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The Best Drama Movies Of 2018

Updated May 12, 2020 5.4k votes 785 voters 79.6k views 126 items

List Rules Vote for the best drama movies of 2018.

Whether they're about historical events or fictional stories of romance, tension, and love, the best drama movies of 2018 left viewers inspired and emotional. What were the best drama movies this year? Help decide below.

Featuring romantic dramas, coming-of-age movies, biopics, and comedy-dramas, this list of good 2018 dramas includes 12 Strong, Chappaquiddick, Lean on Pete, and Permission.

Good drama films usually feature compelling characters and intriguing storylines, avoiding melodrama in favor of more realistic plot lines and complicated protagonists. Which drama movies of 2018 fit such a description? Vote on this list of 2018 drama movies. Give a vote up to the best drama movies of 2018, and vote down anything you feel is overrated or downright bad. If you are looking for more, check out the top drama films of 2020.

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list ordered by

The Mercy Colin Firth, Rachel Weisz, David Thewlis

Released: 2018

Directed by: James Marsh

The Mercy is a 2017 British biographical drama film directed by James Marsh. Amateur sailor Donald Crowhurst (Colin Firth) attempts to circumnavigate the globe alone as his family awaits his

The Happy Prince Rupert Everett, Colin Firth, Colin Morgan

Released: 2018

Directed by: Rupert Everett

The Happy Prince is a 2018 British biographical drama film directed by Rupert Everett. The untold story of the last days in the tragic times of Oscar Wilde (Rupert Everett), a person who ...more

Stan & Ollie Steve Coogan, John C. Reilly, Nina Arianda

Released: 2018

Directed by: Jon S. Baird

Stan & Ollie is a 2018 British biographical film directed by Jon S. Baird. Stan Laurel (Steve Coogan) and Oliver Hardy (John C. Reilly), the world's most famous comedy duo, attempt to ...more

A Star Is Born Bradley Cooper, Lady Gaga, Sam Elliott

Released: 2018

Directed by: Bradley Cooper

A Star Is Born is a 2018 American musical romantic drama film directed by Bradley Cooper. A movie star (Cooper) helps a young singer/actress (Stefani Germanotta) find fame, even as age and ...more

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NextPres added Green Book Viggo Mortensen, Mahershala Ali, Linda Cardellini

Released: 2018

Directed by: Peter Farrelly

Green Book is a 2018 comedy-drama film directed by Peter Farrelly. A bouncer (Viggo Mortensen) at a New York nightclub takes a job as a pianist's (Mahershala Ali) chauffeur during a tour in the ...more

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The Favourite Olivia Colman, Emma Stone, Rachel Weisz

Released: 2018

Directed by: Yorgos Lanthimos

The Favourite is a 2018 biographical historical film directed by Yorgos Lanthimos. The close relationship between Queen Anne (Olivia Colman) and Sarah Churchill (Rachel Weisz) is threatened by ...more

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The Hate U Give Amandla Stenberg, Regina Hall, Anthony Mackie

Released: 2018

Directed by: George Tillman Jr.

The Hate U Give is a 2018 American drama thriller film directed by George Tillman Jr., based on the novel by Angie Thomas. Constantly switching between the poor, mostly black, neighborhood where ...more

Shoplifters Lily Franky, Sakura Ando, Mayu Matsuoka

Released: 2018

Directed by: Hirokazu Kore-eda

Shoplifters is a 2018 Japanese drama film directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda. A poor, shoplifting family adopts a homeless girl after noticing signs of abuse, integrating her into the family by ...more

Midnight Sun Bella Thorne, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Rob Riggle

Released: 2018

Directed by: Scott Speer

Midnight Sun is a 2018 American romantic drama film directed by Scott Speer, based on the 2006 Japanese film. Sheltered since early childhood due to a rare disease, Katie Price (Bella Thorne) ...more

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Boy Erased Lucas Hedges, Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe

Released: 2018

Directed by: Joel Edgerton

Boy Erased is a 2018 American coming-of-age drama film directed by Joel Edgerton, based on Garrard Conley's memoir. When the son (Lucas Hedges) of a Baptist pastor in a small American town is ...more

At Eternity's Gate Willem Dafoe, Rupert Friend, Oscar Isaac

Released: 2018

Directed by: Julian Schnabel

At Eternity's Gate is a 2018 American drama film directed by Julian Schnabel. Vincent van Gogh (Willem Dafoe) spends his final days in Arles.

