The 25 best drama movies on Netflix

Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974)

For those who think Martin Scorsese only makes films about masculinity and gangsters, this underrated classic is strong evidence to the contrary. Ellen Burstyn stars as Alice, a working-class mother whose husband dies suddenly, prompting her to take her precocious son on a road trip to start the next chapter of her life. Along the way, she takes odd jobs, meets men of varying moral quality, and gradually becomes a more self-actualized human being. Funny and warm, with just the right splash of realism, Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore is the kind of character-driven comedy-drama they just don't make anymore. Burstyn won the Oscar for Best Actress for her remarkably lived-in performance, with additional nominations for Best Original Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress for sharp-talking scene-stealer Diane Ladd. —Kevin Jacobsen

Where to watch Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore: Netflix

Director: Martin Scorsese

Cast: Ellen Burstyn, Kris Kristofferson, Alfred Lutter, Harvey Keitel, Jodie Foster, Vic Tayback, Diane Ladd

Related content: The agelessness of Ellen Burstyn

Black Swan (2010)

At what point does dedication to one's craft become too much? Director Darren Aronofsky explores this (among other themes) in Black Swan, in which Natalie Portman portrays Nina, a sheltered ballerina whose drive to play the lead in a production of Swan Lake causes her to have a psychological breakdown. Nina soon finds herself behaving erratically, experiencing hallucinations, and awakening the darkness within herself. The film was a huge hit with critics and audiences when it was released in 2010, grossing $106 million domestically and scoring multiple Oscar nominations including Best Picture, with Portman winning Best Actress. As EW's critic wrote in his review, "Black Swan is lurid and voluptuous pulp fun, with a sensationalistic fairy-tale allure." All these years later, it's hard not to be enraptured by its blending of gothic horror and high art. —K.J.

Where to watch Black Swan: Netflix through Jan. 31

EW grade: B+ (read the review)

Director: Darren Aronofsky

Cast: Natalie Portman, Vincent Cassel, Mila Kunis, Barbara Hershey, Winona Ryder

Related content: Darren Aronofsky just wants to be perfect with a Black Swan musical: 'We're working on it'

Boyz N the Hood (1991)

The impact of John Singleton's coming-of-age drama cannot be overstated, not only for its nuanced examination of young Black men's lives in South Central L.A., but also for being a launching pad for its stars, including Cuba Gooding Jr., Ice Cube, Morris Chestnut, Nia Long, Angela Bassett, and Regina King. Boyz N the Hood centers on Tre Styles (Gooding Jr.), a college prospect who grows up under the tutelage of his wise father (Laurence Fishburne). After his childhood friend Doughboy (Ice Cube) returns home from prison as a member of the Bloods, conflict arises when the rival Crips gang threatens Tre and Doughboy's other friend, Ricky (Chestnut). While the film has plenty of raw, devastating moments, Singleton also excels in the smaller, lighter character interactions. "The movie is most enjoyable — and perceptive — when it’s content to be a slice of urban life," wrote EW's critic, adding that Singleton "gives you a feel for the neighborhood as an organic, close-knit community, and he shows some skill at throwaway repartee." —K.J.

Where to watch Boyz N the Hood: Netflix

EW grade: B– (read the review)

Director: John Singleton

Cast: Cuba Gooding Jr., Ice Cube, Morris Chestnut, Laurence Fishburne, Nia Long, Angela Bassett, Regina King

Related content: Boyz N the Hood director, stars look back on the groundbreaking drama

Call Me by Your Name (2017)

An idyllic Italian summer in 1983 is the perfect setting for this sensual romantic drama. Timothée Chalamet, in his breakout performance, plays Elio, a bookish 17-year-old who finds himself unexpectedly drawn to his father's new grad student, Oliver (Armie Hammer), a preppy jock-type who reciprocates those feelings for Elio. The hot summer days only enhance the lust between the young men, as their relationship blossoms. Call Me by Your Name was a major critical success, with EW's Leah Greenblatt writing, "The small miracle of the movie isn't just that it tells a gay love story with such unreserved tenderness, but that it makes the fate of a romance not meant to last feel like much more than exquisitely framed filmmaking." It earned four Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Chalamet, with James Ivory winning for his adapted screenplay. —K.J.

