Last updated March 2024
Want to dive into highly celebrated Best Drama Movies right away? We put together an expert list of 30 marvelous Best Drama Movies locked and loaded for your viewing experience. With through-the-roof ratings from IMDB critics and our own discerning users, these titles are as good as entertainment gets. Lend a hand by voting for the Best Drama Movies you think deserve even more acclaim. We value your help in highlighting the cream of the crop!
The Godfather Trilogy: 1901-1980 (1992)
Plot Summary:
The multigenerational saga of the rise and fall of the Corleone crime family
Duration: 583 min
IMDB Rating: 9.3/10
IMDB Votes: 16000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Plot tags: crime boss, cosa nostra, sicilian mafia, mafia, mobster, gangsta, horse, mob hit, boys' choir, christmas, village, revenge, attorney, teacher, wedding, escape, violence, pregnancy, hitman, fishing, party, female nudity, fbi, betrayal, murder
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Plot Summary:
Framed in the 1940s for the double murder of his wife and her lover, upstanding banker Andy Dufresne begins a new life at the Shawshank prison, where he puts his accounting skills to work for an amoral warden. During his long stretch in prison, Dufresne comes to be admired by the other inmates -- including an older prisoner named Red -- for his integrity and unquenchable sense of hope
Duration: 142 min
IMDB Rating: 9.3/10
IMDB Votes: 28000000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Plot tags: prison, prison escape, freedom, human spirit, hopes, stephen king, friendship between men, life, plot twist, life philosophy, adaptation, corruption, life sentence, friendship, justice, powerful ending, existentialism, wrongful imprisonment, twists and turns, happy ending, prison life, false accusation, destiny, suicide, confined
The Chaos Class (1975)
Plot Summary:
Lazy, uneducated students mostly coming from money, share a very close band. They live together in the dormitory of this private highschool, where they daily plan their latest pranks on teachers or the other classes. When a new and obviously strict headmaster arrives, the students naturally try to overthrow him. A comic war of nitwits follows
Duration: 87 min
IMDB Rating: 9.2/10
IMDB Votes: 42000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: Turkey
Plot tags: turk, kurd, coffee, football, cat, teacher, escape, student, friendship, map, hospital, bullying, hunger, theater, baby, director, manager, cow, exam, letter, lesson, dormitory, high school, cigarette smoking, punishment
The Godfather (1972)
Plot Summary:
Spanning the years 1945 to 1955, a chronicle of the fictional Italian-American Corleone crime family. When organized crime family patriarch, Vito Corleone barely survives an attempt on his life, his youngest son, Michael steps in to take care of the would-be killers, launching a campaign of bloody revenge
Duration: 175 min
IMDB Rating: 9.2/10
IMDB Votes: 20000000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Plot tags: mafia, organized crime, gangster, greed, revenge, mob boss, crime family, cosa nostra, wedding, pride and honor, corruption, murder, gang war, crime boss, shooting, violence, patriarch, father son relationship, corrupt cop, betrayal, family relations, dysfunctional family, criminal heroes, godfather, rise to power
Schindler's List (1993)
Plot Summary:
The true story of how businessman Oskar Schindler saved over a thousand Jewish lives from the Nazis while they worked as slaves in his factory during World War II
Duration: 195 min
IMDB Rating: 9.0/10
IMDB Votes: 14000000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: USA
Plot tags: holocaust, world war two, genocide, nazi, war, wartime, storytelling, concentration camp, brutality, nazism, against humanity, racism, survival, anti semitism, violence, auschwitz, holocaust survivor, life changing, ghetto, rescue, german soldier, nazi concentration camp, accountant, list, good versus evil
The Godfather Part II (1974)
Plot Summary:
In the continuing saga of the Corleone crime family, a young Vito Corleone grows up in Sicily and in 1910s New York. In the 1950s, Michael Corleone attempts to expand the family business into Las Vegas, Hollywood and Cuba
Duration: 202 min
IMDB Rating: 9.0/10