Hot Summer Nights Timothée Chalamet, Maika Monroe, Alex Roe

Released: 2018

Directed by: Elijah Bynum

Hot Summer Nights is a 2017 American drama film directed by Elijah Bynum. Daniel (Timothée Chalamet) comes of age, while spending the summer in Cape Cod.

Skate Kitchen Rachelle Vinberg, Jaden Smith, Nina Moran

Released: 2018

Directed by: Crystal Moselle

Skate Kitchen is a 2018 American drama film directed by Crystal Moselle. A teenaged skateboarder (Rachelle Vinberg) makes friends with a bunch of other skateboarding girls in New York City.

Beautiful Boy Steve Carell, Timothée Chalamet, Maura Tierney

Released: 2018

Directed by: Felix Van Groeningen

Beautiful Boy is a 2018 American biographical drama film directed by Felix Van Groeningen, based on the books by David and Nic Sheff. The film chronicles meth addiction and recovery through the ...more

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Acrimony Taraji P. Henson, Lyriq Bent, Tika Sumpter

Released: 2018

Directed by: Tyler Perry

Acrimony is a 2018 American psychological thriller film directed by Tyler Perry. Tired of standing by her devious husband (Lyriq Bent), a faithful wife (Taraji P. Henson) becomes enraged when it ...more

Life Itself Oscar Isaac, Olivia Cooke, Antonio Banderas

Released: 2018

Directed by: Dan Fogelman

Life Itself is a 2018 American-Spanish drama film directed by Dan Fogelman. The lives of people from New York to Spain intersect over the course of different generations.

Vice Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Steve Carell

Released: 2018

Directed by: Adam McKay

Vice is a 2018 biographical comedy-drama film directed by Adam McKay. The story of Dick Cheney (Christian Bale), the most powerful Vice President in history, and how his policies changed the ...more

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Widows Viola Davis, Cynthia Erivo, André Holland

Released: 2018

Directed by: Steve McQueen

Widows is a 2018 heist thriller film directed by Steve McQueen, based on the 1983 TV series. Four armed robbers are killed in a failed heist attempt, only to have their widows step up to finish ...more

Alpha Kodi Smit-McPhee, Leonor Varela, Jens Hultén

Released: 2018

Directed by: Albert Hughes

Alpha is a 2018 American historical drama film directed by Albert Hughes. After a hunting expedition 20,000 years ago in Europe during the Upper Paleolithic period goes awry, a young caveman ...more

Bodied Calum Worthy, Jackie Long, Rory Uphold

Released: 2018

Directed by: Joseph Khan

Bodied is a 2017 American comedy-drama film directed by Joseph Kahn. A progressive graduate student (Calum Worthy) finds success and sparks outrage when his interest in battle rap as a thesis ...more

Roma Yalitza Aparicio, Marina de Tavira, Marco Graf

Released: 2018

Directed by: Alfonso Cuarón

Roma is a 2018 Mexican drama film directed by Alfonso Cuarón. The film follows the life of an indigenous live-in maid for a wealthy family named Cleodegaria "Cleo" ...more

American Animals Evan Peters, Barry Keoghan, Blake Jenner

Released: 2018

Directed by: Bart Layton

American Animals is a 2018 British-American crime drama film directed by Bart Layton. Rebelling against their suburban upbringing, childhood friends Spencer (Barry Keoghan) and Warren (Evan ...more

Outlaw King Chris Pine, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Florence Pugh

Released: 2018

Directed by: David Mackenzie

Outlaw King is a 2018 American-Scottish historical action drama directed by David Mackenzie. A David and Goliath story of how the 14th century Scottish "outlaw king" Robert the Bruce ...more

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The Miseducation of Cameron Post Chloë Grace Moretz, Sasha Lane, John Gallagher

Released: 2018

Directed by: Desiree Akhavan

The Miseducation of Cameron Post is a 2018 American-British drama film directed by Desiree Akhavan, based on the 2012 novel by Emily M. Danforth. In 1993, a teenage girl (Chloe Grace Moretz) is ...more

Foxtrot Lior Ashkenazi, Sarah Adler, Yonatan Shiray

Released: 2017

Directed by: Samuel Maoz

Foxtrot is a 2017 Israeli drama film directed by Samuel Maoz. The film portrays the grief and confusion experienced by affluent Tel Aviv couple learn that their son, a soldier, has died in the ...more