Drama: 385

Kinds of Kindness (2024), an absurdist black comedy anthology film, was directed by Yorgos Lanthimos and co-written by Efthimis Filippou. It made its debut at the 77th Cannes Film Festival on May 17, 2024, where Plemons took home the Best Actor award. The film follows a ‘triptych fable’ structure and features three unique yet interconnected tales. 1. The Death of R.M.F. Robert Fletcher is completely under the thumb of his demanding boss and romantic partner, ...

Oppenheimer (2023) is an epic biographical drama film written, directed and co-produced by Christopher Nolan. The story follows 22-year-old J. Robert Oppenheimer, a doctoral student studying experimental physics at the Cavendish Laboratory in the University of Cambridge under Patrick Blackett. Struggling with homesickness and frustration towards Blackett, Oppenheimer leaves him a poisoned apple, but ultimately decides against it. Upon the advice of visiting scientist Niels Bohr, he transfers to the University of Göttingen where he meets fellow scientist Isidor Isaac Rabi and later encounters theoretical physicist Werner ...

Tár (2022) is a psychological drama film written and directed by Todd Field. Acclaimed actress Cate Blanchett takes on the role of Lydia Tár, a world-renowned conductor facing accusations of misconduct. As the first female chief conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic, she relies on Francesca, her personal assistant, to handle her busy schedule. During an interview with Adam Gopnik at The New Yorker Festival, Lydia shares details about her upcoming live recording of Mahler’s Fifth Symphony and her book Tár on Tár. In addition to her musical endeavors, she also collaborates with Eliot Kaplan, an investment banker and amateur conductor who co-founded the Accordion ...

Irma Vep (2022), the comedic drama miniseries, was created, written, and directed by Olivier Assayas for HBO. Premiering at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival on May 22, it is based on Assayas’s eponymous 1996 film. Critics have highly praised Vikander’s performance and Assayas’s direction in Irma Vep. The series follows disillusioned American movie star Mira, who travels to France to star as Irma Vep in a television adaptation of the French silent film serial Les Vampires. Against a backdrop of crime and suspense, Mira grapples with her own identity merging with that of ...

Luckiest Girl Alive (2022) is a mystery thriller film directed by Mike Barker and written by Jessica Knoll, based on her novel of the same name. In 2015, Tiffani “Ani” Fanelli seems to have it all – a successful career as an editor at a New York women’s magazine and a soon-to-be husband, Luke Harrison. However, when documentary director Aaron Wickersham approaches her about making a film about the school shooting she survived as a teenager, Ani declines. Meanwhile, Luke receives an offer to work in London and suggests that Ani can use the ...

Rescued by Ruby (2022), an American biographical drama film directed by Katt Shea, tells the true story of Dan O’Neil, a state trooper determined to join the K-9 search and rescue team. Despite multiple rejections, Dan refuses to give up on his dream, and finds hope in an energetic shelter dog named Ruby. This half-border collie has been adopted seven times in the past six months due to her hyperactivity, but always returned due to being untrainable. As Dan approaches his 30th birthday, his one last chance to qualify for the team draws near. After learning that the K-9 unit ...

Downton Abbey: A New Era (2022) serves as a continuation of its predecessor, the 2019 film. Written by Julian Fellowes, creator and writer of the eponymous television series, and directed by Simon Curtis, the story follows Tom Branson, the widowed son-in-law of Earl of Grantham. He marries Lucy Smith, illegitimate daughter and sole heir to Lady Maud Bagshaw – Queen Mary’s lady-in-waiting. The family is taken aback when Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham, surprises them with news that she was gifted a villa in Southern France years ago by now-deceased ...

Father Stu (2022), a biographical drama film, stars Mark Wahlberg as Stuart Long. Long, a former boxer-turned-Catholic priest who battles a progressive muscle disorder, is portrayed by Wahlberg in this highly-anticipated movie. Written and directed by Rosalind Ross in her directorial debut, the film was produced with a budget of $4 million. The story follows Long’s journey as he leaves his hometown of Helena, Montana for Southern California to pursue his dreams of becoming an actor. Along the way, he navigates a strained relationship with his parents who are wary of ...

Blonde (2022) is an American biographical psychological drama film written and directed by Andrew Dominik, based on the 2000 novel of the same name by Joyce Carol Oates. The movie offers a fictionalized portrayal of American actress Marilyn Monroe, portrayed by Ana de Armas. Norma Jeane Mortenson grows up with her mentally unstable mother, Gladys Pearl Baker. On her seventh birthday in 1933, she receives a framed picture of a man that Gladys claims is her father. That night, ...

Elvis (2022) is a biographical drama film co-produced and directed by Baz Luhrmann, chronicling the life of American rock and roll singer and actor Elvis Presley. On his deathbed in 1997, Presley’s former manager Colonel Tom Parker reflects on their initial meeting and the rise to fame under his management. Growing up in poverty-stricken areas of Mississippi with a nurturing mother, Presley found solace in comic books and music, particularly African-American genres from Beale Street. It wasn’t until Parker, a self-proclaimed modern-day P. T. Barnum, heard ...