IMDB Votes: 13000000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Plot tags: mafia, organized crime, cosa nostra, revenge, ambition, melancholy, mob boss, corruption, corrupt politician, mobster, gangster, murder, crime boss, immigrant, gangsta, rise to the top, immigration, business, gang, violence, italian immigrant, anti hero, underworld, criminal heroes, dialogue
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
Plot Summary:
Aragorn is revealed as the heir to the ancient kings as he, Gandalf and the other members of the broken fellowship struggle to save Gondor from Sauron's forces. Meanwhile, Frodo and Sam bring the ring closer to the heart of Mordor, the dark lord's realm
Duration: 201 min
IMDB Rating: 9.0/10
IMDB Votes: 19000000
Genere: Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
Country: New Zealand, USA
Plot tags: sword fight, wizard, magic, magical, battles, creature, courage, monster, friendship, sword and sorcery, good versus evil, medieval, sorcerer, ancient, middle earth, heroic mission, race against time, hobbit, imaginary kingdom, imaginary, journey, army, warrior, elf, save the world
The Dark Knight (2008)
Plot Summary:
Batman raises the stakes in his war on crime. With the help of Lt. Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman sets out to dismantle the remaining criminal organizations that plague the streets. The partnership proves to be effective, but they soon find themselves prey to a reign of chaos unleashed by a rising criminal mastermind known to the terrified citizens of Gotham as the Joker
Duration: 152 min
IMDB Rating: 9.0/10
IMDB Votes: 28000000
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA, UK
Plot tags: superhero, batman, heroes, secret identity, tragic hero, psychopath, moral dilemma, corruption, organized crime, villain, comic book, joker, double life, good versus evil, vigilante, rivalry, clown, gotham city, revenge, evil clown, insanity, dark hero, super villain, psychological manipulation, billionaire
The Message (1976)
Plot Summary:
The story of prophet "Muhammad" and the delivery of the message of God "Allah"
Duration: 207 min
IMDB Rating: 8.9/10
IMDB Votes: 10000
Genere: Action, Adventure, Biography, Drama, History, Thriller, War
Country: Libya, Morocco, Egypt, Saudi Arabia
Plot tags: camel, arabic history, prophet, muslim, islam, muslim woman, medieval, religion, ancient, arab, horse, historical event, historical character, dancing, travel, spy, combat, revenge, women, army, desert, hunter, water, death, torture
Pulp Fiction (1994)
Plot Summary:
A burger-loving hit man, his philosophical partner, a drug-addled gangster's moll and a washed-up boxer converge in this sprawling, comedic crime caper. Their adventures unfurl in three stories that ingeniously trip back and forth in time
Duration: 154 min
IMDB Rating: 8.9/10
IMDB Votes: 22000000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Plot tags: gangster, dark humor, organized crime, gunfight, violence, hitman, overdose, multiple storylines, violent, killings, drug, storytelling, cocaine, crime gone awry, shootout, foul language, rape, drug dealer, dialogue, drug dealing, corpse, car accident, criminal heroes, redemption, assassin
#Home (2021)
Plot Summary:
The humble, technology-challenged Oliver Twist struggles to keep close with his sons as they grow up and become active on social media
Duration: 158 min
IMDB Rating: 8.8/10
IMDB Votes: 15000
Genere: Drama, Family
Country: India
Plot tags: mission, technology, fish, cell phone, social media, malayalam, telephone
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
Plot Summary:
Frodo and Sam are trekking to Mordor to destroy the One Ring of Power while Gimli, Legolas and Aragorn search for the orc-captured Merry and Pippin. All along, nefarious wizard Saruman awaits the Fellowship members at the Orthanc Tower in Isengard
Duration: 179 min
IMDB Rating: 8.8/10
IMDB Votes: 17000000
Genere: Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
Country: New Zealand, USA
Plot tags: sword fight, wizard, magic, fantasy world, creature, friendship, magical, monster, mission, sword and sorcery, mythology, good versus evil, middle earth, elf, siege, hobbit, imaginary kingdom, army, lord of the rings, warrior, imaginary, heroic mission, swords and armor, medieval, save the world
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
Plot Summary:
