipwreck sets them adrift in the Pacific Ocean
Duration: 127 min
IMDB Rating: 7.9/10
IMDB Votes: 658000
Genere: Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
Country: USA, Taiwan, UK, Canada, India, France
Plot tags: survival, ocean, animal, stranded, human animal relationship, life & death, life, hopes, survivor, beautiful scenery, lost at sea, human nature, storm at sea, journey, storytelling, sea, loneliness, tiger, starvation, ship, teenage boy, hyena, hinduism, courage, death
Amour (2012)
Plot Summary:
Georges and Anne are in their eighties. They are cultivated, retired music teachers. Their daughter, who is also a musician, lives abroad with her family. One day, Anne has a stroke, and the couple's bond of love is severely tested
Duration: 127 min
IMDB Rating: 7.9/10
IMDB Votes: 105000
Genere: Drama
Country: Austria, France, Germany
Plot tags: elderly, aging, death, old couple, life & death, elderly lovers, husband wife relationship, life philosophy, illness, love, family relations, old age, daughter, old love, character study, supportive spouse, nursing, fighting illness, family problems, dignity, disability, generation gap, loss of spouse, relationships, depression
The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)
Plot Summary:
A coming-of-age story based on the best-selling novel by Stephen Chbosky, which follows 15-year-old freshman Charlie, an endearing and naive outsider who is taken under the wings of two seniors. A moving tale of love, loss, fear and hope - and the unforgettable friends that help us through life
Duration: 103 min
IMDB Rating: 7.9/10
IMDB Votes: 539000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Plot tags: coming of age, high school, teenager, adolescence, first love, friendship, youth, high school life, suicide, mental illness, teenage life, shyness, introvert, teenage girl, gay, teenage love, depression, friends, bullying, lgbt, dating, love and romance, classmate, naivete, crush
Ernest & Celestine (2012)
Plot Summary:
Celestine is a little mouse trying to avoid a dental career; Ernest is a big bear craving an artistic outlet. When Celestine meets Ernest, they overcome their natural enmity by forging a life of crime together
Duration: 80 min
IMDB Rating: 7.8/10
IMDB Votes: 22000
Genere: Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Crime, Drama, Family, Fantasy
Country: France, Belgium, Luxembourg
Plot tags: prejudice, friendship, mouse, bear, anthropomorphic animal, goodhearted, unlikely friendships, odd couple, supportive friend, racial prejudice, friends, animal, fighting the system, animal life, showdown, stop motion, european, anthropomorphism, coping, society, social problems, problem solving, ethnic conflict, social relations, cartoon mouse
Moonrise Kingdom (2012)
Plot Summary:
Set on an island off the coast of New England in the summer of 1965, Moonrise Kingdom tells the story of two twelve-year-olds who fall in love, make a secret pact, and run away together into the wilderness. As various authorities try to hunt them down, a violent storm is brewing off-shore – and the peaceful island community is turned upside down in more ways than anyone can handle
Duration: 94 min
IMDB Rating: 7.8/10
IMDB Votes: 364000
Genere: Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Family, Fantasy, Romance
Country: USA
Plot tags: children, coming of age, adolescence, camp, island, first love, boy scout, orphan, youth, search party, summer camp, journey, social misfits, childhood, small town sheriff, camping, young love, childhood sweetheart, dysfunctional family, boy, lovers on the run, teenage love, letter, scout, misfit
English Vinglish (2012)
Plot Summary:
ENGLISH VINGLISH is the story of a woman who does not know English and is made to feel insecure by her family and society at large. Circumstances make her determined to overcome this insecurity, master the language, and teach the world a lesson on the way to becoming a self assured and confident woman
Duration: 134 min
IMDB Rating: 7.8/10
IMDB Votes: 39000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Family
Country: India
Plot tags: self fulfillment, self esteem, language learning, unsupportive spouse, housewife, family life, teachers and students, self discovery, fish out of water, language barrier, family relations, humiliation, doubts and hesitations, misfit, friendship, urban, women, feminist, hindu, meaning of life, violence against women, moving, mother daughter relationship, social differences, culture
Nanban (2012)
Plot Summary:
The plot of the film illustrates the embankment of two friends on a quest for a lost buddy, who was once an optimistic and successful student. On their journey, they recount their college life and special moments that the three shared up until their lost friend secretly parted ways after convocation. During their quest, the two encounter a rival classmate who once made a long forgotten bet with them, a funeral that goes impossibly out of control, and a wedding they must crash
