Drama may not have the form of possession that style followers take over sci-fi or horror, however its energy lies in its capability to maneuver us. These are tales that fire up a bevy of emotion inside the viewer, whether or not by means of sweeping romance or a well-written character examine.

Amazon Prime Video has a big selection of drama films from all eras of movie historical past, together with classics like It's a Fantastic Life (1946) and Sounder (1972), and up to date favorites like Saltburn (2023) and Hedda (2025). These are movies that replicate the human situation in all its miserable glory, holding up a mirror whereas entertaining us on the similar time.

Forward, Leisure Weekly recommends 18 of the perfect drama films streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

01 of 18

Challengers (2024)

Dripping with psychosexual need, Challengers is among the buzziest authentic movies launched in 2024. Zendaya stars as Tashi Duncan, a once-promising tennis professional who suffers a career-ending damage, and the connection she kinds with a pair of tennis-playing finest mates, Patrick (Josh O'Connor) and Artwork (Mike Faist). As Tashi begins to favor one over the opposite, the connection between Patrick and Artwork strains — additional difficult by their occasional homoerotic tendencies. Director Luca Guadagnino makes his viewers really feel the blood, sweat, and tears of his younger characters as their private {and professional} passions mix in wonderful trend.

The place to observe Challengers: Amazon Prime Video

EW grade: A–

Director: Luca Guadagnino

Solid: Zendaya, Josh O'Connor, Mike Faist

02 of 18

Conclave (2024)

This Oscar-winning political drama shouldn’t be the uninteresting, eat-your-vegetables awards bait chances are you’ll expect. In reality, it's extra analogous to a cutthroat actuality TV competitors, centering on the behind-the-scenes machinations concerned in electing a brand new pope, with alliances fashioned and damaged, surprising revelations, and a wild closing twist. EW's critic praises Conclave as "an impeccably crafted thriller," one which earns its viewers funding by additionally delivering on potent themes about humanity's relationship to religion and the way it shapes us.

The place to observe Conclave: Amazon Prime Video

EW grade: A–

Director: Edward Berger

Solid: Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Sergio Castellitto, Isabella Rossellini

03 of 18

Eve's Bayou (1997)

This evocative Southern gothic drama is all about generational trauma and the difficult nature of reminiscence. Set in early-'60s Louisiana, the movie stars Jurnee Smollett as Eve, a 10-year-old woman who witnesses a surprising incident in her dwelling that shakes her to her core. Within the aftermath, Eve seeks out solutions, however solely unravels a much more disturbing secret. As Roger Ebert wrote of the movie in 1997, "For the viewer, it’s a reminder that generally movies can enterprise into the realms of poetry and goals."

The place to observe Eve's Bayou: Amazon Prime Video

Director: Kasi Lemmons

Solid: Jurnee Smollett, Meagan Good, Debbi Morgan, Samuel L. Jackson, Lynn Whitfield

04 of 18

Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)

Glengarry Glen Ross assembles a number of the biggest male actors and units them towards one another in a captivating story about energy and ego. The motion takes place at an actual property agency the place a coach reveals that solely the highest two salesmen will hold their jobs by the top of the week. Because the salesmen use their leads, some resort to determined techniques to get forward, together with a deliberate housebreaking that escalates the competitors to a complete new degree. The all-star solid options Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Alec Baldwin, Ed Harris, Alan Arkin, and Kevin Spacey, who, as EW's critic writes, "obtain a real ensemble rhythm; at occasions, your entire workplace looks as if a single, shouting organism."

