If there’s one thing both HBO and Warner Bros. are known for, it’s making great dramas. So the selection of drama movies available on HBO Max – both from Warner Bros. and from other studios – is unsurprisingly dense and high in quality. They range from new releases to unforgettable ’90s movies to bona fide classics, and they’re all guaranteed to hit that “drama” sweet spot when you’re looking for it. But you may be daunted by all the options available, so we’ve used our expertise to pluck out the best drama movies on Max for a really stellar list. Get your popcorn ready and check out our list below.
Can’t find what you’re looking for? Check out our list of the best movies on Max, thrillers on Max, or dramas on Netflix.
Disclaimer: These titles are available on US Max.
‘Juror #2’ (2024)
Rotten Tomatoes: 92% | IMDb: 7.0/10
- Release Date
-
October 30, 2024
- Runtime
-
114 Minutes
A legal drama thriller, Juror #2 was co-produced and directed by Clint Eastwood and written by Jonathan Abrams. The film revolves around a high-profile murder trial, during which a juror realizes that he may be the real killer, setting off a serious moral dilemma. Nicholaus Hoult leads the ensemble cast as the titular juror, with Toni Collette, J. K. Simmons, Chris Messina, Zoey Deutch, Cedric Yarbrough, and Kiefer Sutherland in key roles.
Juror #2 was a highly anticipated film ahead of its world premiere at the 2024 AFI Fest, where it received near-universal acclaim. Unfortunately, the movie wasn’t very successful at the domestic box office, though it did perform admirably in international markets. Nevertheless, the film is a powerful work of cinema that tackles themes of law and order, personal responsibility, and the failures of the system. The movie was named one of the Top 10 Films of 2024 by the National Board of Review and is sure to be regarded as a classic in years to come.
‘The Wind Rises’ (2013)
Rotten Tomatoes: 88% | IMDb: 7.8/10
- Release Date
-
July 20, 2013
- Cast
-
Hideaki Anno
, Hidetoshi Nishijima
, Masahiko Nishimura
, Keiko Takeshita
, Jun Kunimura - Runtime
-
126 minutes
Written and directed by animation legend Hayao Miyazaki, the Studio Ghibli film The Wind Rises is a historical drama anime movie that presents a fictionalized biography of Japanese aircraft designer Jiro Horikoshi. The film begins with Jiro’s youth and artfully explores the course of his life as he grows up, falls in love, and becomes a successful aeronautical engineer during World War II. The film’s original Japanese voice cast features Hideaki Anno, Hidetoshi Nishijima, Miori Takimoto, and Masahiko Nishimura, and the English voice cast includes Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Emily Blunt, John Krasinski, Martin Short, and Stanley Tucci.
The Wind Rises was the highest-grossing film released in Japan in the year it came out. The film was also wildly successful with critics, who lauded the direction, story, and artwork. The Wind Rises received numerous accolades, including an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature and an Annie Award win for Writing in an Animated Feature Production.
‘Parasite’ (2019)
Rotten Tomatoes: 99% | IMDb: 8.5./10
- Release Date
-
November 8, 2019
- Director
-
Bong Joon Ho
- Cast
-
Yeo-Jeong Jo
, Myeong-hoon Park
, Jeong-eun Lee
, Sun-kyun Lee
, Ji-so Jung
, So-dam Park
, Keun-rok Park
, Kang-ho Song
, Ji-hye Lee
, Woo-sik Choi
, Seo-joon Park
, Hye-jin Jang - Runtime
-
132 minutes
Written and directed by Bong Joon-ho, Parasite is a tale of discrimination, greed, and the lengths to which a human can go to survive. The film tells the story of the working-class Kim family, who infiltrate the wealthy home of the Parks. The movie also features an ensemble cast at the top of their game, including the likes of Song Kang-ho and Cho Yeo-jeong.
The film won countless awards upon its release, becoming the first ever foreign language film to win the coveted Best Picture Award at the Academy Awards. Shocking and brutal, Parasite manages to punctuate its tense story with moments of humor, with Bong Joon Ho himself describing the film as a black comedy. Parasite, as its name suggests, infests into the fabric of the audience and unapologetically tackles the very real divides that split our modern-day class system. A true work of art, Parasite is a wonderful example of the power of filmmaking.
