From Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster Oppenheimer to the epic conclusion of the Ferrari, these are the best drama movies of 2023 to put on your must-watch list.
30 A Thousand and One
A Thousand and One follows unapologetic and free-spirited Inez, who kidnaps six-year-old Terry from the foster care system. Holding onto their secret and each other, mother and son set out to reclaim their sense of home, identity, and stability, in a rapidly changing New York City.
Director: A.V. Rockwell
Writer: A.V. Rockwell
Starring: Teyana Taylor, Aaron Kingsley Adetola, Aven Courtney
Box office: $3 463 000
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29 Jesus Revolution
Jesus Revolution is the story of one young hippie’s quest in the 1970s for belonging and liberation that leads not only to peace, love, and rock and roll, but that sets into motion a new counterculture crusade a Jesus Movement changing the course of history. Inspired by a true movement, Jesus Revolution tells the story of a young Greg Laurie being raised by his struggling mother, Charlene in the 1970s. Laurie and a sea of young people descend on sunny Southern California to redefine truth through all means of liberation. Inadvertently, Laurie meets Lonnie Frisbee, a charismatic hippie-street-preacher, and Pastor Chuck Smith who have thrown open the doors of Smith’s languishing church to a stream of wandering youth. What unfolds becomes the greatest spiritual awakening in American history. Rock and roll, newfound love, and a twist of faith lead to a Jesus Revolution that turns one counterculture movement into a revival that changes the world.
Directors: Jon Erwin, Brent McCorkle
Writers: Jon Gunn, Jon Erwin, Ellen Vaughn
Starring: Joel Courtney, Jonathan Roumie, Kimberly Williams-Paisley
Budget: $15 000 000
Box office: $54 236 000
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28 Creed III
After dominating the boxing world, Adonis Creed has been thriving in both his career and family life. When childhood friend and former boxing prodigy Damian resurfaces after serving a long sentence in prison, he is eager to prove that he deserves his shot in the ring. The face off between former friends is more than just a fight. To settle the score, Adonis must put his future on the line to battle Damian a fighter who has nothing to lose.
Director: Michael B. Jordan
Writers: Keenan Coogler, Zach Baylin, Ryan Coogler
Starring: Michael B. Jordan, Tessa Thompson, Jonathan Majors
Budget: $75 000 000
Box office: $276 148 000
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27 Maestro
Maestro will tell the complex love story of Leonard and Felicia, a story that spans over 30 years-from the time they met in 1946 at a party and continuing through two engagements, a 25 year marriage, and three children: Jamie Bernstein, Alexander Bernstein and Nina Bernstein Simmons.
Director: Bradley Cooper
Writers: Bradley Cooper, Josh Singer
Starring: Bradley Cooper, Carey Mulligan, Matt Bomer
Box office: $366 000
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26 Napoleon
Napoleon is a spectacle-filled action epic that details the checkered rise and fall of the iconic French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, played by Oscar-winner Joaquin Phoenix. Against a stunning backdrop of large-scale filmmaking orchestrated by legendary director Ridley Scott, the film captures Bonaparte’s relentless journey to power through the prism of his addictive, volatile relationship with his one true love, Josephine, showcasing his visionary military and political tactics against some of the most dynamic practical battle sequences ever filmed.
Director: Ridley Scott
Writer: David Scarpa
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Vanessa Kirby, Tahar Rahim
Box office: $216 603 000
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25 May December
Middle aged Gracie lives a happy, well settled life with her husband. Some years ago she was involved in an unsavory scandal but for her it is all in the past. Movie actress Elizabeth is on a visit to this home and she is on a mission. This visit is a part of her preparation to play the role of Gracie in a movie being made. As she goes about talking to the family members Gracie wonders whether Elizabeth will uncover some secrets from her past and will some skeletons be revealed.
Director: Todd Haynes
Writers: Samy Burch, Alex Mechanik
Starring: Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore, Charles Melton
Box office: $786 000
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24 Pain Hustlers
Dreaming of a better life for her and her young daughter, Liza Drake, a high-school dropout, lands a job with a failing pharmaceutical start-up in a yellowing strip mall in Central Florida. Liza’s charm, guts and drive catapult the company and her into the high life, where she soon finds herself at the center of a criminal conspiracy with deadly consequences.
