The 18 most stirring drama movies to stream on Amazon Prime Video
- - The 18 most stirring drama movies to stream on Amazon Prime Video
Kevin JacobsenDecember 28, 2025 at 10:00 PM
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Courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios; Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures; Newmarket Releasing/Everett
Barry Keoghan as Oliver Quick in 'Saltburn'; Zendaya as Tashi Duncan in 'Challengers'; Charlize Theron as Aileen Wuornos in 'Monster'
Drama might not have the kind of ownership that genre fans take over sci-fi or horror, but its strength lies in its ability to move us. These are stories that stir up a bevy of emotion within the viewer, whether through sweeping romance or a well-written character study.
Amazon Prime Video has a wide selection of drama movies from all eras of film history, including classics like It's a Wonderful Life (1946) and Sounder (1972), and recent favorites like Saltburn (2023) and Hedda (2025). These are films that reflect the human condition in all its depressing glory, holding up a mirror while entertaining us at the same time.
Ahead, Entertainment Weekly recommends 18 of the best drama movies streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
01 of 18
Challengers (2024)
Niko Tavernise/Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures Inc.
Mike Faist as Art Donaldson and Zendaya as Tashi Duncan in 'Challengers'
Dripping with psychosexual desire, Challengers is one of the buzziest original films released in 2024. Zendaya stars as Tashi Duncan, a once-promising tennis pro who suffers a career-ending injury, and the relationship she forms with a pair of tennis-playing best friends, Patrick (Josh O'Connor) and Art (Mike Faist). As Tashi starts to favor one over the other, the relationship between Patrick and Art strains — further complicated by their occasional homoerotic tendencies. Director Luca Guadagnino makes his audience feel the blood, sweat, and tears of his young characters as their personal and professional passions blend in glorious fashion.
Where to watch Challengers: Amazon Prime Video
EW grade: A–
Director: Luca Guadagnino
Cast: Zendaya, Josh O'Connor, Mike Faist
02 of 18
Conclave (2024)
Courtesy of Focus Features
Ralph Fiennes as Cardinal Thomas Lawrence in 'Conclave'
This Oscar-winning political drama is not the dull, eat-your-vegetables awards bait you may be expecting. In fact, it's more analogous to a cutthroat reality TV competition, centering on the behind-the-scenes machinations involved in electing a new pope, with alliances formed and broken, shocking revelations, and a wild final twist. EW's critic praises Conclave as "an impeccably crafted thriller," one that earns its audience investment by also delivering on potent themes about humanity's relationship to faith and how it shapes us.
Where to watch Conclave: Amazon Prime Video
EW grade: A–
Director: Edward Berger
Cast: Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Sergio Castellitto, Isabella Rossellini
03 of 18
Eve's Bayou (1997)
Chris Halcermanas-Benge/Trimark Pictures/Courtesy Everett
Lynn Whitfield as Roz Batiste and Debbi Morgan as Mozelle Batiste Delacroix in 'Eve's Bayou'
This evocative Southern gothic drama is all about generational trauma and the tricky nature of memory. Set in early-'60s Louisiana, the film stars Jurnee Smollett as Eve, a 10-year-old girl who witnesses a shocking incident in her home that shakes her to her core. In the aftermath, Eve seeks out answers, but only unravels a far more disturbing secret. As Roger Ebert wrote of the film in 1997, "For the viewer, it is a reminder that sometimes films can venture into the realms of poetry and dreams."
Where to watch Eve's Bayou: Amazon Prime Video
Director: Kasi Lemmons
Cast: Jurnee Smollett, Meagan Good, Debbi Morgan, Samuel L. Jackson, Lynn Whitfield
04 of 18
Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)
Mary Evans/Ronald Grant/Everett Collection
Kevin Spacey as John Williamson and Alec Baldwin as Richard Roma in 'Glengarry Glen Ross'
Glengarry Glen Ross assembles some of the greatest male actors and sets them against each other in a fascinating story about power and ego. The action takes place at a real estate firm where a trainer reveals that only the top two salesmen will keep their jobs by the end of the week. As the salesmen use their leads, some resort to desperate tactics to get ahead, including a planned burglary that escalates the competition to a whole new level. The all-star cast features Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Alec Baldwin, Ed Harris, Alan Arkin, and Kevin Spacey, who, as EW's critic writes, "achieve a true ensemble rhythm; at times, the entire office seems like a single, shouting organism."
