#1 of 11,601 Best drama movie
1972 Thriller Crime 2h 55m English
100 Metascore $250.3M worldwide
Directed by Francis Ford Coppola
About The Godfather Top 100 · Drama
The 100 Best Drama Movies of All Time, Ranked
We rank 11,601 of the 94,061 drama films on the site; these are the top 100. The Godfather (1972) is #1 with a critics & audiences score of 98/100, ahead of Casablanca (1943) and 12 Angry Men (1957). Ranked by Echo Score; 46 of these 100 films have none (released before 2017, when Echo Scores start) and are ranked by a blend of their Metascore and IMDb/Letterboxd user ratings. A ranked watchlist for character-driven stories and award-season dramas. For new releases and box office hits, see the drama movies guide.
- ranked drama films
- 11,601
- drama films on the site
- 94,061
- release years in the top 100
- 1926–2026
- award winners in the top 100
- 30
#1 of 11,601 Top 10
What Are the Best Drama Movies?
The Godfather (1972) leads with a critics & audiences score of 98/100, ahead of Casablanca (1943); 3 of the top 10 are from the 1950s. April May 99 (2025), a Marathi film directed by Rohan Mapuskar, is the only one ranked by Echo Score (95); the other 9, all released before 2017, are ranked by a blend of Metascore and IMDb/Letterboxd user ratings.
- 1. The Godfather 100 Metascore (Metascore 100 out of 100)
1972 · Drama, Thriller · 2h 55m
Dir. Francis Ford Coppola No Echo Score: ranked 98/100 on critics & audiences · 4 award wins · $250.3M worldwide
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2. Casablanca 100 Metascore (Metascore 100 out of 100 (18 critic reviews))1943 · Drama, Romance · 1h 42m
Dir. Michael Curtiz No Echo Score: ranked 96/100 on critics & audiences · 3 award wins
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3. 12 Angry Men 97 Metascore (Metascore 97 out of 100 (18 critic reviews))1957 · Drama, Crime · 1h 36m
Dir. Sidney Lumet No Echo Score: ranked 95/100 on critics & audiences · 1 award win
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3. Seven Samurai 98 Metascore (Metascore 98 out of 100)1956 · Action, Drama · 3h 27m
Dir. Akira Kurosawa No Echo Score: ranked 95/100 on critics & audiences
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6. Three Colors: Red 100 Metascore (Metascore 100 out of 100)1994 · Drama, Mystery · 1h 39m
Dir. Krzysztof Kieslowski No Echo Score: ranked 94/100 on critics & audiences · 1 award win · $3.6M worldwide
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6. Citizen Kane 100 Metascore (Metascore 100 out of 100 (19 critic reviews))1941 · Drama, Mystery · 1h 59m
No Echo Score: ranked 94/100 on critics & audiences
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6. The Passion of Joan of Arc 98 Metascore (Metascore 98 out of 100)1929 · Biography, Drama · 1h 50m
Dir. Carl Theodor Dreyer No Echo Score: ranked 94/100 on critics & audiences
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9. Tokyo Story 100 Metascore (Metascore 100 out of 100)1972 · Drama · 2h 16m
Dir. Yasujiro Ozu No Echo Score: ranked 94/100 on critics & audiences
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10. Rashomon 98 Metascore (Metascore 98 out of 100)1951 · Drama, Mystery · 1h 28m
Dir. Akira Kurosawa No Echo Score: ranked 93/100 on critics & audiences · 1 award win
#11 to #100
Drama Movies Ranked #11 to #100
Places 11 to 100: Parasite (2019) opens the list and Pan's Labyrinth (2006) closes it. 41 of these 90 films are not in English; 24 languages appear in all. Filter by decade or language, or sort by year or box office.
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Decade
Language
Places 11 to 100; films with the same score share a rank. Use a filter or another sort to include the top 10.