Director: David Yates
Writers: Wells Tower, Evan Hughes
Starring: Emily Blunt, Chris Evans, Catherine O’Hara
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23 Beau Is Afraid
With his mother’s gloomy spectre looming over his entire life, grizzled outcast Beau has never made sense of his miserable existence. And perpetually baffled by reality and his conflicting urgent needs, the neurotic New Yorker gets a hearty slice of crippling anxiety and sheer paranoia when he sets foot in a strangely familiar war zone: his neighbourhood. But as the pill-popping hermit reluctantly embarks on a Sisyphean quest for answers, determined to reunite with his estranged mum at all costs, Beau must summon every last ounce of courage to confront everything that has kept him in the dark. To have a fighting chance of deciphering the sinister secrets that continue to rule his life, Beau must grapple with deep-seated phobias, deal with heavy guilt, and face the menacing parent. Because, in his case, love was a fiendish trap the labyrinthine depths of maternal affection were only the means to an end. Now, the drugs don’t work, and Beau is afraid. As the universe conspires against his conquest and the end draws near, will Beau be able to fight his inner demons for a change?
Director: Ari Aster
Writer: Ari Aster
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Patti LuPone, Amy Ryan
Budget: $35 000 000
Box office: $11 480 000
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22 Ferrari
Set during the summer of 1957. Ex-racecar driver, Ferrari, is in crisis. Bankruptcy stalks the company he and his wife, Laura, built from nothing ten years earlier. Their tempestuous marriage struggles with the mourning for one son and the acknowledgement of another. He decides to counter his losses by rolling the dice on one race – 1,000 miles across Italy, the iconic Mille Migl!
Director: Michael Mann
Writers: Troy Kennedy Martin, Brock Yates
Starring: Adam Driver, Penélope Cruz, Shailene Woodley
Budget: $80 000 000
Box office: $31 610 000
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21 Leave the World Behind
Bearing grim news of an unknown enemy and the shocking certainty that the city succumbs to chaos, a sharp-dressed stranger and his young companion disrupt Amanda’s and Clay’s much-needed family vacation. But the information the unwanted couple brings is inconceivable. Now, a complex, multilevel mystery unfolds before everyone’s eyes, whether they like it or not. After all, the unsuspecting tourists have already encountered a series of mysterious, logic-defying incidents during their brief stay. As a result, vague disbelief and a palpable sense of threat ratchet up the tension, rendering modern technology unreliable. And the question remains: in a rapidly disintegrating world where nothing makes sense, what can you do to protect your own and what used to be your cherished ordinary life?
Director: Sam Esmail
Writers: Sam Esmail, Rumaan Alam
Starring: Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, Ethan Hawke
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20 Jeanne du Barry
The life of Jeanne Bécu who was born as the illegitimate daughter of an impoverished seamstress in 1743 and went on to rise through the Court of Louis XV to become his last official mistress.
Director: Maïwenn
Writers: Maïwenn, Teddy Lussi-Modeste, Nicolas Livecchi
Starring: Maïwenn, Johnny Depp, Benjamin Lavernhe
Budget: $22 400 000
Box office: $13 705 000
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19 The Son
A 17 year old boy is going through severe psychological trauma ever since his father had divorced his mom and moved out. The boy appears to have lost interest in life. His mother and father try their best to counsel him and put him through professional therapy but things don’t seem to be working out. Will his emotional turmoil reduce with time?
Director: Florian Zeller
Writers: Christopher Hampton, Florian Zeller
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Laura Dern, Vanessa Kirby
Box office: $3 617 000
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18 The Burial
Inspired by true events, when a handshake deal goes sour, funeral home owner Jeremiah O’Keefe enlists charismatic, smooth-talking attorney Willie E. Gary to save his family business. Tempers flare and laughter ensues as the unlikely pair bond while exposing corporate corruption and racial injustice in this inspirational, triumphant story.
Director: Maggie Betts
Writers: Maggie Betts, Doug Wright, Jonathan Harr
Starring: Jamie Foxx, Tommy Lee Jones, Jurnee Smollett
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17 Flora and Son
A single mom at war with her son is trying to find a hobby for him. One day, she rescues a guitar from a dumpster.