Where to watch Glengarry Glen Ross: Amazon Prime Video
EW grade: A
Director: James Foley
Cast: Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Alec Baldwin, Ed Harris, Alan Arkin
05 of 18
The Handmaiden (2016)
Everett Collection Kim Tae-ri as Nam Sook-hee and Kim Min-hee as Izumi Hideko in 'The Handmaiden'
This mesmerizing psychological drama from writer-director Park Chan-wook would be impressive enough for its well-executed plot twists if it weren’t also one of the most elegantly made films of the modern age. Adapted from the Victorian-set novel Fingersmith by Sarah Waters, The Handmaiden transports the action to Japanese-occupied Korea, following a con man (Ha Jung-woo) who recruits a pickpocket (Kim Tae-ri) to help him seduce a wealthy heiress (Kim Min-hee). He poses as a count while the pickpocket becomes the heiress’ maid, to convince her to marry him and then put her in an asylum while he acquires her inheritance. Sexy and suspenseful, you likely won’t expect what’s coming.
Where to watch The Handmaiden: Amazon Prime Video
EW grade: A–
Director: Park Chan-wook
Cast: Kim Min-hee, Kim Tae-ri, Ha Jung-woo, Cho Jin-woong
06 of 18
Hedda (2025)
Prime
Tessa Thompson as Hedda Gabler in 'Hedda'
Henrik Ibsen's classic play Hedda Gabler gets a reimagining in this enrapturing tale of seduction and deception. Tessa Thompson stars as the title character, an unhappy wife who uses an extravagant party at their home to help advance her husband's career by executing a series of manipulations. But her scheming soon spirals out of control, leaving her to face the consequences of her actions. Thompson deservedly earned a Golden Globe nomination for her performance, which runs the gamut from sensual to ice-cold.
Where to watch Hedda: Amazon Prime Video
Director: Nia DaCosta
Cast: Tessa Thompson, Nina Hoss, Imogen Poots, Tom Bateman, Nicholas Pinnock
07 of 18
It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
Everett Collection (Center): Jimmy Stewart as George Bailey and Donna Reed as Mary Bailey in 'It's a Wonderful Life'
While primarily known as the quintessential Christmas movie, It’s a Wonderful Life can be enjoyed year-round. Feeling hopeless, George Bailey (Jimmy Stewart) is a man considering suicide while a wingless guardian angel from heaven, Clarence (Henry Travers), is tasked with intervening. Clarence accesses George’s backstory, learning about his childhood and how his selflessness ultimately led to feelings of regret, with an innocent mistake nearly sending him over the edge. The angel shows George what life in his hometown would have been like without him, causing George to appreciate the positive influence he’s had on his community. Its universal message and heartfelt performances have made It’s a Wonderful Life a classic worth watching every year.
Where to watch It's a Wonderful Life: Amazon Prime Video
Director: Frank Capra
Cast: Jimmy Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, Henry Travers
08 of 18
The Lost City of Z (2017)
Aidan Monaghan/Bleecker Street Media/Everett
Charlie Hunnam as Percy Fawcett and Tom Holland as Jack Fawcett in 'The Lost City of Z'
Based on the best-selling nonfiction book of the same name by David Grann, The Lost City of Z is an adventure drama about obsession and man’s need to explore uncharted worlds. The film centers on Percy Fawcett (Charlie Hunnam), a British major tasked with measuring the border between Brazil and Bolivia who discovers possible evidence of a lost city in the jungles of the Amazon. That possibility becomes his fascination, as Fawcett and his men embark on multiple expeditions over the years to the displeasure of skeptics in his community. Smart and sweeping in scope, The Lost City of Z is an absorbing epic about persistence and hope without resorting to cheap sentimentality.
Where to watch The Lost City of Z: Amazon Prime Video
Director: James Gray
Cast: Charlie Hunnam, Robert Pattinson, Sienna Miller, Tom Holland, Angus Macfadyen
09 of 18
Manchester by the Sea (2016)
Claire Folger Michelle Williams as Randi Chandler and Casey Affleck as Lee Chandler in 'Manchester by the Sea'
This devastating family drama follows a grief-stricken man’s journey to move on with his life. Casey Affleck stars as Lee Chandler, a handyman going through the motions of living until the death of his brother. He is surprised to learn that he’s now the legal guardian of Patrick (Lucas Hedges), his teenage nephew who has no desire to move away from home to stay with his uncle. As Lee helps Patrick through the grief process of losing his father, we come to understand how a traumatic event in Lee’s past led him to shut down emotionally. Moving and shockingly funny at times, Manchester by the Sea rightfully won Oscars for writer-director Kenneth Lonergan’s screenplay and Affleck’s subtle masterclass performance.