The Forgiven (2021), a crime drama film, is both written and directed by John Michael McDonagh and adapted from the 2012 novel of the same name by Lawrence Osborne. Married couple David and Jo Henninger journey to Morocco in an attempt to alleviate the tension between them. While on a winding road, David unintentionally strikes and kills a young teen holding a fossil. As they bring the deceased teenager, known as Driss, to their friend Richard Galloway’s house during a celebration, David agrees to report it as an accidental death due to his intoxicated state while ...

Sundown (2021), a drama by Michel Franco, follows London native Neil Bennett on his Acapulco vacation with sister Alice and her children Colin and Alexa. Staying in a luxurious hotel and dining at fancy restaurants, the family enjoys various activities. However, Neil is not. Suddenly, Alice receives a call informing her of their mother’s hospitalization. Packing up to leave immediately, they are soon met with another call revealing their mother’s passing. While Alice breaks down in tears, Neil remains composed. In the airport, he realizes he left his passport at the hotel and the family departs without ...

A Journal for Jordan (2021) is a romantic drama movie directed and co-produced by Denzel Washington. Its screenplay, written by Virgil Williams, is based on the memoir A Journal for Jordan: A Story of Love and Honor by Dana Canedy. The film was distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing under the Columbia Pictures banner on December 25, 2021. Despite receiving mixed reviews from critics, it did not perform well at the box office. Inspired by the real experiences of First Sergeant ...

The Tender Bar (2021), directed by George Clooney and written by William Monahan, is an American coming-of-age film. In 1973, nine-year-old JR Maguire returns to his grandparents’ home on Long Island with his mother Dorothy after being abandoned by his father Johnny, who was a radio personality known as “the Voice”. Growing up in a working class family, JR finds a father figure in his uncle Charlie, the owner of a local bar called “The Dickens”. While listening to the Voice on the radio and eagerly awaiting Johnny’s promised visits and ...

FX’s Mrs. America (2020), a historical drama miniseries, debuted on Hulu in the United States on April 15, 2020 to high praise. It garnered ten Emmy nominations at the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Limited Series and Writing. The series also received acting nods for Blanchett, Aduba, Martindale, and Ullman and Aduba ultimately won Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie. In January ...

Stateless (2020), an Australian television drama series, premiered on ABC TV on 1 March 2020. Its six episodes were later made available on Netflix starting 8 July 2020. The show draws inspiration from the true account of Cornelia Rau, an Australian citizen who was wrongfully held under the government’s mandatory detention initiative. The show revolves around four individuals at an immigration detention centre in the Australian desert: a flight attendant evading a suburban cult, an Afghan refugee seeking refuge from persecution, a young Australian father escaping a mundane job, and a bureaucrat involved in a national scandal. ...

The biographical film, Worth (2020), was directed by Sara Colangelo and written by Max Borenstein. It opens with Kenneth Feinberg teaching a class at Columbia University about the monetary worth placed on a person’s life in the eyes of the law. This comes into play when Feinberg is later appointed as the Special Master of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund after the terrorist attacks. His law partner, Camille Biros, joins him as his administrative deputy. To determine payouts for victims, Feinberg creates a strict formula based on their income. He is also ...

The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020) is a gripping historical drama written and directed by Aaron Sorkin. Set in August of 1968, it follows the preparations made by Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, Tom Hayden, Rennie Davis, David Dellinger, Lee Weiner, John Froines, and Bobby Seale as they plan to protest at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Five months later, they are arrested and charged with inciting a riot by crossing state lines. Appointed as prosecutors by Attorney General John N. Mitchell are Tom Foran and Richard Schultz, while all defendants except Seale are represented by William Kunstler and Leonard ...

Based on the book by Aileen Mioko Smith and W. Eugene Smith, Minamata (2020) is a powerful biographical drama directed by Andrew Levitas. It features Johnny Depp (also producer) as W. Eugene Smith, an American photographer renowned for his World War II photojournalism. The film focuses on his assignment to Minamata, Kumamoto, where he witnesses the devastating effects of mercury poisoning on the locals due to industrial negligence by the Chisso Corporation. Premiering at the ...

Written and directed by Sofia Coppola, On the Rocks (2020) is an American comedy-drama film. Laura and Dean reside in Manhattan with their two daughters, Maya and Theo. Laura, a novelist, is struggling to finish her latest book while Dean, a successful entrepreneur at a burgeoning tech start-up, frequently travels for work and is surrounded by young and attractive colleagues. This leaves Laura in charge of their children. One night, upon returning from another business trip, Dean climbs into bed and passionately kisses Laura. However, when he realizes it’s her, he abruptly stops and falls asleep, leaving Laura ...