Echo Score, our 0–100 rating (films from 2017 on) Blend: Metascore with IMDb/Letterboxd user ratings, for films without an Echo Score
- 1 1. The Godfather
1972 · Drama, Thriller · 2h 55m
98 Blend $250.3M - 2 2. Casablanca
1943 · Drama, Romance · 1h 42m
96 Blend - 3 3. 12 Angry Men
1957 · Drama, Crime · 1h 36m
95 Blend - 3 3. Seven Samurai
1956 · Action, Drama · 3h 27m
95 Blend - 5 5. April May 99
2025 · Drama · 2h 9m
95 Echo - 6 6. Three Colors: Red
1994 · Drama, Mystery · 1h 39m
94 Blend $3.6M - 6 6. Citizen Kane
1941 · Drama, Mystery · 1h 59m
94 Blend - 6 6. The Passion of Joan of Arc
1929 · Biography, Drama · 1h 50m
94 Blend - 9 9. Tokyo Story
1972 · Drama · 2h 16m
94 Blend - 10 10. Rashomon
1951 · Drama, Mystery · 1h 28m
93 Blend - 11
11. Parasite2019 · Drama, Thriller · 2h 12m
93 Echo $262.6M - 11
11. Dead to Rights2025 · Drama, History · 2h 17m
93 Echo $422.8M - 11
11. Sunday's Illness2018 · Drama · 1h 53m
93 Echo $43.8K - 11
11. Utshob2025 · Drama, Comedy · 1h 52m
93 Echo $179.6K - 15
15. Schindler's List1993 · Biography, Drama · 3h 15m
92 Blend $322.2M - 16
16. Gone with the Wind1940 · Drama, History · 3h 58m
92 Blend - 16
16. My Left Foot1989 · Biography, Drama · 1h 43m
92 Blend $14.7M - 16
16. Grave of the Fireflies (1988)1989 · Animation, Drama · 1h 29m
92 Blend $841.6K - 19
19. Quo Vadis, Aida?2021 · Drama, History · 1h 41m
92 Echo $813.3K - 19
19. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre1948 · Adventure, Drama · 2h 6m
92 Blend - 19
19. A Streetcar Named Desire1951 · Drama · 2h 2m
92 Blend - 19
19. The Battle of Algiers2004 · Drama, War · 2h 1m
92 Blend $280.4K - 19
19. Battleship Potemkin1926 · Drama, History · 1h 15m
92 Blend - 19
19. Chaal Jeevi Laiye2019 · Drama · 2h 17m
92 Echo $100.1K - 19
19. Train Dreams2025 · Drama · 1h 42m
92 Echo - 19
19. The Rules of the Game1950 · Drama, Comedy · 1h 50m
92 Blend - 19
19. Ride the High Country1962 · Drama, Western · 1h 34m
92 Blend - 19
19. Compensation2025 · Drama, History · 1h 35m
92 Echo - 29
29. Pulp Fiction1994 · Drama, Thriller · 2h 34m
92 Blend $213.9M - 30
30. Double Indemnity1944 · Drama, Mystery · 1h 47m
92 Blend - 31
31. Goodfellas1990 · Biography, Drama · 2h 26m
91 Blend $47.1M - 31
31. 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days2008 · Drama · 1h 53m
91 Blend $10.2M - 31
31. La Dolce Vita1961 · Comedy, Drama · 2h 54m
91 Blend - 31
31. Touch of Evil1958 · Drama, Thriller · 1h 35m
91 Blend - 31
31. The Grapes of Wrath1940 · Drama, History · 2h 9m
91 Blend - 31
31. The Night of the Hunter1955 · Drama, Mystery · 1h 32m
91 Blend - 31
31. Close-Up1999 · Biography, Drama · 1h 38m
91 Blend - 38
38. Portrait of a Lady on Fire2019 · Drama, History · 2h 2m
91 Echo $9.9M - 38
38. Caught by the Tides2025 · Drama · 1h 51m
91 Echo $325.1K - 38
38. The Legend of Maula Jatt2022 · Fantasy, Drama · 2h 33m
91 Echo $13.9M - 38
38. The Specials2019 · Comedy, Drama · 1h 54m
91 Echo $19.4M - 38
38. The Shop Around the Corner1940 · Drama, Comedy · 1h 39m
91 Blend - 38
38. Lady Killer (Gueule d’Amour)2023 · Drama, Romance · 1h 34m
91 Blend - 44
44. Chimes at Midnight1967 · Drama, History · 1h 59m
91 Blend - 45
45. Saving Private Ryan1998 · Action, Drama · 2h 49m
90 Blend $482.4M - 45
45. The Godfather: Part II1974 · Drama, Thriller · 3h 20m
90 Blend $48M - 45
45. Moolaadé2004 · Drama · 2h 4m
90 Blend $495.3K - 45
45. Army of Shadows2006 · Drama, War · 2h 25m
90 Blend - 49
49. A Star Is Born2018 · Drama, Romance · 2h 16m
90 Echo $436.4M - 49
49. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri2017 · Drama, Comedy · 1h 55m
90 Echo $162.7M - 49
49. The Secret Agent2025 · Crime, Drama · 2h 38m
90 Echo $19.4M - 49
49. BlacKkKlansman2018 · Biography, Drama · 2h 15m
90 Echo $93.4M - 49
49. The Plague2025 · Drama, Thriller · 1h 35m
90 Echo $695.3K - 49
49. Project Hail Mary2026 · Drama, Sci-Fi · 2h 36m
90 Echo $684.5M - 49
49. Blindspotting2018 · Drama, Comedy · 1h 35m
90 Echo $5M - 49
49. Roma2018 · Drama · 2h 15m
90 Echo $1.1M - 49
49. God's Own Country2017 · Drama, Romance · 1h 44m
90 Echo $2.5M - 49
49. The Best Years of Our Lives1946 · Drama, Romance · 2h 50m
90 Blend - 49
49. Ghostlight2024 · Comedy, Drama · 1h 50m
90 Echo $780.8K - 49
49. The Marching Band2024 · Music, Comedy · 1h 43m
90 Echo $28.1M - 49
49. On Becoming a Guinea Fowl2025 · Comedy, Drama · 1h 35m
90 Echo $238.2K - 49
49. Return to Dust2023 · Drama · 2h 14m
90 Echo $911.5K - 49
49. Good One2024 · Drama · 1h 30m
90 Echo $383.7K - 49
49. Mahavatar Narsimha2024 · Fantasy, Action · 2h 11m
90 Echo $914.5K - 49
49. Lucky Baskhar2024 · Thriller, Drama · 2h 28m
90 Echo $987.4K - 49
49. Honeyland2019 · Drama, Documentary · 1h 30m
90 Echo $1.3M - 49
49. Tourist Family2025 · Drama, Family · 2h 8m
90 Echo $561.4K - 49
49. Hit the Road2022 · Comedy, Drama · 1h 33m
90 Echo $995.1K - 49
49. Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery2025 · Comedy, Crime · 2h 20m
90 Echo - 49
49. Raazi2018 · Action, Drama · 2h 18m
90 Echo $1.8M - 49
49. Violet Evergarden: The Movie2020 · Animation, Romance · 2h 20m
90 Echo - 49
49. The Mystery of Henri Pick2019 · Drama, Comedy · 1h 41m
90 Echo - 49
49. Sachin2017 · Biography, Drama · 2h 18m
90 Echo $288.6K - 49
49. All That's Left of You2026 · Drama, Romance · 2h 25m
90 Echo $979.4K - 49
49. Frankenstein2025 · Drama, Fantasy · 2h 29m
90 Echo - 49
49. The Blue Trail2026 · Drama, Sci-Fi · 1h 25m
90 Echo $558.2K - 49
49. Lost Soulz2024 · Drama · 1h 35m
90 Echo $23.5K - 49
49. All Shall Be Well2024 · Drama · 1h 33m
90 Echo $373.9K - 49
49. Going My Way1944 · Drama, Comedy · 2h 6m
90 Blend - 49
49. Forastera2026 · Drama · 1h 37m
90 Blend $28.6K - 49
49. Yuni2024 · Drama · 1h 35m
90 Echo $529 - 49
49. The Bride of Frankenstein1935 · Drama, Horror · 1h 15m
90 Blend - 49
49. Time2022 · Drama · 1h 39m
90 Echo $301.4K - 49
49. Children of Tokyo2010 · Drama, Comedy · 1h 40m
90 Blend $11.2K - 49
49. Tótem2024 · Drama · 1h 35m
90 Echo - 49
49. Eyimofe (This Is My Desire)2021 · Drama · 1h 56m
90 Echo - 49
49. The Burial Of Kojo2019 · Drama, Thriller · 1h 20m
90 Echo - 49
49. Oon Ko Sweater2025 · Romance, Drama · 2h 28m
90 Echo - 49
49. Ata Thambaycha Naay!2025 · Drama · 2h 18m
90 Echo - 49
49. Mambar Pierrette2024 · Drama · 1h 33m
90 Echo - 49
49. Nowhere Special2024 · Drama · 1h 36m
90 Echo - 49
49. This Is Not a Burial, It's a Resurrection2021 · Drama · 2h
90 Echo - 49
49. En el Séptimo Día (On the Seventh Day)2018 · Drama · 1h 32m
90 Echo - 49
49. Pahuna: The Little Visitors2019 · Drama, Mystery · 1h 28m
90 Echo - 95
95. Secrets & Lies1996 · Drama, Comedy · 2h 16m
90 Blend $13.4M - 95
95. The Apartment1960 · Drama, Comedy · 2h 5m
90 Blend - 95
95. Before Sunset2004 · Drama, Romance · 1h 20m
90 Blend $16.5M - 95
95. Werckmeister Harmonies2001 · Sci-Fi, Drama · 2h 25m
90 Blend $69.9K - 95
95. Killer of Sheep2007 · Drama · 1h 20m
90 Blend - 100
100. Pan's Labyrinth2006 · Drama, Mystery · 1h 58m
89 Blend $83.9M
No film in this list matches both filters. Choose "All" in one of them.