Young hobbit Frodo Baggins, after inheriting a mysterious ring from his uncle Bilbo, must leave his home in order to keep it from falling into the hands of its evil creator. Along the way, a fellowship is formed to protect the ringbearer and make sure that the ring arrives at its final destination: Mt. Doom, the only place where it can be destroyed
Duration: 178 min
IMDB Rating: 8.8/10
IMDB Votes: 20000000
Genere: Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
Country: New Zealand, USA
Plot tags: sword fight, friendship, fantasy world, wizard, sword and sorcery, magic, good versus evil, monster, mythology, middle earth, magical, river, hobbit, medieval, lord of the rings, journey, magical ring, heroic mission, creature, imaginary kingdom, imaginary, sorcerer, save the world, castle, ancient
777 Charlie (2022)
Plot Summary:
Dharma is stuck in a rut with his negative and lonely lifestyle and spends each day in the comfort of his loneliness. A pup named Charlie who is naughty and energetic which is a complete contrast with the Dharma’s character enters his life and gives him a new perspective towards it
Duration: 164 min
IMDB Rating: 8.8/10
IMDB Votes: 38000
Genere: Adventure, Comedy, Drama
Country: India
Plot tags: dog, human animal relationship, dog training, puppy, loneliness, animal human communication, owner dog relationship, human dog relationship, relationships, loner, pets, life is a bitch, opposites attract, pet dog, alone, animal, road trip, life, snow, lifestyle, animals
Balkan Spy (1984)
Plot Summary:
Balkanski špijun is a 1984 Yugoslav comedy/drama. Ilija Čvorović, a former Stalinist who spent several years in a prison on Goli otok, is contacted by the police to routinely answer questions about his tenant, Petar Markov Jakovljević, a businessman, who spent twenty years living in Paris, and now has returned to Belgrade to open a tailor shop. After only several minutes, Ilija is free to go, however, he is starting to suspect that his tenant might be a spy. As the movie goes on, his paranoia increases and more people gets involved: his wife, his daughter, his brother, Jakovljevic's friends
Duration: 95 min
IMDB Rating: 8.8/10
IMDB Votes: 12000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: Yugoslavia
Plot tags: spy, communism, espionage, paranoia, cold war, hitman, conspiracy, communist, josef stalin, secret mission, mental health, badass, satire, hostage situation, stalinism, spying, dark humor, politics, society, false accusation, social relations, mistaken identity, political unrest, amateur detective, human nature
The Marathon Family (1982)
Plot Summary:
The Topalovic family has been in the burial business for generations. When the old (150 yrs old) Pantelija dies, five generations of his heirs start to fight for the inheritance
Duration: 92 min
IMDB Rating: 8.8/10
IMDB Votes: 17000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: Yugoslavia
Plot tags: parents and children, cemetery, moving, badass, murder, family business, crematorium, mafia, funeral, small town, grave digger, pianist, fall in love, workplace, corporate world, business, cinema, father son relationship, accidental death, corpse, satire, strangulation, burned alive, crime family, nudity
Fight Club (1999)
Plot Summary:
A ticking-time-bomb insomniac and a slippery soap salesman channel primal male aggression into a shocking new form of therapy. Their concept catches on, with underground "fight clubs" forming in every town, until an eccentric gets in the way and ignites an out-of-control spiral toward oblivion
Duration: 139 min
IMDB Rating: 8.8/10
IMDB Votes: 23000000
Genere: Drama
Country: Germany, USA
Plot tags: twists and turns, psychology, plot twist, fight, schizophrenia, self destructing, insanity, fighting the system, split personality, losing-it hero, against the rules, social decay, nihilism, obsession, mental illness, life philosophy, dark hero, insomnia, loneliness, dissociative identity disorder, identity crisis, secret society, society, violence, satire
The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall (2011)
Plot Summary:
A disfigured musical genius, hidden away in the Paris Opera House, terrorises the opera company for the unwitting benefit of a young protégée whom he trains and loves. The 25th anniversary of the first public performance of Phantom of the Opera was celebrated with a grand performance at the Royal Albert Hall in London
