20 Greatest Drama Movie Masterpieces of All Time, Ranked

While 12 Angry Men may be the best American film of all time, all cinephiles know that looking overseas is always a decision that opens up a window into countless other generation-defining masterpieces. Case in point: the Soviet auteur Andrei Tarkovsky and his historical epic Andrei Rublev, only the second non-student feature the filmmaker ever directed. It's a total slow-burn and perhaps a little too daunting for those who have never dipped their toes into arthouse dramas; but for movie fans who love when films get intellectually challenging and emotionally complex, this is a must-see.

For one, the tremendously huge scope of the narrative and the sheer scale of the many historical set pieces Tarkovsky builds are jaw-dropping. But what really makes Andrei Rublev not only the best slow-burn movie of all time, but arguably also the greatest drama movie masterpiece of all time, is the way Tarkovsky uses the life of the titular Medieval icon painter as a vehicle to tell a story about faith, art, transcendence, and where those three things intersect. It's a thought-provoking, visually striking, absolutely gorgeous cinematic experience the likes of which the world has never seen again.

On the surface, 12 Angry Men may seem simple. Perhaps too simple for a film that's almost always referenced as one of the greatest of all time. 12 men in a room, mulling the verdict of a murder trial over for 90 minutes. It's almost impossible to believe that this was Sidney Lumet's directing debut, and every bit as impressive that he was able to take that premise and from it extract one of the most powerful drama movies of all time.

Sure, 12 Angry Men's setup is simple, but under that setup lies an incredibly layered and nuanced study of justice, prejudice, and the dark side of the American jury system during the McCarthy era. It's a tight, absolutely riveting masterpiece where every character, every line of dialogue, and even every small reaction shot adds something crucial to the narrative, setting up a domino effect that turns into the greatest Hollywood film ever made.

In all honesty, Francis Ford Coppola's two mob drama masterpieces are virtually interchangeable in terms of quality, but there's a strong argument to be made that the director somehow one-upped himself with The Godfather Part II. Part prequel about Vito Corleone's rise to power, part sequel about Michael's spiritual downfall, it's one of the greatest epics ever put on film.

In short, The Godfather Part II is one of the best movie masterpieces of the last 75 years, the rare gem that does everything a drama should do right. The performances—particularly Al Pacino's second turn as Michael—are some of the best in cinematic history, Coppola's direction is admirably perfect for such a dense story, and the script is a masterclass in how to write compelling dramas.

There are many who would call Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather the single greatest film of all time, and although there's certainly some worthy competition out there, the claim isn't crazy at all. The opening chapter of one of the most perfect movie trilogies ever made, this mob epic is a tale of family, violence, and betrayal like no other that's ever been told through the medium of film.

Released right at the height of the New Hollywood film movement, The Godfather changed the game and set the pace for any other drama that came after. Whether it's the masterful cinematography and editing, Coppola and Mario Puzo's airtight script, all the exceptional and timeless performances, or the overall masterpiece that all of these elements add up to, there's something here for every cinephile to latch on to and enjoy.

Paul Schrader is perhaps best known for his work as one of the greatest screenwriters Hollywood has ever had at its disposal, but he has also sat on the director's chair on a few noteworthy occasions. None of those occasions have ever been more noteworthy than Schrader's magnum opus: Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters, an entirely unconventional biopic about Japanese writer, actor, martial artist, and model Kimitake Hiraoka (best known as his pen name, Yukio Mishima).

Where most biopics tend to be content simply going through the life of their subjects like they're a Wikipedia article come to life, Mishima does things differently. Employing an abstract structure and ample bits of surrealism, and taking three of Mishima's most iconic works as departure points, Schrader explores the very soul and essence of the man's work. By the time the movie is over, you feel like you know Mishima as well as you possibly could. The visuals are gorgeous, the acting is fantastic, and Philip Glass' score is transcendental, making this one of the best-ever arthouse biopics.

Based on a Stephen King novella and directed by frequent King adapter Frank Darabont, The Shawshank Redemption has been the #1 highest-rated movie on IMDb for many years, and that's hardly a surprise. This is, after all, one of the most timeless drama movies ever made. Beautifully written and performed by Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman at the top of their games, it's the queen of prison break films for a reason.