Where to watch Call Me by Your Name: Netflix

EW grade: A– (read the review)

Director: Luca Guadagnino

Cast: Timothée Chalamet, Armie Hammer, Michael Stuhlbarg, Amira Casar, Victoire Du Bois

Related content: Call Me by Your Name director still wants to make a sequel with Timothée Chalamet

Carol (2015)

Forbidden love has rarely been as luscious as it is in Todd Haynes' sweeping romantic drama set in 1950s New York. Therese Belivet (Rooney Mara) is a quiet department store clerk who encounters Carol Aird (Cate Blanchett), an elegant customer who entrances her. The two eventually get to know each other and carry out a secret affair, but their bliss is interrupted when Carol's soon-to-be ex-husband uses the affair as leverage to get full custody of their young daughter. Adapted from the 1952 novel The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith, Carol was one of the most celebrated films of 2015, earning a 10-minute standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival, topping numerous year-end critics' lists, and receiving six Oscar nominations (though curiously not for Best Picture). —K.J.

Where to watch Carol: Netflix

EW grade: A– (read the review)

Director: Todd Haynes

Cast: Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Sarah Paulson, Jake Lacy, Kyle Chandler

Related content: Carol stars Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, director Todd Haynes on the film's forbidden love story

The Devil All the Time (2020)

Based on the novel by Donald Ray Pollock, The Devil All the Time features a tangled web of connections spanning the two decades post-WWII. When Arvin (Tom Holland) loses his parents (Bill Skarsgård and Haley Bennett), he moves in with his grandmother. He meets Lenora (Eliza Scanlen), who becomes an unofficial sibling to him. Nearly a decade later, Lenora is seduced by a new reverend in town (Robert Pattinson). She comes close to killing herself after she realizes that she's pregnant and the reverend denies his involvement, but changes her mind at the last second. Unfortunately, it was a second too late. This film's not for the faint of heart as it features murder, religious extremism, rape, and other sensitive topics. But with an all-star cast pulling off incredible performances, director Antonio Campos nails the adaptation. —Sammi Burke

Where to watch The Devil All the Time: Netflix

EW grade: B+ (read the review)

Director: Antonio Campos

Cast: Tom Holland, Bill Skarsgård, Riley Keough, Jason Clarke, Sebastian Stan, Haley Bennett, Eliza Scanlen, Mia Wasikowska, Robert Pattinson, Harry Melling

Related content: Tom Holland did not know Jake Gyllenhaal was a producer on his new movie

Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (2019)

It's difficult to spoil the ending to Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile. If you're not already familiar with the true story of Ted Bundy (played here by Zac Efron), the film's title is unlikely to leave the quality of his character open to debate. What distinguishes director Joe Berlinger's 2019 attempt from the many other true crime retellings of this story, however, is the point of view on which the script is centered. Adapted from a memoir by Bundy's ex-girlfriend Elizabeth Kendall (Lily Collins), Extremely Wicked tracks Kendall's emotional processing of the case, starting as a girlfriend who refuses to believe her partner could be capable of committing such atrocities and ending as a new woman, finally beginning to heal. EW's Leah Greenblatt wrote in her review of Efron's performance, "Alternately charming, belligerent, and incalculably shrewd, he captures both the shark-like charisma of Bundy and the deeply damaged man beneath." —S.B.

Where to watch Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile: Netflix

EW grade: B (read the review)

Director: Joe Berlinger

Cast: Zac Efron, Lily Collins, Kaya Scodelario, Haley Joel Osment, Jim Parsons, John Malkovich, James Hetfield

Related content: How Zac Efron survived playing Ted Bundy in Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile

The Farewell (2019)

To tell or not to tell? This is the conflict Billi (Awkwafina) faces upon learning that her beloved grandmother, Nai Nai (Zhao Shuzhen), only has a few months to live after being diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. Her family has elected not to inform Nai Nai of this, devising a plan to say their goodbyes in the form of an upcoming wedding in China. Loosely based on a true story from writer-director Lulu Wang, The Farewell is a well-observed family dramedy about the absurdities (but also importance) of customs, led by a quietly powerful Awkwafina in a Golden Globe-winning performance. EW's critic noted that the film "has the freshness of [Wang's] own distinct voice, a dry humor and low-key melancholy that infuses even the most quotidian scenes." —K.J.