The place to observe Glengarry Glen Ross: Amazon Prime Video

EW grade: A

Director: James Foley

Solid: Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Alec Baldwin, Ed Harris, Alan Arkin

05 of 18

The Handmaiden (2016)

This mesmerizing psychological drama from writer-director Park Chan-wook can be spectacular sufficient for its well-executed plot twists if it weren’t additionally one of the crucial elegantly made movies of the trendy age. Tailored from the Victorian-set novel Fingersmith by Sarah Waters, The Handmaiden transports the motion to Japanese-occupied Korea, following a con man (Ha Jung-woo) who recruits a pickpocket (Kim Tae-ri) to assist him seduce a rich heiress (Kim Min-hee). He poses as a depend whereas the pickpocket turns into the heiress’ maid, to persuade her to marry him after which put her in an asylum whereas he acquires her inheritance. Horny and suspenseful, you probably received’t anticipate what’s coming.

The place to observe The Handmaiden: Amazon Prime Video

EW grade: A–

Director: Park Chan-wook

Solid: Kim Min-hee, Kim Tae-ri, Ha Jung-woo, Cho Jin-woong

06 of 18

Hedda (2025)

Henrik Ibsen's basic play Hedda Gabler will get a reimagining on this enrapturing story of seduction and deception. Tessa Thompson stars because the title character, an sad spouse who makes use of an extravagant social gathering at their dwelling to assist advance her husband's profession by executing a collection of manipulations. However her scheming quickly spirals uncontrolled, leaving her to face the implications of her actions. Thompson deservedly earned a Golden Globe nomination for her efficiency, which runs the gamut from sensual to ice-cold.

The place to observe Hedda: Amazon Prime Video

Director: Nia DaCosta

Solid: Tessa Thompson, Nina Hoss, Imogen Poots, Tom Bateman, Nicholas Pinnock

07 of 18

It's a Fantastic Life (1946)

Whereas primarily referred to as the quintessential Christmas film, It’s a Fantastic Life may be loved year-round. Feeling hopeless, George Bailey (Jimmy Stewart) is a person contemplating suicide whereas a wingless guardian angel from heaven, Clarence (Henry Travers), is tasked with intervening. Clarence accesses George’s backstory, studying about his childhood and the way his selflessness in the end led to emotions of remorse, with an harmless mistake almost sending him over the sting. The angel reveals George what life in his hometown would have been like with out him, inflicting George to understand the optimistic affect he’s had on his neighborhood. Its common message and heartfelt performances have made It’s a Fantastic Life a basic price watching yearly.

The place to observe It's a Fantastic Life: Amazon Prime Video

Director: Frank Capra

Solid: Jimmy Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, Henry Travers

08 of 18

The Misplaced Metropolis of Z (2017)

Based mostly on the best-selling nonfiction e book of the identical identify by David Grann, The Misplaced Metropolis of Z is an journey drama about obsession and man’s must discover uncharted worlds. The movie facilities on Percy Fawcett (Charlie Hunnam), a British main tasked with measuring the border between Brazil and Bolivia who discovers potential proof of a misplaced metropolis within the jungles of the Amazon. That chance turns into his fascination, as Fawcett and his males embark on a number of expeditions through the years to the displeasure of skeptics in his neighborhood. Sensible and sweeping in scope, The Misplaced Metropolis of Z is an absorbing epic about persistence and hope with out resorting to low cost sentimentality.

The place to observe The Misplaced Metropolis of Z: Amazon Prime Video

Director: James Grey

Solid: Charlie Hunnam, Robert Pattinson, Sienna Miller, Tom Holland, Angus Macfadyen

09 of 18

Manchester by the Sea (2016)

This devastating household drama follows a grief-stricken man’s journey to maneuver on together with his life. Casey Affleck stars as Lee Chandler, a handyman going by means of the motions of residing till the dying of his brother. He’s stunned to study that he’s now the authorized guardian of Patrick (Lucas Hedges), his teenage nephew who has no need to maneuver away from dwelling to stick with his uncle. As Lee helps Patrick by means of the grief technique of dropping his father, we come to know how a traumatic occasion in Lee’s previous led him to close down emotionally. Shifting and shockingly humorous at occasions, Manchester by the Sea rightfully received Oscars for writer-director Kenneth Lonergan’s screenplay and Affleck’s delicate masterclass efficiency.

