The Best Drama Movies on Netflix to Watch Now (September 2025)

If you’re a movie buff, chances are you live for a little drama.

Lucky for you (and countless other subscribers), Netflix covers just about every corner of the genre, from love triangles found in 2024’s It Ends with Us to family tension reaching a breaking point in 2023’s His Three Daughters, and even harrowing war epics, such as 2022’s All Quiet on the Western Front. Maybe you’re just something that looks impressively moody on your Letterboxd feed.

Either way, we’ve filtered through the endless options to bring you the best drama films streaming on Netflix now.

Past Lives

Before Na Young (Seung Ah Moon) immigrated to America, she and her classmate, Hae Sung, fell in love as 12-year-old kids in Seoul, Korea, in 1999. Taking place over two decades, the two have lost contact but find their way back to each other, with Hae (Teo Yoo) visiting Na — who has changed her name to Nora Moon (Greta Lee) — in New York City for a week, confronting the many “what-ifs” of their lives.

Watch Past Lives on Netflix

Straw

Taraji P. Henson’s Janiyah Wiltkinson is out of options: juggling single motherhood, facing eviction, working a thankless job and experiencing one setback after another. However, when life pushes her past the brink, an impulsive act lands her at the center of a crime she never envisioned herself committing. Now, her only hope may lie in the people she least expects.

Watch Straw on Netflix

On the Basis of Sex

Mimi Leder’s 2018 biographical drama traces the early career of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who navigates domestic life and a male-dominated courtroom on her path to becoming the second woman appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court. Felicity Jones steps into the main role, supported by Armie Hammer, Justin Theroux, Jack Reynor, Cailee Spaeny, Sam Waterston and Kathy Bates.

Watch On the Basis of Sex on Netflix

It Ends with Us

Before the PR turmoil off-screen and ongoing legal battles, It Ends with Us was already packed with its fair share of fictional drama. Based on Colleen Hoover’s best-selling romance novel about domestic violence, this 2024 film centers around Lily Bloom (Blake Lively), a florist who starts a new life in Boston and falls for a smooth-talking neurosurgeon (Justin Baldoni), only to have her teenage love (Brandon Sklenar) come back into her life just as her current relationship takes a turn for the worst.

Watch It Ends with Us on Netflix

Lion

Based on a true story of an Indian boy raised by adoptive parents in Australia, this 2016 drama follows Saroo Brierley (Dev Patel), who embarks on a life-changing journey to India in search of his biological mother and brother, whom he was separated from 25 years earlier. Nominated for six Oscars, Lion also stars Nicole Kidman, Rooney Mara and David Wenham.

Watch Lion on Netflix

Judy

Directed by Rupert Goold, this 2019 biopic transports viewers to the final chapter of Judy Garland’s life, just a year before she died at age 47 from an accidental drug overdose. Set during her sold-out 1968 winter tour, Garland struggles with growing exhaustion and frail health while dazzling audiences one last time. Renée Zellweger’s transformative portrayal of the Wizard of Oz icon earned her a Best Actress Oscar and a Golden Globe for best performance by an actress in a motion picture — drama.

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I Used to Be Funny

In this 2023 dramedy, Rachel Sennott takes the lead as Sam, an aspiring comedian living with PTSD. Once an au pair to moody teen Brooke (Olga Petsa), Sam is forced to confront her unresolved trauma when her ex-charge suddenly goes missing. Helmed by first-time director Ally Pankiw, I Used to Be Funny unfolds in two separate timelines: the present, where Sam tries to heal and get back her comedic voice; and the past, where Sam’s time with Brooke makes it impossible to brush aside the teenager’s disappearance.

Watch I Used to Be Funny on Netflix

His Three Daughters

Carrie Coon, Natasha Lyonne and Elizabeth Olsen star as the titular sisters in Azazel Jacobs’ family drama, which premiered at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival. When news of their father’s (Jay O. Sanders) imminent death brings them back together after years of estrangement, the siblings must confront their long-buried tensions while navigating their patriarch’s final moments.

Watch His Three Daughters on Netflix

May December

In the Todd Haynes-directed 2023 drama, Julianne Moore plays the controversial Gracie Atherton-Yoo, loosely based on the real-life Mary Kay Letourneau. Married with three children to the man (Charles Melton) she first met as a 13-year-old boy, Gracie’s relationship — which led to her incarceration 20 years prior — faces new challenges when actress Elizabeth Berry (Natalie Portman) arrives to do research for a film about their past.

Watch May December on Netflix

Nyad

Athlete Diana Nyad (Annette Bening) once embarked on an epic 110-mile swim from Cuba to Florida but had to surrender to the harsh winds. Now, 32 years later, at age 60, Diana rekindles her dream of conquering this aquatic marathon, determined to face the open waters with the support of both her coach (Jodie Foster) and a team of sailors and without the protection of a shark cage.

Watch Nyad on Netflix

Boy Erased

In the 2018 adaptation of Garrard Conley’s memoir, Boy Erased, we follow Jared Eamons (Lucas Hedges), whose revelation of his gay identity puts him at odds with his Baptist parents (Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe). Coerced into a conversion therapy program, Jared clashes with its hostile leader (Joel Edgerton), igniting a transformative journey of self-acceptance.

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The Wonder

Set during the aftermath of the Great Famine, 2022’s The Wonder stars Florence Pugh as English nurse Elizabeth “Lib” Wright, who’s sent to a countryside village in Ireland to examine a young girl (Kíla Lord Cassidy) who hasn’t eaten in four months. Although the 11-year-old claims she has survived without food, Lib is determined to uncover the reason behind this marvel.