Where to watch Manchester by the Sea: Amazon Prime Video
EW grade: A
Director: Kenneth Lonergan
Cast: Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams, Kyle Chandler, Lucas Hedges
10 of 18
Monster (2003)
Everett Collection Christina Ricci as Selby Wall and Charlize Theron as Aileen Wuornos in 'Monster'
Charlize Theron won the Best Actress Oscar for her stunning transformation into real-life serial killer Aileen Wuornos in this gritty crime drama. Convicted of murdering seven men during her time as a sex worker, Wuornos was ultimately executed in 2002, and the film explores how what started as an act of self-defense spiraled out of control. Future Wonder Woman helmer Patty Jenkins made her feature directorial debut here, portraying Wuornos’ story with unflinching realism, but the film belongs to Theron for her fiercely committed portrait of a dangerous woman harboring intense emotional demons.
Where to watch Monster: Amazon Prime Video
Director: Patty Jenkins
Cast: Charlize Theron, Christina Ricci, Bruce Dern, Lee Tergesen
11 of 18
Nickel Boys (2024)
Courtesy of Orion Pictures
Ethan Herisse as Elwood and Brandon Wilson as Turner in 'Nickel Boys'
This staggering drama forces the viewer to bear witness to brutal conditions at a corrupt reform school through the eyes of two of its students — literally. Adapted from Colson Whitehead's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name, Nickel Boys is filmed through a first-person point of view, allowing us to empathize very directly with Elwood (Ethan Herisse) and Turner (Brandon Wilson) as they form a deep friendship and seek salvation from their harsh circumstances. It's a tremendously moving work of art, one that deservedly earned Oscar nominations for Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay.
Where to watch Nickel Boys: Amazon Prime Video
EW grade: A–
Director: RaMell Ross
Cast: Ethan Herisse, Brandon Wilson, Hamish Linklater, Fred Hechinger, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor
12 of 18
One Night in Miami (2020)
Patti Perret/Amazon Studios
Leslie Odom Jr. as Sam Cooke in 'One Night in Miami'
On Feb. 25, 1964, boxing legend Muhammad Ali beat Sonny Liston in a title match in Miami. Following the fight, Ali convened with three other influential Black public figures — Malcolm X, Jim Brown, and Sam Cooke — in a hotel room. What their conversations were is imagined in vibrant detail in this fascinating drama directed by Regina King and adapted from Kemp Powers' play of the same name. "In extrapolating the mysteries of a night we'll never fully know, [King] finds something that may not be strictly true to lived history, but possibly even richer," writes EW's critic, "a quintessentially American tale; profane, profound, and beautiful."
Where to watch One Night in Miami: Amazon Prime Video
EW grade: A–
Director: Regina King
Cast: Kingsley Ben-Adir, Eli Goree, Aldis Hodge, Leslie Odom Jr.
13 of 18
Paterson (2016)
Mary Cybulsky Adam Driver as Paterson in 'Paterson'
This quietly poetic slice-of-life film follows a week in the life of Paterson (Adam Driver), a bus driver who happens to work in the New Jersey city of the same name. After hearing the buzz of passengers with their daily observations, Paterson writes poems in a notebook, which his wife, Laura (Golshifteh Farahani), wants him to share with the world. Driver delivers one of his most underrated performances as the curious, mild-mannered poet, proving to be a strong match for writer-director Jim Jarmusch’s minimalist style. As EW’s critic writes, “There’s a hushed beauty to Paterson and Paterson that celebrates the way in which even the most ordinary, prosaic lives can be full of poetry."
Where to watch Paterson: Amazon Prime Video
EW grade: A–
Director: Jim Jarmusch
Cast: Adam Driver, Golshifteh Farahani, Barry Shabaka Henley, Cliff Smith, Chasten Harmon
14 of 18
A Quiet Passion (2017)
A Quiet Passion/Hurricane Films/Music Box Films Cynthia Nixon as Emily Dickinson and Jennifer Ehle as Vinnie Dickinson in 'A Quiet Passion'
Cynthia Nixon stars as one of the world’s most well-known poets, Emily Dickinson, in this understated yet powerful biopic by Terence Davies. The film portrays Dickinson’s gifted mind from an early age, finding pleasure and poetry in her growing independence. She also finds value in family, rejecting suitors and expressing her observations on life and love through her career. As the title suggests, there is a sensitivity with which A Quiet Passion explores an artist’s relationship with her life and her work. And then there’s the poetry itself; as EW’s critic writes, "That's where A Quiet Passion finds its most transcendent moments: in the immortal, extraordinary verses Dickinson left behind."
