The 25 best drama movies on Netflix

1917 (2019)

Sam Mendes immerses us in the hell of war in this visceral drama set in the heart of World War I. Lance corporals William Schofield (George MacKay) and Tom Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman) are tasked with relaying an important message to a superior to call off a scheduled attack that would put British troops in harm's way. Schofield and Blake traverse the precarious battlefields of northern France, and Oscar-winning cinematographer Roger Deakins' expert camerawork makes the film appear to be shot with only two uninterrupted takes. As EW's critic writes, this trick "effectively drops the viewer into the center of the story and compels them to stay there." —Kevin Jacobsen

Where to watch 1917: Netflix

EW grade: A– (read the review)

Director: Sam Mendes

Cast: George MacKay, Dean-Charles Chapman, Mark Strong, Andrew Scott, Richard Madden, Colin Firth, Benedict Cumberbatch

Related content: 1917 cast and creators explain how they made the film to be one continuous shot

Aftersun (2022)

An 11-year-old girl tries to understand her increasingly distant father while on vacation in this understated indie drama. At their holiday resort, Sophie (Frankie Corio) videotapes her dad, Calum (Paul Mescal, in an Oscar-nominated performance), who struggles to find meaning in his life. Interspersed throughout the film are present-day segments depicting an adult Sophie (Celia Rowlson-Hall) as she studies the footage from her youth, still looking for answers. Aftersun is a quietly powerful meditation on memory and the relationship between fathers and daughters, directed with great sensitivity by Charlotte Wells in her feature debut. —K.J.

Where to watch Aftersun: Netflix

Director: Charlotte Wells

Cast: Paul Mescal, Frankie Corio, Celia Rowlson-Hall

Related content: Paul Mescal on his turn as a depressed dad in Aftersun: 'Your parents don't always have the answers'

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 critic 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

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 critic writes 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

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 critic 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

Related content: Martin Scorsese really doesn't want you to watch The Irishman on your phone

King Richard (2021)

While Will Smith's actions at the 2022 Oscars have arguably overshadowed the film for which he won Best Actor that night, this sports biopic is still very much worth a watch. King Richard recounts the meteoric rise of tennis superstars Venus and Serena Williams, under the tutelage of their demanding father, Richard (Smith). Featuring committed performances by Smith, Aunjanue Ellis, Saniyya Sidney, and Demi Singleton, King Richard is an earnestly told success story with an even-handed approach to its central figure's strengths and flaws. EW's critic calls it "a smart reminder that when a story is told well it can hit all the beats we know, and still somehow surprise us." —K.J.

Where to watch King Richard: Netflix

EW grade: B+ (read the review)

Director: Reinaldo Marcus Green

Cast: Will Smith, Aunjanue Ellis, Saniyya Sidney, Demi Singleton, Tony Goldwyn, Jon Bernthal

Related content: Emotional Will Smith wins Best Actor after slapping Chris Rock at Oscars: 'Love will make you do crazy things'

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

Related content: Ryan Gosling reunites with La La Land star Emma Stone to remind everyone how they 'saved jazz'

Marriage Story (2019)

Noah Baumbach reached new heights with this bittersweet examination of a relationship in the aftermath of a breaking point. Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver star as Nicole and Charlie, artists in the entertainment industry whose amicable separation soon turns into a nasty divorce and fight for custody over their son. The film even-handedly explores the nature of relationships and societal expectations, with two fully committed performances at its center (plus a scene-stealing, Oscar-winning turn from Laura Dern as Nicole's lawyer). EW's critic calls Marriage Story "a movie that somehow makes its intimacy seem like a radical act, one messy, heart-wrecking moment at a time." —K.J.

Where to watch Marriage Story: Netflix

EW grade: A– (read the review)

Director: Noah Baumbach

Cast: Scarlett Johansson, Adam Driver, Laura Dern, Alan Alda, Ray Liotta, Julie Hagerty, Merritt Wever

Related content: Laura Dern on reading the Marriage Story script: 'I've never cried so hard'

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

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

Molly's Game (2017)

Generally critiqued for his struggles in writing complex female characters with agendas independent of the men with whom they work, Aaron Sorkin strikes a commendable balance with Molly’s Game, his feature directorial debut. The story follows Molly Bloom (Jessica Chastain), a young skier who, after her Olympic dreams end in injury, uses her athletically-earned gifts of confidence and composure to run an exclusive underground poker ring. Based on Molly Bloom's memoir, the film’s two-hour and 20-minute run time races past in a series of flashbacks and narration as Bloom relays her riches-to-rags story to her lawyer (Idris Elba). Fans of celebrity gossip will delight in Michael Cera's performance as an unpleasant Hollywood actor and poker enthusiast who, according to clues dropped in the movie and book, is likely Tobey Maguire. —S.B.