Where to watch The Farewell: Netflix

EW grade: B+ (read the review)

Director: Lulu Wang

Cast: Awkwafina, Tzi Ma, Diana Lin, Zhao Shuzhen

Related content: Nominated for nothing: Why The Farewell didn't fare well with the Academy

Frances Ha (2012)

One of the best-known additions to the mumblecore movement that briefly invaded independent cinema during the mid-2010s, Frances Ha is also one of the most charming. Directed by Noah Baumbach and co-written by the film's star, Greta Gerwig, Frances Ha chronicles a rough period in 27-year-old aspiring dancer Frances Halladay's life. Struggling with the dissolution of one of her closest friendships, financial challenges, and difficulties with her chosen career, Frances is both unmoored and undeterred. A late-20s coming-of-age story released in 2012, Frances Ha contains some vague similarities to HBO's Girls (Adam Driver, for one), but the film offers such a high level of style, point of view, and performance as to distinguish itself from the rest of the genre. —S.B.

Where to watch Frances Ha: Netflix

EW grade: B+ (read the review)

Director: Noah Baumbach

Cast: Greta Gerwig, Mickey Sumner, Adam Driver, Michael Zegen

Related content: Frances Ha: Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach interview

I'm Thinking of Ending Things (2020)

If you're looking for structure or a linear story with a clearly defined ending, then Charlie Kaufman's I'm Thinking of Ending Things might not be the right film for you. Written and directed by Kaufman and adapted from Ian Reid's novel by the same name, the film is a psychological thriller that traffics in the surreal, shifting fluidly between narrative and free association, all grounded in excellent performances by the film's actors. Jessie Buckley stars as the Young Woman — her name and occupation changing frequently — who contemplates ending her seven-week relationship during a Thanksgiving trip to meet her new boyfriend Jake's (Jesse Plemons) parents (David Thewlis and Toni Collette) at their farmhouse. Throughout the visit, character ages change, an old janitor weaves himself in and out of the story, and a maggot-infested pig makes more than a few appearances. There is an explanation for all the absurdity — but you might not catch it on the first viewing. With the film's true premise often clouded, what audiences are left with are Kaufman's "dizzying stretches of dialogue," as EW's Leah Greenblatt describes them. These conversations, she says, "have the quality of both earnest debate and avant-garde theater, ebbing and flowing on their own inscrutable tides." —S.B.

Where to watch I'm Thinking of Ending Things: Netflix

EW grade: B (read the review)

Director: Charlie Kaufman

Cast: Jesse Plemons, Jessie Buckley, Toni Collette, David Thewlis

Related content: Jessie Buckley on her singular, brilliant turn in I'm Thinking of Ending Things

The Irishman (2019)

Longtime collaborators Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro reunited for this 2019 gangster epic, about the real-life hitman Frank Sheeran and his experiences working for the Mafia. Spanning several decades, the film tracks Frank's evolution from truck driver to trusted gunman for crime boss Russell Bufalino (Joe Pesci) and bodyguard for the infamous Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino). Despite his professional success, his home life deteriorates, particularly his relationship with his daughter. While its 209-minute runtime may be daunting, the film moves along at an entertaining clip (thanks in part to master editor Thelma Schoonmaker), and the viewer's patience is rewarded with a haunting conclusion that recontextualizes all that came before. The Irishman scored 10 Oscar nominations, and though it was criminally shut out when it came to wins, time will be kind to the film, even if it wasn't to Sheeran. —K.J.

Where to watch The Irishman: Netflix

EW grade: B+ (read the review)

Director: Martin Scorsese

Cast: Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci, Harvey Keitel, Anna Paquin, Ray Romano, Stephen Graham, Bobby Cannavale

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La La Land (2016)

Old Hollywood was built on movie musicals like La La Land, a modern film that feels like it was transported into theaters directly from 1952. Five years after playing opposite one another in their first collaboration, Crazy, Stupid, Love, Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone are back at it, this time falling in love in Los Angeles. Mia (Stone) and Seb (Gosling) are aspiring artists — her an actress, him a jazz musician — both striking out in the City of Angels. After several chance encounters, the two begin dating, their relationship unfolding against the city's most romantic landmarks, all lit and styled to make Los Angeles look as alluring as the dreams Mia and Seb can't keep themselves from chasing. A classic Hollywood musical in the style of Singin' in the Rain, La La Land is a strong argument for a once beloved, now less forgotten movie genre. —S.B.