Duration: 188 min
IMDB Rating: 7.8/10
IMDB Votes: 16000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: India
Plot tags: friendship, college, student, teachers and students, fall in love, coming of age, old friend, college life, professor, buddies, free spirited, education, friends, love and romance, student life, rebellion, geek, rebelliousness, anti conformity, nothing to lose, supportive friend, power relations, friend, suicide attempt, tamil
The Broken Circle Breakdown (2012)
Plot Summary:
The loss of their young daughter threatens to destroy the love and faith of two married musicians
Duration: 111 min
IMDB Rating: 7.7/10
IMDB Votes: 43000
Genere: Drama, Music, Romance
Country: Belgium, Netherlands
Plot tags: grief, terminal illness, depression, relationships, love story, love, cancer, musician, character study, honest, mental illness, parenthood, life philosophy, tragic event, loss of daughter, coping, love affair, family problems, acceptance, fighting illness, dying, couple relations, music, passion, melancholy
Argo (2012)
Plot Summary:
As the Iranian revolution reaches a boiling point, a CIA 'exfiltration' specialist concocts a risky plan to free six Americans who have found shelter at the home of the Canadian ambassador
Duration: 120 min
IMDB Rating: 7.7/10
IMDB Votes: 633000
Genere: Biography, Drama, Thriller
Country: UK, USA
Plot tags: cia, secret agent, secret mission, rescue mission, politics, u.s. embassy, espionage, revolution, hostage, spy, propaganda, american abroad, danger, escape, biopic, culture clash, terrorism, conspiracy, secrets, filmmaking, daring rescue, false identity, firing squad, escapades, hidden identity
Eega (2012)
Plot Summary:
Nani is a flower decorator, madly in love with his neighbor Bindhu. He gets killed by the baddie, Sudeep, a powerful businessman. Nani comes back as a housefly to get his revenge
Duration: 145 min
IMDB Rating: 7.7/10
IMDB Votes: 27000
Genere: Action, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
Country: India
Plot tags: reincarnation, afterlife, love triangle, vengeance, love and romance, jealousy, murder, terrorizing, human becomes animal, revenge, interspecies romance, accident, fashion, torture, retribution, feminist, tragic love, rivalry, male female relationship, hostage negotiator, car crash, talking animal, traffic accident, imaginary, millionaire
Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
Plot Summary:
After spending eight months in a mental institution, a former teacher moves back in with his parents and tries to reconcile with his ex-wife
Duration: 122 min
IMDB Rating: 7.7/10
IMDB Votes: 734000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Plot tags: mental illness, bipolar disorder, love, family drama, depression, life philosophy, adaptation, social misfits, supportive parent, male female friendship, father son relationship, happy ending, psychology, young widow, mentally unstable, dysfunctional family, unhappy marriage, adultery, restraining order, husband wife relationship, extramarital affair, superstition, mental breakdown, promiscuous past, unfaithful wife
Berserk: The Golden Age Arc II - The Battle for Doldrey (2012)
Plot Summary:
The Band of the Hawk participates in the Midland war campaign. On the bloody battlefield, they conquer decisive victories that lead them to Doldrey, an old fortress that will decide the outcome of the war
Duration: 95 min
IMDB Rating: 7.7/10
IMDB Votes: 12000
Genere: Animation, Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Horror
Country: Japan
Plot tags: battles, danger, one against many, vengeance, good versus evil, rivalry, imaginary, female warrior, heroes, escapades, demon, military, supernatural, master warrior, uninhibited rivalry, curses spells and rituals, fight, king, violence, female nudity, torture, warrior, memory, duel, desperation
The Body (2012)
Plot Summary:
A woman’s body disappears mysteriously from the morgue without a trace. Police inspector Jaime Peña investigates the strange occurrence with the help of Álex Ulloa, the widower of the missing woman
Duration: 112 min
IMDB Rating: 7.6/10
IMDB Votes: 71000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Spain
Plot tags: twists and turns, murder, investigation, uncover truth, missing person, adulterous husband, morgue, vengeance, infidelity, adultery, mistress, haunted by the past, disappearance, car accident, spouse killer, whodunit, murder mystery, plot twist, manipulative person, unfaithful husband, bossy wife, loss of wife, deception, extramarital affair, psychological manipulation
End of Watch (2012)
Plot Summary:
Two young officers are marked for death after confiscating a small cache of money and firearms from the members of a notorious cartel during a routine traffic stop
Duration: 109 min
IMDB Rating: 7.6/10
IMDB Votes: 264000