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The Good Nurse

Based on a chilling true story, The Good Nurse chronicles overburdened ICU nurse Amy Loughren as she discovers that her colleague, Charlie Cullen, has a dark past. When a patient’s unexpected death casts him in a suspicious light, she helps uncover that Charlie has been guilty of murdering dozens of patients. Jessica Chastain and Eddie Redmayne star in the 2022 crime thriller.

Watch The Good Nurse on Netflix

Hustle

Stanley Sugerman (Adam Sandler) finds himself in a tough spot after being fired as a professional basketball scout. However, after discovering an incredible street ball player during a trip to Spain, he takes the opportunity to prove that they both have what it takes to make it to the NBA. Sandler stars alongside Queen Latifah and Juancho Hernangómez.

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Emily the Criminal

Aubrey Plaza stars as Emily, a college grad drowning in student debt and unable to find a job thanks to a minor criminal record. When she’s offered a position as a “dummy shopper,” she signs on, even if it means she’ll be shopping using stolen credit cards. It isn’t long before she teams up with her middleman, Youcef (Theo Rossi), to take things to the next level — but their risky move ends up having deadly consequences.

Watch Emily the Criminal on Netflix

All Quiet on the Western Front

Based on the 1929 novel by Erich Maria Remarque, All Quiet on the Western Front picks up as the war begins in Germany in 1914. The four-time Oscar-winning film follows 17-year-old Paul Bäumer (Felix Kammerer) and his classmates, who quickly enlist in the army, motivated by dreams of heroism and glory. As Paul heads to the Western Front, his perception of war is drastically changed by the bleak reality of war.

Watch All Quiet on the Western Front on Netflix

The Power of the Dog

When intimidating rancher Phil Burbank (Benedict Cumberbatch) and his brother George (Jesse Plemons) meet widowed proprietress Rose Gordon (Kirsten Dunst), their lives are changed forever. After George marries Rose and brings her back to the ranch with her teenage son (Kodi Smit-McPhee), Phil begins to torment the new family. One day, Phil’s mockery of the young boy unexpectedly turns into mentorship — but it’s unclear if his kind gesture is part of a larger scheme.

Watch The Power of the Dog on Netflix

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

In 1927 Chicago, groundbreaking blues singer Ma Rainey (Viola Davis) is in the middle of a high-stakes recording session with her band. When Ma Rainey shows up late with a list of demands, tensions rise between the singer, her trumpet player, Levee (Chadwick Boseman), and veteran musician Toledo (Glynn Turman). Based on August Wilson’s 1982 play of the same name, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom was Boseman’s final on-screen performance before the actor died of cancer in 2020.

Watch Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom on Netflix

Mank

Mank transports viewers back to Hollywood in the 1930s, following the trials and tribulations of acclaimed screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz. The David Fincher-directed film tells the true story of how Mankiewicz developed the first draft of what would become 1941’s Citizen Kane and the real-life inspiration behind its characters. Gary Oldman, Amanda Seyfried and Lily Collins star.

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Tick, Tick… Boom!

Based on playwright Jonathan Larson’s autobiographical musical, Tick, Tick… Boom! is a coming-of-age story about an aspiring theater composer in N.Y.C. On the verge of his 30th birthday, Jonathan feels his time is running out to create something revolutionary. As he has second thoughts about his career, he must also navigate the complexities of both love and friendship. Andrew Garfield stars as Jonathan in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s directorial debut alongside Alexandra Shipp and Vanessa Hudgens.

Watch Tick, Tick… Boom! on Netflix

Marriage Story

Marriage Story provides an intimate glimpse at divorce as a stage director and his actress wife navigate the bittersweet unraveling of their relationship. They are pushed to their emotional limits as they struggle through their exhausting split and subsequent hostile custody battle. Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver star alongside Laura Dern.

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The Irishman

The Irishman chronicles one of the greatest unsolved mysteries in American history — the disappearance of legendary union leader Jimmy Hoffa (Robert De Niro). Told from the perspective of a hustler and top hitman, Frank Sheeran (Al Pacino), the 2019 crime drama spans his life as he rises from bodyguard to confidante. Directed by Martin Scorsese, the Oscar-nominated film — costarring Joe Pesci, Harvey Keitel, Ray Romano, Bobby Cannavale, Anna Paquin and more — reveals the inner workings and hidden corridors of organized crime.

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The Lost Daughter

Maggie Gyllenhaal’s 2021 directorial debut stars Olivia Colman as Leda, a middle-aged divorcée who becomes an empty nester and decides to take a holiday by the sea. Ending up in a small coastal town in Greece, her initially peaceful trip takes a disconcerting turn when a young family staying at a nearby villa unearths painful memories. Looking back on the difficult choices she made as a mother and the consequences her family faced, she must confront her troubled past.

Watch The Lost Daughter on Netflix

The King

Prince Hal (Timothée Chalamet), the heir to the English throne, wants nothing to do with royal life and is living among commoners when his tyrannical father dies. He must return to the life he so desperately attempted to escape, where he is reluctantly crowned King Henry V. In his new role as king, he is left to deal with the chaos his father (Ben Mendelsohn) left behind.

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The Devil All the Time

Adapted from Donald Ray Pollock’s novel, The Devil All the Time follows a cast of sinister characters intertwined in a complicated web. Taking place from the end of World War II until the 1960s, everything leads back to Arvin Eugene Russell (Tom Holland). Following the death of both of his parents, Arvin finds himself devoted to doing whatever it takes to protect his loved ones. The 2020 crime drama also features Bill Skarsgård, Robert Pattinson, Riley Keough and Sebastian Stan.

Watch The Devil All the Time on Netflix