Director: John Carney
Writer: John Carney
Starring: Eve Hewson, Jack Reynor, Orén Kinlan
Box office: $129 000
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16 A Good Person
Allison is a promising young woman with a thriving career, a loving fiancé, and a close-knit circle of family and friends. But her life takes a sudden turn for the worse when she experiences a harrowing tragedy that leaves her battling an addiction to opiates and grappling with unresolved sorrow. Despite the challenges that lie ahead, she finds solace and strength in an unexpected relationship with her would-be father-in-law, who becomes her unlikely ally in the journey towards healing and recovery.
Director: Zach Braff
Writer: Zach Braff
Starring: Florence Pugh, Morgan Freeman, Celeste O’Connor
Box office: $2 688 000
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15 Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.
For over fifty years, Judy Blume’s classic Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. has connected with readers through its relatable story, achingly funny details, and candid exploration of life’s biggest questions. In Lionsgate’s big-screen adaptation, 11-year-old Margaret is uprooted from her life in New York City for the suburbs of New Jersey, going through the messy and tumultuous throes of puberty with new friends in a new school. She relies on her mother, Barbara, who is also struggling to adjust to life outside the big city, and her adoring grandmother, Sylvia, who isn’t happy they moved away and likes to remind them every chance she gets.
Director: Kelly Fremon Craig
Writers: Kelly Fremon Craig, Judy Blume
Starring: Abby Ryder Fortson, Rachel McAdams, Kathy Bates
Budget: $30 000 000
Box office: $21 464 000
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14 Nyad
A riveting chapter in the life of world-class athlete Diana Nyad. Three decades after giving up marathon swimming in exchange for a prominent career as a sports journalist, at the age of 60, Diana becomes obsessed with completing an epic swim that always eluded her: the 110-mile trek from Cuba to Florida, often referred to as the “Mount Everest” of swims. Determined to become the first person to finish the swim without a shark cage, Diana goes on a thrilling four-year journey with her best friend and coach Bonnie Stoll and a dedicated sailing team.
Directors: Jimmy Chin, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi
Writers: Julia Cox, Diana Nyad
Starring: Annette Bening, Jodie Foster, Rhys Ifans
Box office: $16 000
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13 Fallen Leaves (Kuolleet lehdet)
In modern-day Helsinki, two lonely souls in search of love meet by chance in a karaoke bar. However, their path to happiness is beset by obstacles – from lost phone numbers to mistaken addresses, alcoholism, and a charming stray dog.
Director: Aki Kaurismäki
Writer: Aki Kaurismäki
Starring: Alma Pöysti, Jussi Vatanen, Alina Tomnikov
Box office: $5 095 000
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12 Monster (怪物 | Kaibutsu)
When her young son Minato starts to behave strangely, his mother feels that there is something wrong. Discovering that a teacher is responsible, she storms into the school demanding to know what’s going on. But as the story unfolds through the eyes of mother, teacher and child, the truth gradually emerges.
Director: Hirokazu Koreeda
Writer: Yuji Sakamoto
Starring: Soya Kurokawa, Hinata Hiiragi, Sakura Ando
Box office: $19 812 000
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11 Anatomy of a Fall (Anatomie d’une chute)
The story begins when Samuel is found dead in the snow outside the isolated chalet where he lived with his wife Sandra, a German writer, and their partially-sighted 11-year-old son Daniel. An investigation leads to a conclusion of “suspicious death”: it’s impossible to know for sure whether he took his own life or was killed. Sandra is indicted, and we follow her trial which pulls the couple’s relationship apart. Daniel is caught in the middle: between the trial and their home life, doubts take their toll on the mother-son relationship.
Director: Justine Triet
Writers: Justine Triet, Arthur Harari
Starring: Sandra Hüller, Swann Arlaud, Milo Machado-Graner
Box office: $21 932 000
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10 Saltburn
Struggling to find his place at Oxford University, student Oliver Quick finds himself drawn into the world of the charming and aristocratic Felix Catton, who invites him to Saltburn, his eccentric family’s sprawling estate, for a summer never to be forgotten.
Director: Emerald Fennell
Writer: Emerald Fennell
Starring: Barry Keoghan, Jacob Elordi, Archie Madekwe
Box office: $20 643 000
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9 Air
When Nike is discussing who they should sign from the NBA draft in 1984, shoe salesman Sonny Vaccaro pushes for the #3 draft pick, Michael Jordan. In an all out battle between Nike, Adidas, and Converse, Michael’s mother is the one who fought for the worth of her son, the man who later became one of the greatest of all time.