The place to observe Manchester by the Sea: Amazon Prime Video

EW grade: A

Director: Kenneth Lonergan

Solid: Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams, Kyle Chandler, Lucas Hedges

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Monster (2003)

Charlize Theron received the Finest Actress Oscar for her gorgeous transformation into real-life serial killer Aileen Wuornos on this gritty crime drama. Convicted of murdering seven males throughout her time as a intercourse employee, Wuornos was in the end executed in 2002, and the movie explores how what began as an act of self-defense spiraled uncontrolled. Future Surprise Lady helmer Patty Jenkins made her characteristic directorial debut right here, portraying Wuornos’ story with unflinching realism, however the movie belongs to Theron for her fiercely dedicated portrait of a harmful girl harboring intense emotional demons.

The place to observe Monster: Amazon Prime Video

Director: Patty Jenkins

Solid: Charlize Theron, Christina Ricci, Bruce Dern, Lee Tergesen

11 of 18

Nickel Boys (2024)

This staggering drama forces the viewer to bear witness to brutal circumstances at a corrupt reform college by means of the eyes of two of its college students — actually. Tailored from Colson Whitehead's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the identical identify, Nickel Boys is filmed by means of a first-person viewpoint, permitting us to empathize very immediately with Elwood (Ethan Herisse) and Turner (Brandon Wilson) as they type a deep friendship and search salvation from their harsh circumstances. It's a tremendously transferring murals, one which deservedly earned Oscar nominations for Finest Image and Finest Tailored Screenplay.

The place to observe Nickel Boys: Amazon Prime Video

EW grade: A–

Director: RaMell Ross

Solid: Ethan Herisse, Brandon Wilson, Hamish Linklater, Fred Hechinger, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor

12 of 18

One Night time in Miami (2020)

On Feb. 25, 1964, boxing legend Muhammad Ali beat Sonny Liston in a title match in Miami. Following the struggle, Ali convened with three different influential Black public figures — Malcolm X, Jim Brown, and Sam Cooke — in a resort room. What their conversations had been is imagined in vibrant element on this fascinating drama directed by Regina King and tailored from Kemp Powers' play of the identical identify. "In extrapolating the mysteries of an evening we'll by no means absolutely know, [King] finds one thing that might not be strictly true to lived historical past, however presumably even richer," writes EW's critic, "a quintessentially American story; profane, profound, and delightful."

The place to observe One Night time in Miami: Amazon Prime Video

EW grade: A–

Director: Regina King

Solid: Kingsley Ben-Adir, Eli Goree, Aldis Hodge, Leslie Odom Jr.

13 of 18

Paterson (2016)

This quietly poetic slice-of-life movie follows every week within the lifetime of Paterson (Adam Driver), a bus driver who occurs to work within the New Jersey metropolis of the identical identify. After listening to the thrill of passengers with their every day observations, Paterson writes poems in a pocket book, which his spouse, Laura (Golshifteh Farahani), desires him to share with the world. Driver delivers certainly one of his most underrated performances because the curious, mild-mannered poet, proving to be a powerful match for writer-director Jim Jarmusch’s minimalist type. As EW’s critic writes, “There’s a hushed magnificence to Paterson and Paterson that celebrates the way in which wherein even probably the most unusual, prosaic lives may be filled with poetry."

The place to observe Paterson: Amazon Prime Video

EW grade: A–

Director: Jim Jarmusch

Solid: Adam Driver, Golshifteh Farahani, Barry Shabaka Henley, Cliff Smith, Chasten Harmon

14 of 18

A Quiet Ardour (2017)

Cynthia Nixon stars as one of many world’s most well-known poets, Emily Dickinson, on this understated but highly effective biopic by Terence Davies. The movie portrays Dickinson’s gifted thoughts from an early age, discovering pleasure and poetry in her rising independence. She additionally finds worth in household, rejecting suitors and expressing her observations on life and love by means of her profession. Because the title suggests, there’s a sensitivity with which A Quiet Ardour explores an artist’s relationship together with her life and her work. After which there’s the poetry itself; as EW’s critic writes, "That's the place A Quiet Ardour finds its most transcendent moments: within the immortal, extraordinary verses Dickinson left behind."