Duration: 137 min
IMDB Rating: 8.8/10
IMDB Votes: 10000
Genere: Drama, Musical, Romance, Thriller
Country: UK
Plot tags: unfulfilled love, theater, obsession, disfigurement, destructive relationship, opera singer, musician, singer, love and romance, tragic hero, couples, tragic love, danger, lifestyle, musician's life, woman in danger, performer's life, dancing, live performance, stage musical, love triangle, opera, phantom of the opera, kidnapping, backstage
Forrest Gump (1994)
Plot Summary:
A man with a low IQ has accomplished great things in his life and been present during significant historic events - in each case, far exceeding what anyone imagined he could do. Yet, despite all the things he has attained, his one true love eludes him. 'Forrest Gump' is the story of a man who rose above his challenges, and who proved that determination, courage, and love are more important than ability
Duration: 142 min
IMDB Rating: 8.8/10
IMDB Votes: 22000000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Plot tags: life & death, philosophy, life philosophy, vietnam war, mentally challenged, life, destiny, love, human spirit, rise to the top, storytelling, journey, selflessness, goodhearted, hippie, interracial friendship, human relationship, wisdom of life, army, kindness, running, mother, life changing, love and romance, courage
Interstellar (2014)
Plot Summary:
Interstellar chronicles the adventures of a group of explorers who make use of a newly discovered wormhole to surpass the limitations on human space travel and conquer the vast distances involved in an interstellar voyage
Duration: 169 min
IMDB Rating: 8.7/10
IMDB Votes: 20000000
Genere: Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi
Country: USA, UK, Canada
Plot tags: space travel, time travel, outer space, father daughter relationship, nasa, astronaut, end of the world, space, survival, distopia, apocalypse, science, space exploration, time paradox, space station, time loop, robot, quantum physics, space and aliens, scientist, race against time, natural disaster, distant planet, black hole, time
Jai Bhim (2021)
Plot Summary:
A pregnant woman from a primitive tribal community, searches desperately for her husband, who is missing from police custody. So as to find her husband and seek justice for them, as their voice, a High Court advocate rises in support. Will their battle for justice succeed?
Duration: 164 min
IMDB Rating: 8.7/10
IMDB Votes: 213000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: India, USA
Plot tags: lawyer, courtroom, investigation, poverty, theft, crime investigation, criminal, dysfunctional family, poor family, human rights, mission, jury, criminal justice, judgment, trial, biopic, innovation, prison, justice, wife, police brutality, tamil, telugu, bollywood, indigenous
Peranbu (2018)
Plot Summary:
A single father tries to raise his daughter, who has cerebral palsy, even as she is beginning to wake up to her sexuality
Duration: 147 min
IMDB Rating: 8.7/10
IMDB Votes: 16000
Genere: Drama, Family
Country: India
Plot tags: cerebral palsy, single father, physical disability, dog, dancing, mountain, prostitute, forest, medicine, water, doll, divorce, beach, priest, doctor, hotel, house, church, taxi, taxi driver, office, accident, maid, fog, father daughter relationship
Who's Singin' Over There? (1980)
Plot Summary:
On April 5, 1941, a day before Nazi attack on Yugoslavia, entourage on a country road board Krstic's bus heading for Belgrade: two Gypsies who occasionally sing about misery, an aging war veteran, a Nazi sympathizer, a dapper singer, a consumptive, and a man with a shotgun. Krstic is a world-weary cynic, out for a buck; the driver is his son, the simple, cheerful Misko. En route they pick up a more people and head towards their destiny
Duration: 86 min
IMDB Rating: 8.7/10
IMDB Votes: 16000
Genere: Adventure, Comedy, Drama, War
Country: Yugoslavia
Plot tags: world war two, on the road, gypsy, bus, road trip, nature, racism, european, badass, war, heroes, anti war, newlyweds, passenger, clergy, wartime life, hapless, horse, musician, army, forest, female nudity, sex scene, soldier, swimming
Pariyerum Perumal (2018)
Plot Summary:
A law student from a lower caste begins a friendship with his classmate, a girl who belongs to a higher caste, and the men in her family start giving him trouble over this