Where to watch La La Land: Netflix

EW grade: A (read the review)

Director: Damien Chazelle

Cast: Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, John Legend, Rosemarie DeWitt, Finn Wittrock, J.K. Simmons

Related content: La La Land director breaks down the movie's amazing opening

May December (2023)

Todd Haynes' mesmerizing new film defies genre, blending psychological drama and ironic satire as it unravels. Natalie Portman stars as Elizabeth, a television actress who travels to the home of Gracie (Julianne Moore) — a woman she's set to portray in a film — to study her. Gracie was tabloid fodder in the '90s for her sexual relationship with a boy named Joe, whom she met when he was 13, while she was 36 (loosely inspired by the real-life story of Mary Kay Letourneau). All these years later, the couple is married with three kids, and doing their best to leave their controversy behind them. But the arrival of Elizabeth leads a now-grown-up Joe (Charles Melton) to reexamine his relationship, while Gracie gradually becomes resentful of the actress insinuating herself into their lives. May December succeeds most as a well-observed, well-acted character study; the nature of Gracie and Joe's relationship is thorny, but so is Elizabeth's obsessive probing. Because, as the film demonstrates on both a surface and subtextual level, there's always more to the story. —K.J.

Where to watch May December: Netflix

EW grade: A– (read the review)

Director: Todd Haynes

Cast: Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore, Charles Melton

Related content: How Todd Haynes' May December channeled Mary Kay Letourneau and classic female melodramas

Minari (2020)

"It grows anywhere, like weeds. So anyone can pick and eat it. Rich or poor, anyone can enjoy it and be healthy...Minari is wonderful, wonderful!" Grandmother Soon-ja (Yuh-Jung Youn) explains this to young David (Alan Kim) of the titular plant in Lee Isaac Chung's tender family drama. This proves an apt metaphor for the Yi family, Korean immigrants who are trying to get by in rural Arkansas. David's parents, Jacob (Steven Yeun) and Monica (Han Ye-ri), often squabble over work and money, leaving David under the care of Soon-ja, who doesn't act the way he thinks a grandmother should. Despite the harsh realities of their situation, Minari's strength lies in the chemistry of the cast as the family faces obstacles both big and small. "There’s great despair around them — a crumbling marriage, a flailing farm, health scares," EW's critic wrote, "but in their dynamic there is joy, a sense of the future." —K.J.

Where to watch Minari: Netflix

EW grade: A– (read the review)

Director: Lee Isaac Chung

Cast: Steven Yeun, Han Ye-ri, Alan Kim, Noel Kate Cho, Yuh-Jung Youn, Will Patton

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Miss Juneteenth (2020)

One of the most underrated indie dramas of the decade so far, Miss Juneteenth is a lived-in examination of a mother and daughter's relationship as they grapple with expectations placed on them. Nicole Beharie plays Turquoise, single mother to Kai (Alexis Chikaeze), who is working multiple jobs to make ends meet. She pushes Kai to compete in the Miss Juneteenth pageant, which she won in her youth, even though her daughter expresses little interest in following in her footsteps. Featuring an impressively naturalistic turn from Beharie — who earned multiple critics' award notices for her work — Miss Juneteenth is a loving yet realistic tribute to finding one's path despite the roadblocks that inevitably pop up along the way. —K.J.

Where to watch Miss Juneteenth: Netflix

Director: Channing Godfrey Peoples

Cast: Nicole Beharie, Kendrick Sampson, Alexis Chikaeze

Related content: Miss Juneteenth director on honoring history and celebrating phenomenal Black womanhood

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)

Exemplifying the rebellion of the '60s and '70s in America, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest remains an absorbing (and surprisingly funny) character drama even decades later. In one of his most defining roles, Jack Nicholson plays Randle McMurphy, a convicted criminal who is sent to a mental institution after being falsely classified as insane. There, he bucks up against the strict rules of Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher), and encourages his fellow patients to defy her authority and lead more active lives. Nicholson and Fletcher, both of whom won Oscars for their performances, fully embody their characters and all they represent. "No one could sniff out phonies or flip the bird at authority with the same cocked-eyebrow cunning," EW's critic wrote of Nicholson, adding that his "live-wire performance turns what could have been a standard movie malcontent into a martyr." —K.J.

Where to watch One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest: Netflix

EW grade: A (read the review)

Director: Milos Forman

Cast: Jack Nicholson, Louise Fletcher, William Redfield, Will Sampson, Brad Dourif, Christopher Lloyd, Danny DeVito

Related content: Louise Fletcher, Oscar-winning One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest actress, dies at 88

Phantom Thread (2017)

Paul Thomas Anderson's beautiful, dark, twisted love story unfolds with the precision of the urbane fashion designer at its center. Daniel Day-Lewis, in what is presumed to be his final film role, plays Reynolds Woodcock, a celebrated dressmaker in 1950s London who falls in love with Alma (Vicky Krieps), a waitress who soon becomes his muse. Though Reynolds' sister Cyril (a scene-stealing Lesley Manville) fears that Alma may be distracting him from his work, Alma proves herself equally matched with the stubborn Reynolds. With Oscar-winning costumes and a nominated score by Jonny Greenwood, Phantom Thread is a hypnotic (and shockingly honest) exploration of love and the shifting power dynamics therein. —K.J.