The place to observe A Quiet Ardour: Amazon Prime Video

EW grade: B

Director: Terence Davies

Solid: Cynthia Nixon, Jennifer Ehle, Keith Carradine

15 of 18

Saltburn (2023)

Emerald Fennell has shortly change into one of the crucial divisive administrators working in the present day. Saltburn explores obsession and sophistication divisions in mid-2000s Britain, following outcast Oxford pupil Oliver Fast (Barry Keoghan) and his intense reference to Felix (Jacob Elordi), a preferred pupil who comes from monumental wealth. After Felix invitations Oliver to his huge nation home over the summer season, Oliver’s obsession turns right into a disturbing drawback, not only for Felix however for his total household.

EW’s critic calls Saltburn “a provocative, violent portrait of repulsion and need,” one that can undoubtedly evoke a response from the viewer for higher or worse.

The place to observe Saltburn: Amazon Prime Video

EW grade: A

Director: Emerald Fennell

Solid: Barry Keoghan, Jacob Elordi, Rosamund Pike, Richard E. Grant, Alison Oliver

16 of 18

Sound of Steel (2020)

Riz Ahmed provides certainly one of his most soul-baring performances to this point on this quietly devastating indie drama. The actor earned an Oscar nomination for his efficiency as Ruben, a heavy metallic drummer whose worst nightmare comes true when he immediately loses his listening to. Additionally experiencing a drug drawback, Ruben enters a sober residing facility for the Deaf neighborhood and struggles to deal with his new actuality. "As Ruben's worry and rage begins to open itself to the unknown," writes EW's critic, "the film reaches towards one thing profound — discovering actual, livid energy within the areas between the sound."

The place to observe Sound of Steel: Amazon Prime Video

EW grade: A–

Director: Darius Marder

Solid: Riz Ahmed, Olivia Cooke, Paul Raci, Lauren Ridloff, Mathieu Amalric

17 of 18

Sounder (1972)

This beloved drama follows a household of Black sharecroppers making an attempt to get by in Thirties Louisiana. After the daddy, Nathan (Paul Winfield), is arrested for stealing ham and shipped off to an unknown work camp, eldest son David Lee (Kevin Hooks) takes a journey with the household canine, Sounder, to attempt to discover him. In the meantime, David Lee’s hard-working mom, Rebecca (Cicely Tyson), tries to carry down the fort at dwelling and survive with out her husband. Shifting and genuinely inspirational, Sounder is a family-friendly movie that pays tribute to a neighborhood not often seen on display screen in 1972, rightfully incomes Oscar nominations for Finest Image, Finest Tailored Screenplay, Finest Actor for Winfield, and Finest Actress for Tyson.

The place to observe Sounder: Amazon Prime Video

Director: Martin Ritt

Solid: Cicely Tyson, Paul Winfield, Kevin Hooks

18 of 18

Ladies Speaking (2022)

Do nothing. Keep and struggle. Go away. These are the choices mulled over by the ladies of a Mennonite colony on this absorbing drama tailored from Miriam Toews' novel. With the boys of the colony raping them on a constant foundation, the ladies and ladies determine to have a non-public dialogue over tips on how to transfer ahead. The movie focuses on their heated debate, as some want to struggle their oppressors whereas others argue for a calculated escape. Author-director Sarah Polley received an Oscar for her dialogue-heavy screenplay.

"There's a deep vein of humor and humanity that Polley and her actors mine from the textual content," EW's critic writes, "and one thing quietly mesmerizing of their world-building."

The place to observe Ladies Speaking: Amazon Prime Video

EW grade: B

Director: Sarah Polley

Solid: Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, Jessie Buckley, Ben Whishaw, Frances McDormand

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