Where to watch Molly's Game: Netflix

EW grade: A– (read the review)

Director: Aaron Sorkin

Cast: Jessica Chastain, Idris Elba, Kevin Costner, Michael Cera, Jeremy Strong, Chris O'Dowd, Bill Camp

Related content: Jessica Chastain shows her cards on Molly's Game, poker, and Idris Elba

Moneyball (2011)

Not unlike Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) building a new roster for the Oakland Athletics, Moneyball takes a refreshingly different approach to the sports drama. The film, based on Michael Lewis' book of the same name, tells the true story of Beane and his work as general manager of the Oakland A's to reinvigorate his team during the 2002 baseball season. Faced with a limited budget, he partners up with a whizkid Yale graduate (Jonah Hill), who has developed a method for identifying undervalued players worth signing. Aaron Sorkin and Steven Zaillian's razor-sharp script breathes new life into this underdog story, with Pitt delivering one of his most nuanced performances to date. "It's a baseball drama about something novel and rich: Billy's desire not just to win but to change the game," writes EW's critic, "to take it back from the accountants and rediscover the joy of players who could still triumph by surprising you." —K.J.

Where to watch Moneyball: Netflix

EW grade: A– (read the review)

Director: Bennett Miller

Cast: Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman

Related content: Jonah Hill on Moneyball and being an underdog: 'I was at the bottom of a list of other actors you'd expect to see in this part.'

The Nest (2020)

Sean Durkin's enigmatic '80s-set drama is a masterwork of unease. An American family transplants to London for patriarch Rory's (Jude Law) new job, and, despite the promise of prosperity and happiness, soon falls into dysfunction. Rory hasn’t informed his wife, Allison (Carrie Coon), that he’s nearly broke, Allison struggles to adjust to her new life, and their new mansion home is so creaky and uninviting it may as well be haunted. Imbued with dread, The Nest is an enrapturing portrait of a marriage and a family, with two stellar performances in Law and Coon. "Durkin captures it all with a sort of menacing restraint, building a deeply disquieting mood from long, almost voyeuristic shots and loaded gazes," EW's critic observes. "Is he giving us gothic romance, domestic drama, existential horror?" —K.J.

Where to watch The Nest: Netflix

EW grade: B+ (read the review)

Director: Sean Durkin

Cast: Jude Law, Carrie Coon, Charlie Shotwell, Oona Roche, Adeel Akhtar

Related content: Carrie Coon hopes audiences can 'escape into' eerie marriage drama The Nest

On the Basis of Sex (2018)

This biopic about Ruth Bader Ginsburg is a compelling saga of a trailblazer in her early years. Felicity Jones portrays the future Supreme Court justice as a young law student looking to make her mark on the world — and frequently running into roadblocks due to her gender in a male-dominated society. She eventually becomes a law professor and sets out to challenge sex-based discrimination, making a name for herself as an equal rights advocate in the process. EW's critic writes that On the Basis of Sex "represents a noble attempt to showcase the roots of how deeply her efforts and passions would come to alter the fabric of American life." —K.J.

Where to watch On the Basis of Sex: Netflix

EW grade: B (read the review)

Director: Mimi Leder

Cast: Felicity Jones, Armie Hammer, Justin Theroux, Sam Waterston, Kathy Bates

Related content: On the Basis of Sex cast reflect on the legacy of Ruth Bader Ginsburg

The Other Boleyn Girl (2008)

While those sensitive to historical accuracy will certainly have their quibbles, The Other Boleyn Girl's strengths lie in the dual performances at its center. Natalie Portman stars as Anne Boleyn, whose attempt to woo King Henry VIII (Eric Bana) is thwarted, leading to Anne's sister Mary (Scarlett Johansson) stepping into her place. Following exile, Anne manipulates her way back into Henry's good graces, and a delicious power struggle ensues. Both Portman and Johansson are in control of their star personas here, while the film revels in all the juicy palace intrigue of its setting. As EW's critic notes, "The Other Boleyn Girl offers the pleasures you want, and expect, from a middlebrow royal-court soaper." —K.J.

Where to watch The Other Boleyn Girl: Netflix

EW grade: B (read the review)

Director: Justin Chadwick

Cast: Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson, Eric Bana, Kristin Scott Thomas, Mark Rylance, David Morrissey

Related content: Natalie Portman: See her grow up on screen

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

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

Related content: Watch Jason Momoa shave off his signature locks for a good cause: 'Here's to new beginnings'

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 writes, 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'

Wonder (2017)

Wonder follows a 10-year-old boy named Auggie (Jacob Tremblay) as he deals with the common trials and tribulations of growing up. However, what makes Auggie's story unique is his medical condition: a rare facial deformity called mandibulofacial dysostosis, which he hides by wearing an astronaut helmet in public. Upon making the transition from homeschooling to private school, Auggie struggles to fit in but ultimately makes friends with another boy, though their friendship is put to the test when he makes fun of Auggie behind his back. It's an uplifting story that earns your emotional investment; as EW's critic writes, "Yes, you’ve seen some version of this before, but rarely done this well, this tastefully, and with this much restraint." —K.J.

Where to watch Wonder: Netflix

EW grade: B+ (read the review)

Director: Stephen Chbosky

Cast: Jacob Tremblay, Julia Roberts, Owen Wilson, Mandy Patinkin, Daveed Diggs

Related content: Jacob Tremblay on Wonder and working with Julia Roberts

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 critic notes, "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