Director: Ben Affleck
Writer: Alex Convery
Starring: Matt Damon, Jason Bateman, Ben Affleck
Budget: $90 000 000
Box office: $90 060 000
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8 Past Lives
Nora and Hae Sung, two deeply connected childhood friends, are wrested apart after Nora’s family emigrates from South Korea. Twenty years later, they are reunited for one fateful week as they confront notions of love and destiny.
Director: Celine Song
Writer: Celine Song
Starring: Greta Lee, Teo Yoo, John Magaro
Box office: $22 345 000
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7 Odin malenkiy nochnoy sekret (Один маленький ночной секрет)
Fourteen-year-old Mira wants to spend New Year’s Eve with her friend Lera. Initially, her stepfather disagrees. But, after a tense family dinner, she is given permission.
Director: Nataliya Meshchaninova
Writer: Nataliya Meshchaninova
Starring: Taisya Kalinina, Stepan Devonin, Elena Plaksina
Box office: $22 345 000
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6 Poor Things
From filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos and producer Emma Stone comes the incredible tale and fantastical evolution of Bella Baxter, a young woman brought back to life by the brilliant and unorthodox scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter. Under Baxter’s protection, Bella is eager to learn. Hungry for the worldliness she is lacking, Bella runs off with Duncan Wedderburn, a slick and debauched lawyer, on a whirlwind adventure across the continents. Free from the prejudices of her times, Bella grows steadfast in her purpose to stand for equality and liberation.
Director: Yorgos Lanthimos
Writers: Tony McNamara, Alasdair Gray
Starring: Emma Stone, Willem Dafoe, Ramy Youssef
Box office: $19 831 000
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5 The Boy and the Heron (君たちはどう生きるか | Kimitachi wa Dou Ikiru ka)
After losing his mother during the war, young Mahito moves to his family’s estate in the countryside. There, a series of mysterious events lead him to a secluded and ancient tower, home to a mischievous gray heron. When Mahito’s new stepmother disappears, he follows the gray heron into the tower, and enters a fantastic world shared by the living and the dead. As he embarks on an epic journey with the heron as his guide, Mahito must uncover the secrets of this world, and the truth about himself.
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Writer: Hayao Miyazaki
Starring: Soma Santoki, Aimyon, Keiko Takeshita
Box office: $167 029 000
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4 The Iron Claw
The true story of the inseparable Von Erich brothers, who made history in the intensely competitive world of professional wrestling in the early 1980s. Through tragedy and triumph, under the shadow of their domineering father and coach, the brothers seek larger-than-life immortality on the biggest stage in sports.
Director: Sean Durkin
Writer: Sean Durkin
Starring: Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson
Box office: $29 301 000
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3 Sound of Freedom
“Sound of Freedom”, based on the incredible true story, shines a light on even the darkest of places. After rescuing a young boy from ruthless child-traffickers, a federal agent learns that the boy’s sister is still a captive and decides to embark on a dangerous mission to save her. With time running out, he quits his job and journeys deep into the Colombian jungle, putting his life on the line to free her from a fate worse than death.
Director: Alejandro Gomez Monteverde
Writers: Rod Barr, Alejandro Gomez Monteverde
Starring: James Caviezel, Bill Camp, Javier Godino
Budget: $14 600 000
Box office: $250 570 000
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2 Oppenheimer
J. Robert Oppenheimer, the creator of The Atomic Bomb, is put on trial for his supposed communist ties in the past, all while coming to terms with what it meant to change the history of the world for the sake of winning World War Two. This is the story of how America’s Prometheus was cast out by The Gods for giving mankind an unthinkable gift: power unlike any other, the power to destroy the world; the power of Olympus.
Director: Christopher Nolan
Writers: Christopher Nolan, Kai Bird, Martin Sherwin
Starring: Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon
Budget: $100 000 000
Box office: $952 531 000
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1 Killers of the Flower Moon
When oil is discovered in 1920s Oklahoma under Osage Nation land, the Osage people are murdered one by one – until the FBI steps in to unravel the mystery.
Director: Martin Scorsese
Writers: Eric Roth, Martin Scorsese, David Grann
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Lily Gladstone
Budget: $200 000 000
Box office: $156 365 000
Trailer:
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