Where to watch Phantom Thread: Netflix

EW grade: B (read the review)

Director: Paul Thomas Anderson

Cast: Daniel Day-Lewis, Vicky Krieps, Lesley Manville

Related content: Phantom Thread star Vicky Krieps talks holding her own with Daniel Day-Lewis

The Power of the Dog (2021)

Simmering with tension, Jane Campion's moody revisionist Western is a transfixing examination of power and control — and the lengths to which a boy will go to protect his mother. Benedict Cumberbatch stars as Phil, a spiteful rancher who torments his brother's (Jesse Plemons) new wife (Kirsten Dunst) and her sensitive teenage son Peter (Kodi Smit-McPhee) against the backdrop of 1920s Montana. As Phil plays psychological mind games on his farm's new inhabitants, Peter quietly calculates how to get back at his uncle after discovering a buried secret. The widely-acclaimed drama earned a whopping 12 Oscar nominations, including acting nominations for all four central performances, with Campion becoming only the third woman to win Best Director. —K.J.

Where to watch The Power of the Dog: Netflix

EW grade: A– (read the review)

Director: Jane Campion

Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Jesse Plemons, Kirsten Dunst, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Thomasin McKenzie, Genevieve Lemon, Keith Carradine, Frances Conroy

Related content: The Power of the Dog director Jane Campion on her personal journey into the year's most Oscar-nominated movie

Prisoners (2013)

"After his young daughter and friend go missing, a desperate father clashes with the detective on the case and takes matters into his own hands." This Netflix description for Prisoners sounds like it could be for any number of thrillers on the streamer, each more generic than the next, with this one starring Hugh Jackman as Keller Dover — the dad-turned-vigilante. But Denis Villeneuve's engrossing psychological drama rises above your standard Netflix fare, exploring moral ambiguity and the ultimate price of seeking vengeance. "Watching the movie, we behold Keller's actions and feel that they may be horribly unjustified — a daring place for a film to put its hero — and we also behold his actions and feel that they may be what true morality demands," wrote EW's Owen Gleiberman in his review. "It's a sign of the film's power that either scenario could turn out to be true, and that each one is just as scary." —K.J.

Where to watch Prisoners: Netflix

EW grade: A (read the review)

Director: Denis Villeneuve

Cast: Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Viola Davis, Maria Bello, Terrence Howard, Melissa Leo, Paul Dano

Related content: The 15 best Jake Gyllenhaal performances

Sweet Girl (2021)

Killers for hire, big pharma's lies, and a touch of corporate espionage, oh my! Sweet Girl's got it all. Starring Jason Momoa as Ray, a man seeking answers and responsibility after his wife's death, Sweet Girl puts the greed of pharmaceutical companies on blast. Featuring subway stabbings, FBI ambushes, and a twist that nobody could see coming, this action-packed drama is definitely the film version of a page-turner. (A scene-flipper? Frame-forwarder? Eh, we'll work on that.) Sweet Girl received mixed critical reviews, but anything that can make your jaw drop like that is a winner in our book. —S.B.

Where to watch Sweet Girl: Netflix

Director: Brian Andrew Mendoza

Cast: Jason Momoa, Isabela Merced, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Adria Arjona, Raza Jaffrey, Justin Bartha, Lex Scott Davis, Michael Raymond-James, Amy Brenneman

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Thank You for Your Service (2017)

While numerous films have depicted the hellishness of war, sometimes the more interesting story comes from what happens when soldiers return home. Such is the case with Thank You for Your Service, which finds Miles Teller's Iraq War veteran Adam Schumann struggling to readjust to life in Kansas between his PTSD and survivor's guilt. The underrated drama, as EW's critic wrote, proved "successful at capturing the Iraq War's effects on American lives," centering on the specific sense of malaise experienced by veterans coming back to a country that doesn't always provide them with the help they need to re-acclimate. —K.J.

