25 underrated drama films that are worth a watch

No need to worry about Chat GPT just yet. No computer could have written this honest, human and personal story of a Korean immigrant and her childhood crush, which might just be the best movie of 2023. Get ready to have your heartstrings pulled right out of your chest. 

This movie follows two lesbians as they spend a summer together before they have to go back home. It's a romance that unfolds in brushstrokes as one paints the other's portrait over the course of a weekend. We, too, get to admire every corner of their faces--every ridge of their minds--as the director sketches their lives one line at a time. 

Christopher Nolan? Underrated? While The Prestige has many fans, it doesn't have the same following as movies like Inception and Memento. That's a shame, since this story of two magicians is pure magic. 

Movies about childhood make for great dramas. Think about it: to a child, the prospect of ice cream seems like the best thing in the world and the thought of mom coming home late can feel like a disaster. That's what makes Sean Baker's indie so special. It takes us into the mind of a child while also giving us a look at the realities of motel life. 

I have never been on the edge of my seat quite like I was during The Battle of Algiers, a war movie so realistic they screened it at the Pentagon. Since the camera makes it all feel so real, you might actually think you joined the revolution while watching these activists take on a fascist regime.

How can there be drama in a war movie? Aren't war movies just a bunch of people shooting and yelling at each other? The Grand Illusion is that rare war movie to feature almost no action. It's about the soldier's personal lives, the way they find hope in the rubble and humor in the horror. It's the work of Jean Renoir, after all, a director who has been labeled by many as "cinema's great humanist."

Yasujiro Ozu has entered the chat. One of cinema's other great humanists, Ozu made movies about families who go through everyday life. There is no action. No guns or explosions. This is just a movie about everyday life that is every bit as entertaining as a blockbuster.

I mean, I could absolutely put the first movie on here. But that might be a little too popular for an underrated list. Instead, we're picking up with Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy in Paris, where they reunite five years after their first meeting in Vienna. In scene after scene, they make you swoon with the possibilities of love. 

This one didn't leave much of a trace at the box office, but those who saw it were left with a sort of shellshock. The story of a war veteran and his daughter camping out in the woods is one that sticks with you long after the credits role. The performances from Ben Foster and Thomasin McKenzie are quietly heartbreaking, while the direction from Debra Granik is up there with anything from 2018. 

Chloe Zhao really likes making us cry in movies. In her breakout, The Rider, she turned the story of a rodeo rider into an emotional bull ride. In her next picture, Nomadland, she turned the story of a nomad into a road to despair. And in her Marvel movie, Eternals, she bored us to tears. How's that for consistency? 

The Two Popes is basically like watching two people become friends before your very eyes...only they're popes. They start out talking about life, religion and philosophy, but move onto to more prescient matters like pizza and soda. It's the sort of thing that sounds boring on paper, but is made with such energy that it makes you a believer in the film. 

Collin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson are hitmen in Bruges, but they have nothing to do. They talk, walk and drink in this meandering masterpiece from Martin McDonagh. 

If you can make it through Michelle Williams' monologue in Manchester by the Sea without crying, you would be the first. The story of two divorcees is one heck of a tearjerker. 

Speaking of tearjerkers, The Father is one of the saddest movies of the past few years. Anthony Hopkins will tear your heart out as a father with dementia, while Olivia Coleman will put the pieces back together as his daughter. It's the kind of movie that was made for the Oscars, which is why Hopkins took home Best Actor in 2020. 

Want a drama with a little bit of horror? The Babadook offers a drama about being a mother with the horror of being in a haunted house. The movie delivers on both fronts, thanks to Jennifer Kent's direction and Essie Davis' performance. 

Only watch Beasts of the Southern Wild if you are prepared to spend the last 30 minutes balling your eyes out. The movie follows a father and daughter who live on the outskirts of town, when a hurricane comes along to sweep them away. There's not much of a plot, other than the girl running around their homeless encampment. But that doesn't stop the flood of emotions from coming in the third act. 

I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it anymore! More people need to watch this movie! That's why I'm including it on our list, even though many people consider it a classic. This satire on television couldn't be more timely, as news stations on both sides of the political spectrum continue to shout nonsense. 

John Cassavetes once said that the face is the greatest location to shoot a film. And it's hard to argue when watching Faces, the director's movie about a man and wife who both want a divorce, head their separate ways and return in a heartbreaking ending. Viewed in extreme close-ups, the movie has the power to place you in their minds--to reveal their thoughts even when they aren't speaking. 

Based on a true story, Zodiac follows the detectives who went after the Zodiac killer. It's one of David Fincher's more underrated works, with not as much fanfare as movies like Seven, but almost the same amount of tension and atmosphere. It's a treat to watch Fincher crack the case on how to make a thriller. 

After a Chinese family learns their grandma doesn't have long to live, they try to spend as much time with her as possible. With Awkwafina in the leading role, the movie builds to an emotional conclusion that feels as personal as a family photo album. It's a picture of memories, one that was nominated for Best Picture. 

It's a parent's biggest fear: losing their child. There isn't a trip to Disneyland or a vacation that doesn't include moments of worrying for parents, which makes it all the more heartbreaking when it happens to Olivia Coleman. It's 20 years later, and now she's back at that same beach to relive that same memory. 

Wait a minute, isn't Adam Sandler in this movie? Yes, he is. And he's fantastic as a scout getting ready for the draft. Between this, Uncut Gems, and The Meyerowitz Stories, the actor has been proving his range as a dramatic star. 

I'm definitely not the only person who thinks this movie about a haunted woman is terrific. There are lots of people who find it boring, but the story of a wife mourning the loss of her husband is a great example of slow cinema. The long takes pull you in--not put you to sleep--and while it may seem like nothing is happening, there are lots of things happening just beyond the frame. 

Just let the kid dance! No one wants this boy to join the ballet--especially his father, who wants him to become a coal miner. But he's got a knack for dancing, and when he gets those feet moving, he takes everyone in this movie with him. 

I'm not crying, you're crying. Okay, so maybe I'm crying a little. This story of a deaf family and the daughter who isn't made waves on the festival circuit and wound up winning Best Picture. It's a truly great movie, but there are still lots of people who haven't seen it. Let's change that, shall we?