‘Reality’ (2023)
Rotten Tomatoes: 93% | IMDb: 6.7/10
Reality
- Release Date
-
May 29, 2023
- Director
-
Tina Satter
- Runtime
-
83 Minutes
Based on a real-life FBI investigation into leaked classified documents, Reality is a crime drama film directed and co-written by Tina Satter, adapting her stage play Is This a Room for the screen. The film stars Sydney Sweeney (Euphoria) as Reality Winner, a young US Air Force member and NSA translator who is under investigation for leaking documents that exposed the Russian government’s interference in the 2016 United States elections. Besides Sweeney, Reality also stars Josh Hamilton and Marchánt Davis as supporting characters. The film was co-written by James Paul Dallas.
In Reality, Sweeney delivers a masterful performance that feels incredibly real as she navigates the flurry of questions thrown at her throughout this interrogation. The film is further heightened by Satter’s captivating direction, finding a way to perfectly transition the narrative from the stage to the screen while giving a fresh perspective on the story. The movie premiered at the 2023 Berlin International Film Festival and was critically acclaimed upon its release.
‘The Fallout’ (2022)
Rotten Tomatoes: 93% | IMDb: 7.0/10
- Release Date
-
January 27, 2022
- Director
-
Megan Park
- Runtime
-
1 hr 32 min
Written and directed by Megan Park, The Fallout is an unfortunately timely drama that premiered at the South by Southwest Film Festival, garnering critical praise for its haunting and raw subject matter. Starring Jenna Ortega (Wednesday) and Maddie Ziegler, The Fallout explores the significant mental and emotional trauma caused by all-too-common school tragedies.
Focusing on the victims and survivors, The Fallout uncomfortably reveals the strain on relationships as these youths’ worlds are forever changed and the support they find through their shared trauma. Co-starring with Ortega and Ziegler are Niles Fitch (This Is Us), Julie Bowen (Modern Family), and Shailene Woodley. – Yael Tygiel
‘The Many Saints of Newark’ (2021)
Rotten Tomatoes: 71% | IMDb: 6.3/10
The Many Saints of Newark
- Release Date
-
October 1, 2021
- Runtime
-
2 hours
Prequels, sequels, and threequels are all the rage these days, and The Many Saints of Newark is no exception, serving as a prequel to The Sopranos. Stacked to the gills with character actors, including the likes of Vera Farmiga, Ray Liotta, and Jon Bernthal, the film touches down in Newark, New Jersey, in 1967 and follows the upbringing of everyone’s favorite crime boss amidst the chaos of not only the Newark riots but of changes in his own family — some more dangerous than others. Michael Gandolfini shines as a younger version of Tony Soprano — the role originated by his late, great father James Gandolfini — but it’s Alessandro Nivola who steals the show as Dickie Moltisanti, Tony’s ruthless and calculating uncle who helped mold him into the most iconic mob boss of all time.
A critically acclaimed film, The Many Saints of Newark was written by Lawrence Konner and Sopranos creator David Chase, with direction by Alan Taylor. For fans of The Sopranos, the film is a welcome dive back into the seedy underbelly of what made the HBO series great. And even for non-fans, David Chase’s newest adventure into the hearts and minds of the famous criminal family before they’d really made their mark stands out as an impressive mob film for the ages.
‘King Richard’ (2021)
Rotten Tomatoes: 90% | IMDb: 7.5/10
King Richard
A look at how tennis superstars Venus and Serena Williams became who they are after the coaching from their father Richard.
- Release Date
-
November 19, 2021
- Runtime
-
138 minutes
In a career highlight performance, Will Smith stars as Richard Williams, the father of Venus and Serena Williams, in this sports biopic that puts Smith in the shoes of the hard-working, success-oriented family man. Directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green and written by Zach Baylin, King Richard also stars Aunjanue Ellis as the Williams sisters’ mother, Oracene “Brandy” Price, with Saniyya Sidney as Venus Williams and Demi Singleton as Serena Williams. Tony Goldwyn and Jon Bernthal appear in supporting roles.
While there has been some criticism regarding the complimentary portrayal of a complicated man, there’s no doubt that King Richard tugs at the heartstrings in a stirring story about parenthood and what it takes to coach and raise not one but two world-famous athletes. Newcomer Saniyya Sidney plays a nuanced young Venus Williams struggling under the pressures from her father and the world. A success story that deserves all the praise it gets, King Richard was critically acclaimed and won numerous accolades, including the Best Actor Academy Award for Smith.