Decade by decade
The Best Drama Movie of Every Decade
From Intolerance (1916) in the 1910s to April May 99 (2025) in the 2020s: the highest-ranked drama movie of each of 12 decades. The 2020s place the most films in the top 100 (38).
- 1910s
99 Metascore Intolerance 1916 - 1920s 98 Metascore The Passion of Joan of Arc 1929
- 1930s 95 Metascore The Bride of Frankenstein 1935
- 1940s 100 Metascore Casablanca 1943
- 1950s 97 Metascore 12 Angry Men 1957
- 1960s 92 Metascore Ride the High Country 1962
- 1970s 100 Metascore The Godfather 1972
- 1980s 97 Metascore My Left Foot 1989
- 1990s 100 Metascore Three Colors: Red 1994
- 2000s 96 Metascore The Battle of Algiers 2004
- 2010s 93 Echo Parasite 2019
- 2020s 95 Echo April May 99 2025
Awards
Which Drama Movies Won the Most Awards?
Oppenheimer (2023) has the strongest record with 30 wins from 65 nominations, including wins at Oscars, Golden Globes and BAFTA. Wins and nominations are counted across every ceremony on our awards pages.
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Oppenheimer 30 wins / 65 nom.2023 · Oscars, Golden Globes, BAFTA · 83 Echo -
Slumdog Millionaire 27 wins / 33 nom.2008 · Oscars, Golden Globes, BAFTA · 84 Metascore -
La La Land 25 wins / 45 nom.2016 · Oscars, Golden Globes, BAFTA · 94 Metascore -
Sinners 23 wins / 61 nom.2025 · Oscars, Golden Globes, BAFTA · 80 Echo -
One Battle After Another 23 wins / 52 nom.2025 · Oscars, Golden Globes, BAFTA · 80 Echo -
Gravity 23 wins / 40 nom.2013 · Oscars, Golden Globes, BAFTA · 96 Metascore - Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri 22 wins / 39 nom.2017 · Oscars, Golden Globes, BAFTA · 90 Echo
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American Beauty 22 wins / 37 nom.1999 · Oscars, Golden Globes, BAFTA · 84 Metascore
Keep exploring
More Ways to Explore Drama Movies
The top 100 are the best 1% of 11,601 ranked drama films. The drama guide, the full list of 94,061 films and the drama box office chart cover the rest of the genre.
FAQ
Drama Movies: Questions & Answers
Answers from the drama ranking above: the best drama film, how many drama movies there are, the strongest decade and the most awarded drama film.
What is the best drama movie?
The Godfather (1972) is the best-ranked drama movie on What's After the Movie, with a critics & audiences score of 98/100. Casablanca (1943) and 12 Angry Men (1957) follow. April May 99 (2025), a Marathi film directed by Rohan Mapuskar, is the only one ranked by Echo Score (95); the other 9, all released before 2017, are ranked by a blend of Metascore and IMDb/Letterboxd user ratings.
About The Godfather How many drama movies are there?
The site lists 94,061 drama films. 11,601 of them are ranked: features of 60+ minutes with a real audience, critic, award or box office signal and a score. This page shows the top 100.
All drama movies Which decade has the best drama movies?
The 2020s place 38 films in the top 100, more than any other decade. The oldest film in the list is Battleship Potemkin (1926), the newest Project Hail Mary (2026).
What is the most awarded drama movie?
Oppenheimer (2023) won 30 awards from 65 nominations, ahead of Slumdog Millionaire (2008) (27 wins), counted across the Oscars, festivals and guild awards on our awards pages.
Movie awards How is this list different from the drama genre page?
This page is only the ranking of the 100 best drama films. The drama genre page covers the whole genre: new releases, the biggest box office hits, its directors and how it changed over the decades.
Drama movies guide