Who doesn’t love a gooddrama? There’s suspense, sometimes comedy and romance, action, and maybe even a little adventure. On top of those subgenres, dramas also often have great, complex storytelling with a lot of depth. They could make you think, laugh, or cry but ultimately keep you fully gripped and entertained from start to finish.
Updated: June 12, 2025: This article has been updated with a few more exciting entries to add a little more drama to life.
2022 was a great year for the drama genre. From the hyped-upDon’t Worry Darlingto Adam Sandler’s surprise hitHustleon Netflix, there were hundreds of great drama films that year. There was so much one might have missed a few titles, and even well into 2023, there is time to catch up on some moving dramas from the previous year. If you missed these particular 20 releases when they hit theaters or streaming platforms, now’s your chance to check them out.
20Don’t Worry Darling
Don’t Worry Darlingwas a very divisive release this year. From theheated press tourto the drama between the cast members, people were forming opinions about the movie before it even hit the screens. And perhaps that’s what led to so many poor reviews — because, in all reality,Don’t Worry Darlingwas a pretty decent movie. It follows a housewife (Florence Pugh) who’s living in a picturesque 50s suburbia (reminiscent ofThe Stepford Wives) but soon begins to unravel the twisted reality of the world they’re living in.
Related:10 Underrated TV Dramas That Don’t Get Talked About Enough
Some have said thatDon’t Worry Darlingfeels like it was missing something. Perhaps there could’ve been more explanations about what was going on and why, and maybe the ending even felt a tad rushed. That said, it’s hard to deny how good the standout performers — Pugh and Chris Pine — were in this movie, even if they essentially carried it. On top of that, the general concept forDon’t Worry Darlingis interesting and captivating, and it was beautifully styled and produced. If you may ignore all the hype, good and bad, and attempt to enter the movie blind, it’s enjoyable and worth watching.
19The Fallout
This feature directorial debut of Megan Park,The Fallout,was released to the audience in January 2022 and is one film that focuses on a very painful topic.With school shootingsbeing a widely discussed issue, the film looks at it from the students' perspectives. The film not only captures the happening of such a disastrous event but also reminds the audience of the aftermath of these events. Specifically, the mental health and the trauma that the survivors have to face. With Jenna Ortega and Maddie Ziegler taking over the lead roles,The Falloutbrings to the screen a painful reality that many students face.
18Along For The Ride
Good romances are hard to find these days, but Sofia Alvarez directedAlong For The Ridebrought a pleasant relief to the fans of the genre with a unique theme. The 2022 Netflix release featured two insomniacs Eli, played by Belmont Cameli, and Auden, played by Emma Pasarow, and their story of exploring a summer of fun before college starts.
Insomnia-fueled nightly escapades and realizing how finally finding that specific someone who not only understands you but is capable of turning both of your miserable situations into a grand adventure gave them a completely new outlook on love and life. As insomnia is something people suffer heavily from these days, many found it relatable on more than one account, and the light-hearted romance mixed with coming-of-age elements made for a charmingsummer watch. The movie got positive reviews from the people watching who went in blind, as well as fans of Sara Dessen’s 2009 novel of the same name, from which the movie was adapted.
17The Whale
The Whaledebuted at the Venice International Film Festival in September and received a six-minute standing ovation, with videos of an endearingly overwhelmed Brendan Fraser going viral. It’s about a 600-pound man (Fraser) who, after a series of familial strains, works to rekindle his relationship with his teenage daughter (Sadie Sink).
16Luckiest Girl Alive
Luckiest Girl Aliveis a mystery/thriller that premiered on Netflix this year and is based on the 2015 novel of the same name by Jessica Knoll. It’s about Ani (a great Mila Kunis), a woman who seems to have a perfectly constructed life. She’s living in NYC and working as a magazine editor, preparing to marry her handsome fiancé (Finn Wittrock), and living — what looks to be — a picture-perfect life. That is until a documentary director approaches her to make a short film about a school shooting she survived when she was in high school.
Since the shooting, Ani has really worked to bury the trauma and all the gross details of everything that happened, but as soon as the director expresses his interest in making a documentary about what happened, all those years worth of buried trauma comes flooding back, wreaking havoc on Ani’s life and relationships. Mila Kunis is a fantastic actress with great range, and she really thrives in this dark, serious role. Plus, the screenplay was written by the author of the book, so the book-to-movie translation is really well-done.
As one of the most notable “funny guys” in the game, dramatic roles typically aren’t what first comes to mind when you think of Adam Sandler. ButSandler’s dramatic roles in moviesare actually very good, fromPunch-Drunk LovetoUncut Gems. In his big deal with Netflix, Sandler has been churning out a number of movies,Hustlebeing one of the most recent releases.
It’s about a jaded NBA scout (Sandler) who discovers a raw yet very talented basketball player in Spain that he works with to attempt to prepare him for the NBA Draft. WhileHustleis obviously a sports-centric movie, it’s still enjoyable, even if you have zero interest in basketball. It’s a touching story about compassion, family, and taking risks, and it does a great job of not feeling at all like your cliché sports flick. On the other hand, if you love sports — specifically basketball —Hustlewill definitely garner a few re-watches.
14The Outfit
2022 was a great year for thriller fans, andThe Outfitjust added to that when it hit the theaters on March 18th. The movie featured Mark Rylance as Leonard, a tailor in the 1950s employed at a tailor shop famed for making suits for gangsters. One thing leads to another, and a fateful night finds Leonard trying to win a game of wills and guns with his life at stake.
The Outfitbrought the 1950s gang war-laden London spectacularly to the screens, ensuring a thrilling watch throughout its runtime. Academy Award-winning screenwriter Graham Moore penned the movie’s screenplay. That, combined with powerful performances from a stellar cast featuring Johnny Flynn, Dylan O’Brien, and Zoey Dutch, among many big names, thegangster moviewon hearts everywhere.
13Where the Crawdads Sing
Where the Crawdads Singis about Kya (Daisy Edgar-Jones), a young, nature-loving woman who raised herself in the marshlands of North Carolina. All is well — or as well as it can be for her — until a guy Kya once had a relationship with turns up dead, and she becomes the prime suspect and is tried for his murder.
The movie is based on the 2018 novel of the same name by Delia Owens, which has become a bestselling hit.The movie does the book justice, and while the plot is relatively simple, the performances (most notably from Edgar-Jones) are captivating and believable. It teeters between being a mystery/thriller and a romantic drama, but regardless of what you classify it as,Where the Crawdads Singwill have you heavily invested from beginning to end.
Based onthe powerful true storyof how Mamie Till-Bradley pursued justice following the murder of her son in 1955, this biographical drama film is definitely not an easy watch. The story focuses on how her 14-year-old son, Emmett Till, was tortured and murdered simply because he allegedly “offended” a white woman (who, in reality, admitted on her deathbed that she’d lied).
Thereafter, the film follows the painful journey Mamie had to go through to bring justice to her son. Emmett’s story is quite famous due to the details of his murder and the acquittal of his murderers. Thus, by bringing it to the screen,Tillensures that the viewers are made aware of the long history of racism that still exists today.
11She Said
Yet another biographical film,She Said, follows the two Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists, Jodi Kantor (played by Zoe Kazan) and Megan Twohey (played by Carey Mulligan), as they investigate and expose the sexual assaults of Harvey Weinstein. The film focuses onhow the two journalists workedtogether to track down victim-survivors of Weinstein’s acts and how their investigations ultimately led to the film producer being charged and punished. WhileShe Saidwas a box office bomb, it’s nonetheless an important film for the present day.