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Plot tags: latinos, gang member, police, street gang, cop, police officer, found footage, gunfight, friendship, brutality, cop as target, urban ghetto, organized crime, gangster, shooting, lapd, gang war, police partner, police investigation, profanity, gang, law enforcement, rookie, policewoman, surveillance
Laurence Anyways (2012)
Plot Summary:
The story of an impossible love between a woman named Fred and a transgender woman named Laurence who reveals her inner desire to become her true self: a woman
Duration: 168 min
IMDB Rating: 7.6/10
IMDB Votes: 22000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: Canada, France
Plot tags: transsexual, transsexuality, lgbt, impossible love, lgbtq, couple relations, transgender, follow your dream, lesbian, lgbtqi, amor, desire, couples, gender, poetry, desire for fame, relationships, transvestite, sexuality, society, showdown, sex, music, passion, writers
Miss Lovely (2012)
Plot Summary:
A meeting with a struggling actress (Niharika Singh) gives a mild-mannered filmmaker (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) the idea to break away from his controlling brother (Anil George) and direct a feature of his own
Duration: 113 min
IMDB Rating: 7.5/10
IMDB Votes: 13000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Romance
Country: India
Plot tags: filmmaking, artists and showbiz, family relations, siblings relations, film industry, aspiring actress, fall in love, danger, erotica, murder, hindu, brother brother relationship, sleazy, police, actress, drunkenness, film producer, ferry, dead woman, asian indian, gangster, bollywood, film within a film, hindi, beating
Wadjda (2012)
Plot Summary:
Wadjda is a 10-year-old girl living in a suburb of Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. Although she lives in a conservative world, Wadjda is fun loving, entrepreneurial and always pushing the boundaries of what she can get away with. After a fight with her friend Abdullah, a neighborhood boy she shouldn't be playing with, Wadjda sees a beautiful green bicycle for sale. She wants the bicycle desperately so that she can beat Abdullah in a race. But Wadjda's mother won't allow it, fearing repercussions from a society that sees bicycles as dangerous to a girl's virtue. So Wadjda decides to try and raise the money herself
Duration: 98 min
IMDB Rating: 7.5/10
IMDB Votes: 21000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: Saudi Arabia, Netherlands, Germany, Jordan, United Arab Emirates, USA
Plot tags: childhood, islam, bicycle, muslim, muslim girl, gender, children, school, dream, coming of age, women, friendship, hijab, cycling, troublemaker, feminist, family relations, teacher, teachers and students, parents and children, fighting the system, traditional versus modern, polygamy, life is a bitch, discrimination
Berserk: The Golden Age Arc I - The Egg of the King (2012)
Plot Summary:
Guts, an immensely strong sword-for-hire, has little direction in his life, simply fighting one battle after the next. However, this all changes suddenly when he meets and is bested by Griffith, a beautiful and charismatic young man who leads the Band of the Hawk mercenary army. After Guts joins the Band and the relationship between the two men begins to blossom, Casca, the tough, lone swordswoman in the Band of the Hawk, struggles to accept Guts and the influence he has on the world around her. While the two men begin to fight together, Griffith continues to rise to power, all seemingly in order to reach his mysterious, prophesied goals. What lengths will Guts and Griffith go to in order to reach these goals, and where will fate take the two men?
Duration: 76 min
IMDB Rating: 7.5/10
IMDB Votes: 14000
Genere: Animation, Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Horror
Country: Japan
Plot tags: battles, heroes, supernatural, supernatural ability, vengeance, good versus evil, shape shifting, military, danger, imaginary, uninhibited rivalry, curses spells and rituals, medieval, friendship, superhero, mature, vigilante, gore, sword and sorcery, androgyny, demon, sorcery, master warrior, escapades, rivalry
Disconnect (2012)
Plot Summary:
Disconnect interweaves multiple storylines about people searching for human connection in today’s wired world. Through poignant turns that are both harrowing and touching, the stories intersect with surprising twists that expose a shocking reality into our daily use of technology that mediates and defines our relationships and ultimately our lives
Duration: 115 min
IMDB Rating: 7.5/10
IMDB Votes: 78000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Plot tags: multiple storylines, loneliness, internet, couples, social media, cyberspace, dishonesty, journalist, bullying, lawyer, career, lifestyle, character study, human relationship, family problems, youth, infidelity, single parent, crumbling marriage, marriage, rage, family relations, prank, hacking, society