Best dramas of all time metacritic - Page 4

Sunset Boulevard: writer Joe Gillis moves into faded star Norma Desmond’s decaying mansion. Their codependent, delusional bond and his romance with Betty spark jealousy, madness and tragic consequences. read more

Genres: Drama, Film-Noir

The Apartment (1960) — a darkly comic romantic drama about lonely clerk Bud who lets bosses use his apartment. Ambition collides with compassion when love blooms with the elevator operator, exposing corporate hypocrisy. read more

Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance

Taxi Driver: Travis Bickle, an alienated 1970s NYC cabbie, obsesses over Betsy and a child prostitute Iris, spiraling into vigilante violence. Intense, unsettling film. Warnings: child sexual exploitation, graphic violence. read more

Genres: Crime, Drama

Reflective Western: Senator Ransom 'Ranse' Stoddard returns to Shinbone and recalls arriving as an idealistic lawyer who confronted outlaw Liberty Valance, loved Hallie, and faced a moral, legendary showdown. read more

Genres: Drama, Western

La La Land follows Mia, an aspiring actress, and Sebastian, a jazz pianist in Los Angeles; their love and careers collide as ambition, music and vivid visuals drive a bittersweet, nostalgic ending. read more

Genres: Comedy, Drama, Music

Marriage Story (2019) — Noah Baumbach’s intimate, often painful drama about a marriage’s unraveling, legal battles and co‑parenting, mixing dark humor with raw, empathetic performances. read more

Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000): a lyrical wuxia in which master Li Mu Bai's Green Destiny is stolen by a headstrong young woman. With Yu Shu Lien he uncovers vengeance, unspoken desire and the clash of duty vs. freedom amid balletic swordplay. read more

Genres: Action, Adventure, Drama

Before Midnight (2013) finds Jesse and Celine, now parents, spending a weekend in Greece. A conversation-driven, intimate film that candidly dissects the strains, resentments and tenderness of long-term love. read more

Genres: Drama, Romance

The Manchurian Candidate (1962) is a tense Cold War thriller: Major Marco uncovers a brainwashing conspiracy manipulating decorated soldier Raymond Shaw and his domineering mother, exposing political corruption and psychological horror. read more

Genres: Drama, Thriller

Dunkirk (2017) dramatizes the 1940 evacuation via three interwoven perspectives—beach, sea, air—delivering visceral visuals, sparse exposition, relentless sound and sustained tension. read more

Genres: Action, Drama, History

The Irishman is a slow, elegiac crime drama in which Frank Sheeran recalls a life of loyalty, violence and regret—rising in the mob, tied to Jimmy Hoffa—Scorsese’s reflective, patient epic. read more

Genres: Biography, Crime, Drama

Set in 1983 Italy, Call Me by Your Name follows 17-year-old Elio and 24-year-old Oliver as a summer friendship deepens into a secret, sensual first love, leaving joy, heartbreak and lasting memory. read more

Genres: Drama, Romance

Past Lives is a quiet, character-driven drama about Nora and Hae Sung, childhood friends reunited after decades for a week that forces them to confront choices, longing, identity and fate. read more

Genre: Drama

Ex-Confederate Ethan hunts for his abducted niece for five years, driven by hatred. Accompanied by nephew Martin, the quest becomes a tense psychological odyssey about obsession, prejudice and moral ambiguity. read more

Genres: Adventure, Drama, Western

His Girl Friday is a fast screwball comedy about reporter Hildy, whose ex-husband editor Walter schemes to keep her on the beat. A sensational case fuels sharp banter, romantic sparks and satirical newsroom chaos. read more

Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance

The French Connection (1971) is a gritty, fast crime drama following NYPD detectives Doyle and Russo as they unravel a $32M heroin smuggling ring linked to a Marseille boss. Friedkin's documentary style fuels tense stakeouts, moral ambiguity and a legendary car chase. read more

Genres: Action, Crime, Drama

Badlands (1973) is a lyrical crime drama about restless drifter Kit and teenage Holly whose secret affair turns deadly. Shot in melancholic, poetic style, it emphasizes mood, alienation and quiet catastrophe. read more

Genres: Action, Crime, Drama

Days of Heaven (1978) is a lyrical 1916 drama: on the run Bill, Abby and sister Linda pretend to be siblings on a Texas wheat farm. Abby marries the farmer in a scheme to secure a future; jealousy, secrets and fate turn pastoral beauty into tragic inevitability. read more

Genres: Drama, Romance

Sideways (2004) follows Miles, a melancholic, wine-obsessed teacher and failed novelist, and Jack, a charming actor, on a weeklong California wine-country road trip that exposes midlife anxieties, friendship, romance and missed chances. read more

Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance

Set in 1950s New York, Carol is a slow-burning, elegiac romance between aspiring photographer Therese and Carol, whose love must face social prejudice and a custody threat. read more

Genres: Drama, Romance