Where to watch A Quiet Passion: Amazon Prime Video
EW grade: B
Director: Terence Davies
Cast: Cynthia Nixon, Jennifer Ehle, Keith Carradine
15 of 18
Saltburn (2023)
Courtesy of MGM and Amazon Studios Barry Keoghan as Oliver Quick in 'Saltburn'
Emerald Fennell has quickly become one of the most divisive directors working today. Saltburn explores obsession and class divisions in mid-2000s Britain, following outcast Oxford student Oliver Quick (Barry Keoghan) and his intense connection with Felix (Jacob Elordi), a popular student who comes from enormous wealth. After Felix invites Oliver to his massive country house over the summer, Oliver’s obsession turns into a disturbing problem, not just for Felix but for his entire family.
EW’s critic calls Saltburn “a provocative, violent portrait of repulsion and desire,” one that will undoubtedly evoke a reaction from the viewer for better or worse.
Where to watch Saltburn: Amazon Prime Video
EW grade: A
Director: Emerald Fennell
Cast: Barry Keoghan, Jacob Elordi, Rosamund Pike, Richard E. Grant, Alison Oliver
16 of 18
Sound of Metal (2020)
Courtesy of TIFF
Riz Ahmed as Ruben Stone in 'Sound of Metal'
Riz Ahmed gives one of his most soul-baring performances to date in this quietly devastating indie drama. The actor earned an Oscar nomination for his performance as Ruben, a heavy metal drummer whose worst nightmare comes true when he suddenly loses his hearing. Also experiencing a drug problem, Ruben enters a sober living facility for the Deaf community and struggles to cope with his new reality. "As Ruben's fear and rage begins to open itself to the unknown," writes EW's critic, "the movie reaches toward something profound — finding real, furious power in the spaces between the sound."
Where to watch Sound of Metal: Amazon Prime Video
EW grade: A–
Director: Darius Marder
Cast: Riz Ahmed, Olivia Cooke, Paul Raci, Lauren Ridloff, Mathieu Amalric
17 of 18
Sounder (1972)
Stanley Bielecki Movie Collection/Getty
Cicely Tyson as Rebecca Morgan and Kevin Hooks as David Lee Morgan in 'Sounder'
This beloved drama follows a family of Black sharecroppers trying to get by in 1930s Louisiana. After the father, 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 family dog, Sounder, to try and find him. Meanwhile, David Lee’s hard-working mother, Rebecca (Cicely Tyson), tries to hold down the fort at home and survive without her husband. Moving and genuinely inspirational, Sounder is a family-friendly film that pays tribute to a community rarely seen on screen in 1972, rightfully earning Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Actor for Winfield, and Best Actress for Tyson.
Where to watch Sounder: Amazon Prime Video
Director: Martin Ritt
Cast: Cicely Tyson, Paul Winfield, Kevin Hooks
18 of 18
Women Talking (2022)
Michael Gibson/United Artists Releasing (From left to right): Liv McNeil as Neitje, Jessie Buckley as Mariche, Claire Foy as Salome, Kate Hallett as Autje, Rooney Mara as Ona, and Judith Ivey as Agata in 'Women Talking'
Do nothing. Stay and fight. Leave. These are the options mulled over by the women of a Mennonite colony in this absorbing drama adapted from Miriam Toews' novel. With the men of the colony raping them on a consistent basis, the women and girls decide to have a private discussion over how to move forward. The film focuses on their heated debate, as some wish to fight their oppressors while others argue for a calculated escape. Writer-director Sarah Polley won an Oscar for her dialogue-heavy screenplay.
"There's a deep vein of humor and humanity that Polley and her actors mine from the text," EW's critic writes, "and something quietly mesmerizing in their world-building."
Where to watch Women Talking: Amazon Prime Video
EW grade: B
Director: Sarah Polley
Cast: Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, Jessie Buckley, Ben Whishaw, Frances McDormand
on Entertainment Weekly
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