‘Blood Simple’ (1985)
Rotten Tomatoes: 94% | IMDb: 7.6/10
The owner of a seedy small-town Texas bar discovers that one of his employees is having an affair with his wife. A chaotic chain of misunderstandings, lies, and mischief ensues after he devises a plot to have them murdered.
- Release Date
-
October 12, 1984
- Director
-
Joel Coen
- Runtime
-
96 Minutes
Few filmmakers make a debut as confident or stunning as Blood Simple, but the Coen Brothers have no problem making their voices heard with their first feature. Dan Hedaya plays a dive bar owner who suspects that his wife (Frances McDormand) is cheating on him with an employee (John Getz). His suspicions confirmed, he asks a P.I. (M. Emmet Walsh) to kill the lovers, but this plot soon spirals out of control and leads to unexpected bloodshed.
With Blood Simple, the Coens made a masterpiece of neo-noir, and while they would go on to a series of classics like Raising Arizona, Miller’s Crossing, Fargo, The Big Lebowski, and No Country for Old Men, their first film is still a stand-out. Though it was only moderately successful at the box office, Blood Simple has received near-universal acclaim from critics and is considered one of the best films of the last hundred years.
‘Casablanca’ (1942)
Rotten Tomatoes: 99% | IMDb: 8.5/10
Casablanca
A cynical expatriate American cafe owner struggles to decide whether or not to help his former lover and her fugitive husband escape the Nazis in French Morocco.
- Release Date
-
January 23, 1943
- Director
-
Michael Curtiz
- Cast
-
Humphrey Bogart
, Ingrid Bergman
, Paul Henreid
, Claude Rains
, Conrad Veidt
, Sydney Greenstreet - Runtime
-
102 minutes
Casablanca follows jaded nightclub owner Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart), who just wants to be left alone. That is, until the love of his life, Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman), comes to him looking for help for her husband, a Czech Resistance leader. Directed by Michael Curtiz from a screenplay by Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein, and Howard Koch, Casablanca is a landmark film in the history of cinema — a war movie filmed during World War II that deals with themes that go far beyond its historical setting.
The 1942 Academy Award for Best Picture winner, Casablanca has lost none of its impact over the decades. It really is a movie that has it all — action, adventure, intrigue, romance, patriotism, sacrifice. It’s more than just, “Here’s looking at you, kid.” Don’t be daunted by the film’s prestige; you can still enjoy it for how damned entertaining and surprisingly funny it can be. Casablanca still hits with all the immediacy of its original release as it embraces universal themes about love and self-sacrifice. It’s a beautiful movie worth revisiting.
‘The Tale’ (2018)
Rotten Tomatoes: 99% | IMDb: 7.2/10
The Tale
- Release Date
-
January 20, 2018
- Runtime
-
114
Filmmaking doesn’t get more inventive or more harrowing than The Tale. Jennifer Fox set out to interrogate her own memories and look into sexual abuse she suffered at the hands of adults who she thought were her friends. It’s a vital movie of the #MeToo movement, examining how predators prey on their victims and how those victims turn their pain inward and distort what really happened to avoid facing that pain.
Led by a searing, complex performance from Laura Dern, The Tale is an essential movie, brilliantly made with thought and ingenuity, and one of the best films of 2018. – Matt Goldberg
‘Joker’ (2019)
Rotten Tomatoes: 69% | IMDb: 8.4/10
Joker
During the 1980s, a failed stand-up comedian is driven insane and turns to a life of crime and chaos in Gotham City while becoming an infamous psychopathic crime figure.
- Release Date
-
October 2, 2019
- Runtime
-
122 minutes
One of the most subversive films of recent times, Joker is a loose adaptation of the DC Comics character’s origins featuring Joaquin Phoenix in the title role. Set in the 1980s, Joker follows struggling comedian and clown Arthur Fleck (Phoenix) as his life and sanity unravel under the pressures of his beaten-down life. The film tackles themes of inequality and mental health, all leading up to Arthur’s climactic transformation into the Clown Prince of Crime. Joker was directed by Todd Phillips, who co-wrote the screenplay with Scott Silver. Besides Phoenix, the film also stars Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, and Frances Conroy.
Joaquin Phoenix delivers one of the best performances of the decade as Arthur Fleck, the kind of guy who can’t catch a break or make his own. Phoenix’s performance in Joker earned him the Best Actor Academy Award, and the film was both critically and commercially successful. A sequel, Joker: Folie à Deux, is currently set to release on October 4, 2024.
