The 14 Best Drama Movies of 2022 (So Far)

From acclaimed indie films to music biopics.

When you've had quite enough drama in real life, turn to a drama-filled movie to get your fix. The best new drama films of 2022 range from much-anticipated cinematic blockbusters Downtown Abbey: A New Era and book-to-movie adaptation Where The Crawdads Sing to acclaimed streaming-service films like HBO Max's The Fallout. Ahead, our picks of the best new drama films of the year (so far!) to add to your 2022 watchlist. (If that's not enough drama for you, check out our guide to the best drama films of 2021.)

'The Fallout'

Starring: Jenna Ortega, Maddie Ziegler, Niles Fitch, Will Ropp, Lumi Pollack, John Ortiz, Julie Bowen, and Shailene Woodley

The story: After a traumatic school shooting, new friends Vada and Mia navigate the emotional fallout as their personal relationships and views of the world are forever changed.

'Kimi'

Starring: Zo Kravitz, Rita Wilson, Byron Bowers, Erika Christensen, Jamie Camil, India de Beaufort, and Robin Givens

The story: In this latest film from Steven Soderbergh, an agoraphobic tech worker finds evidence of a crime recorded on an AI assistant.

'After Yang'

Starring: Colin Farrell, Jodie Turner-Smith, Malea Emma Tjandrawidjaja, Justin H. Min, Sarita Choudhury, and Haley Lu Richardson

The story: A family living in the near future deal with questions of love and life after their A.I. son breaks down.

'Downton Abbey: A New Era'

Premieres: May 20, 2022

Starring: Michelle Dockery, Elizabeth McGovern, Hugh Bonneville, Joanne Froggatt, Laura Haddock, Carmichael, Imelda Staunton, Dominic West, and Maggie Smith

The story: Nine months after the events of the first Downton Abbey movie, the Crawleys travel to the South of France after their estate is taken over by a film crew.

'Along for the Ride'

Premieres: May 6 (on Netflix)

Starring: Emma Pasarow, Belmont Cameli, Andie MacDowell, Dermot Mulroney, and Kate Bosworth

The story: In this adaptation of the beloved Sarah Dessen novel, insomiac teens Auden and Eli go on carefree adventures as their small seaside town sleeps.

'Where the Crawdads Sing'

Starring: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Taylor John Smith, Harris Dickinson, David Strathairn, Garret Dillahunt, Ahna OReilly, and Michael Hyatt

The story: A woman who raised herself in the North Carolina marshes becomes a suspect in the murder of an ex-lover, in this adaptation of the bestselling novel.

'Elvis'

Starring: Austin Butler, Tom Hanks, Olivia DeJonge, Kodi Smit-McPhee, David Wenham, Richard Roxburgh, and Natasha Bassett

The story: Baz Luhrman directs this biopic of the rock and roll legend, depicting his rise through the music industry and his complex relationship with his manager, Colonel Tom Parker.

'Till'

Starring: Danielle Deadwyler, Jalyn Hall, Jayme Lawson, Sean Patrick Thomas, Haley Bennett, Kevin Carroll, and Whoopi Goldberg

The story: Based on the true story of 14-year-old Emmett Till's murder, this film tells the story of his mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, including her decision to have an open casket as his funeral, the response to which helped set off the civil rights movement.

'She Said'

Starring: Carey Mulligan, Zoe Kazan, Samantha Morton, Patricia Clarkson, and Andre Braugher

The story: Based on the book by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey, She Said will depict the journalists' efforts to expose Harvey Weinstein's history of sexual harrassment.

'Creed III'

Starring: Michael B. Jordan, Tessa Thompson, Florian Munteanu, Jonathan Majors, Wood Harris, Selenis Leyva, and Phylicia Rashad

The story: Franchise star Michael B. Jordan makes his directorial debut in this threequel about the heavyweight champion son of Apollo Creed.

'The Fablemans'

Starring: Gabriel LaBelle, Michelle Williams, Paul Dano, Seth Rogen, Julia Butters, and David Lynch

The story: This semi-autobiographical story from Steven Spielberg follows an aspiring teen filmmaker growing up in Arizona.

'I Wanna Dance With Somebody'

Starring: Naomi Ackie, Nafessa Williams, Clarke Peters, and Tamara Tunie

'Babylon'

Starring: Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Tobey Maguire, Olivia Wilde, Jean Smart, Diego Calva, Jovan Adepo, Li Jun Li, and Katherine Waterston

The story: The new film from La La Land director Damien Chazelle explores the rise and fall of several film industry workers during its transition from silent films to talkies in the late 1920s.

'Killers of the Flower Moon'

Premieres: TBA

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert DeNiro, Lily Gladstone, Jesse Plemons, Scott Shepherd, Pat Healy, and Brendan Fraser

The story: Martin Scorsese directs this adaptation of the bestselling novel, about a series of murders in 1920s Oklahoma that caught the attention of the newly formed FBI.

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