Duration: 154 min
IMDB Rating: 8.7/10
IMDB Votes: 18000
Genere: Drama
Country: India
Plot tags: friendship, dog, social differences, class differences, love, classmate classmate relationship, happy ending, stereotypes, waking up, politics, innovation, satire, fight, train, student, college, swimming, bus, professor, language barrier, college student, drowning, death of dog, law school, tamil
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
Plot Summary:
While serving time for insanity at a state mental hospital, implacable rabble-rouser, Randle Patrick McMurphy inspires his fellow patients to rebel against the authoritarian rule of head nurse, Mildred Ratched
Duration: 133 min
IMDB Rating: 8.7/10
IMDB Votes: 11000000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Plot tags: mental illness, mental institution, fighting the system, freedom, human spirit, insanity, psychiatrist, psychopath, society, unlikely friendships, escaped mental patient, mental disorder, dehumanization, nurse, psychiatry, crazy, life is a bitch, life changing, oppression, psychology, electroshock therapy, main character dies, friendship, anti hero, self control
Feyzo, the Polite One (1978)
Plot Summary:
A feudal village in Southeastern Turkey in 1970's. A poor peasant, Feyzo returns from military service dreaming about getting married to Gülo, the love of his life
Duration: 83 min
IMDB Rating: 8.7/10
IMDB Votes: 17000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: Turkey
Plot tags: village, turk, village life, lawyer, rebellion, wedding, parents and children, couples, social relations, disorder, couple relations, mother, baby, cow, husband wife relationship, getting married, court, toilet, gun, turkish
Soorarai Pottru (2020)
Plot Summary:
Nedumaaran Rajangam "Maara" sets out to make the common man fly and in the process takes on the world's most capital intensive industry and several enemies who stand in his way
Duration: 153 min
IMDB Rating: 8.7/10
IMDB Votes: 122000
Genere: Action, Drama
Country: India
Plot tags: plane crash, airplane, one against many, frustration, struggle, coping, fighting the system, direction and purpose, ambition, aspiration, blind ambition, travel, woman, innovation, scuffle, running, destruction, anger, bicycle, emergency, loan, rejection, emotional breakdown, bike, airplane crash
Rocketry: The Nambi Effect (2022)
Plot Summary:
Based by the life of ISRO Scientist Nambi Narayanan who was falsely accused of being a spy and arrested in 1994. Though free, he is still fighting for justice, with those police officials alleged to have falsely implicated him, still free
Duration: 157 min
IMDB Rating: 8.7/10
IMDB Votes: 57000
Genere: Biography, Drama
Country: India
Plot tags: spy, police, espionage, rocket, angry, scientist, injustice, industrial espionage, fight for justice, accusation, guilty verdict, framed for a crime, space probe, investigation, violence, torture, university, engineer, brutality, frame up, anger, nasa, telephone call, interview, husband wife relationship
The Legend Of Maula Jatt (2022)
Plot Summary:
Maula Jatt 2 is an upcoming Pakistani action drama film directed and written by Bilal Lashari, co-produced by Faisal Rafi and Bilal Lashari under production banner of Crew Motion Pictures. It is a sequel to 1979 cult-classic Maula Jatt. The revealed cast includes Fawad Khan, Hamza Ali Abbasi playing the lead roles along with Mahira Khan, Adnan Jaffar, Shamoon Abbasi and Humaima Malik
Duration: 153 min
IMDB Rating: 8.7/10
IMDB Votes: 10000
Genere: Action, Drama, Fantasy, History, Thriller
Country: Pakistan
Plot tags: heroes, gang, murder, gangster, violence, death, battles, brutality, chase, vengeance, rivalry, society, danger, criminal underworld, gang war, criminal's revenge, martial arts, punjabi, deadly, crimes
Toma (2021)
Plot Summary:
Biopic about Toma Zdravkovic, the man who is remembered not only for his songs and unique way he was singing them, but also as a bohemian, both in his behavior and his soul
Duration: 140 min
IMDB Rating: 8.7/10
IMDB Votes: 12000
Genere: Biography, Drama, Music, Romance
Country: Serbia
Plot tags: musician, musician's life, price of fame, rising to stardom, relationship vs career, music, friends, celebrity, historical figure, family problems, lifestyle, historical character, gambling, female nudity, sex scene, addiction, hitchhiking, star, convertible