Where to watch Thank You for Your Service: Netflix

EW grade: N/A (read the review)

Director: Jason Hall

Cast: Miles Teller, Haley Bennett, Joe Cole, Amy Schumer, Beulah Koale, Scott Haze

Related content: Thank You for Your Service trailer sees Miles Teller return from war

To Leslie (2022)

The 2023 Oscar nominations featured high-profile favorites like Top Gun: Maverick and Avatar: The Way of Water, but Andrea Riseborough's surprise nomination for this largely unknown indie drama was one of the top stories of the day. Riseborough stars as the eponymous Leslie, a Texas woman who wastes her lottery winnings on drugs and alcohol and is now looking for a second chance, hoping to make amends with her estranged son. To Leslie had a tiny release in 2022 but was subsequently boosted by numerous celebrity endorsements for Riseborough, with the film's creative team forgoing traditional awards campaigning in favor of strong word of mouth. While the film treads a similar path as other stories about addiction, the strength of Riseborough's raw performance is more than enough to make this worth watching. —K.J.

Where to watch To Leslie: Netflix

Director: Michael Morris

Cast: Andrea Riseborough, Allison Janney, Marc Maron, Andre Royo, Owen Teague, Stephen Root

Related content: Andrea Riseborough responds to Oscar nomination criticism, says Hollywood is 'abhorrently unequal'

Whiplash (2014)

No need to yell at us, Mr. Fletcher: Whiplash is very much our tempo. This electrifying indie made director Damien Chazelle a name to watch, centering on Andrew (Miles Teller), an ambitious music student with big dreams of becoming a jazz drummer. At the conservatory, Andrew must contend with the band’s demanding conductor, Terence Fletcher (J.K. Simmons, in a terrifying Oscar-winning performance), whose relentless pushing of his students goes far beyond “tough love.” But Andrew is driven, and he goes to great lengths to impress Fletcher and improve his skills, at the risk of everything (and everyone) else in his life. Whiplash is an engrossing journey into obsession with two committed performances at its center. “You don’t have to be a jazz fan for Whiplash to zap you with its thrumming live-wire beat (although it doesn’t hurt),” wrote EW’s critic. “If you can appreciate the sight of two totally dialed-in performers simmering until they boil over, that’s enough.” —K.J.

Where to watch Whiplash: Netflix

EW grade: A (read the review)

Director: Damien Chazelle

Cast: Miles Teller, J.K. Simmons, Paul Reiser

Related content: J.K. Simmons: The friendly face behind 2014's scariest villain

The Wife (2018)

Glenn Close turns in one of her most riveting performances here as Joan Castleman, the wife of a prominent author for whom she has ghostwritten numerous novels. After her husband is set to receive the Nobel Prize, Joan's simmering resentment over him taking all the credit for her work (in addition to his continued infidelity) leads to an intense confrontation. Close earned numerous accolades for her performance, winning at the Golden Globes, Critics Choice, and the Screen Actors Guild Awards...only to shockingly lose at the Oscars. But her stirring turn remains powerful, awards or not — as EW's critic noted, Close's face is "just a marvel of emotional intelligence and control; in the thrilling release of the revelatory final scenes, she's a hurricane." —K.J.

Where to watch The Wife: Netflix

EW grade: B+ (read the review)

Director: Björn Runge

Cast: Glenn Close, Jonathan Pryce, Christian Slater, Max Irons, Annie Starke, Harry Lloyd, Elizabeth McGovern

Related content: Glenn Close says The Wife represents where she hopes the industry is going

The Wonder (2022)

Following the Great Famine in 19th-century Ireland, British nurse Lib (Florence Pugh) is called to look after a girl who has not eaten in months, claiming to be fed with "manna from Heaven." As villagers come to be in the presence of a seemingly holy girl, Lib meets a journalist (Tom Burke) who suspects it all to be a ruse. Tackling themes of science vs. faith and family trauma, this period drama nearly tips over into gothic horror, brimming with moody atmosphere. As EW's Leah Greenblatt wrote in her review, "The sumptuous cinematography, by Ari Wegner (The Power of the Dog, Zola), makes the landscape look like a Brönte novel, full of windswept moors and flickering, fire-lit shadows. Pugh, too, is pretty much perfectly cast, an actress with such a keen emotional presence that she tends to cut through pretense and triviality like a hot knife." —K.J.

Where to watch The Wonder: Netflix

EW grade: B (read the review)

Director: Sebastián Lelio

Cast: Florence Pugh, Kíla Lord Cassidy, Tom Burke, Niamh Algar, Elaine Cassidy, Caolán Byrne, Toby Jones, Ciarán Hinds

Related content: Florence Pugh says she 'most definitely' abused herself to create her Midsommar character