One of the elements that makes Shawshank work so well as a prison break movie, perhaps, is that it's far less focused on the actual escape and far more concerned with its characters and how their time inside changes them. It's a beautifully touching tale about male friendship and redemption, so by the time the momentous third act comes, viewers have become so invested in the characters' arcs and emotional journeys that they can't help but watch on the edge of their seats.

Frank Capra was a filmmaker that was constantly far ahead of his time, always unafraid to dance around the limits imposed by the censorious Hays Code during Hollywood's Golden Age. It's a Wonderful Life is far more than just a moving Christmas classic: It's a study of men's mental health and suicide so complex and so mature that it's hard to believe it came out right in the wake of WWII.

Even still, it's one of the best family movies of all time, with themes and messages so universal and endearing that it's hard to resist this timeless gem. James Stewart is exceptional in the lead role, and the character of George Bailey is one of the best and most compelling in the history of drama films. Sure, this is the quintessential Christmas flick; but it's also one of the best drama movies ever made.

The incredible war romance drama Casablanca was foundational in the birth of the cult cinema movement. Over the years, it became so widely acclaimed and so incredibly iconic that today, it would be silly to call it a mere cult classic: It's as mainstream as classics come, and as memorable as cinema can ever hope to get.

It's one of the best movies of the last 100 years, packed with some of the most quotable dialogue and most memorable scenes in film history. It's an absolutely brilliant movie, a hodgepoge of influences and tones that come together to create one of the most beautiful and timeless stories that have ever used cinema as their vehicle.

It's hard to believe that a movie as perfect as Citizen Kane, which many still refer to as the best film of all time, was the feature debut of Orson Welles. It's one of the greatest character study movies in history, a cinematic achievement whose revolutionary structure and use of the camera made it a game-changer back in 1941. Somehow, over the course of over eight decades, it has still kept every ounce of that "wow" factor.

The things that Welles does with the camera here are stunning, and the way the film is so flawlessly written is almost jaw-dropping. The story of Charles Foster Kane is one that's as entertaining as it is thematically nuanced, and Welles' performance at the center of it is just as amazing as his directing and the screenplay he co-wrote with Herman J. Mankiewicz.

The great Swedish auteur Ingmar Bergman was nothing short of one of the best and most important filmmakers in history, though his filmography is no easy watch. On the contrary: His were, and still are, some of the most depressing films ever made, but all of that pathos came from their philosophical complexity and deeply humanist layers. For an example, one needn't look any further than his best work: Persona.

Starring Bergman's frequent collaborators Liv Ullmann and Bibi Andersson, Persona is a story about identity and duality told with some of the best (and most mind-bending) use of surrealism in Bergman's oeuvre. It's an intellectually challenging and emotionally draining film, that's for sure; but those with the patience for it will find themselves facing one of the biggest achievements in the history of arthouse cinema.

Based on a short story and on a radio drama based on that story, All About Eve is one of the greatest and most iconic films of Hollywood's Golden Age, a period filled with unforgettable gems. Starring Bette Davis, who delivers one of the greatest acting performances in Hollywood history here, this sophisticated classic is like a fine wine that only keeps getting better with age.

It's a biting, effortlessly funny satire just as often as it is an admirably mature drama full of pathos, and it works equally well on both levels. It's thoroughly entertaining and incredibly intelligent, aided by Joseph L. Mankiewicz's exceptionally polished directing and writing. It's a witty, absolutely electrifying tale of Broadway ambition and rivalry with queer undertones that have deservedly made it a cult classic among LGBTQ+ cinephiles.

Akira Kurosawa was undoubtedly the greatest, most important, and most internationally influential Japanese filmmaker in history; and there are even those who would go so far as to call him the best filmmaker who has ever lived, period. When one looks at masterpieces as perfectly made as High and Low, it's hard to disagree.

It's one of the highest-rated Japanese movies on IMDb, and for good reason. Though he was best-known for his genre work in samurai movies and other action period pieces, Kurosawa wasn't afraid to step out of that comfort zone, and the result was typically gems like this. Perfectly staged, emotionally intense, and thematically sharp in its exploration of class disparity and social inequality, this is one of the most enthralling procedurals ever made.

Not many directors can claim that their first Best Director Oscar victory, as well as their only Best Picture win, came for what's truly the best film they've ever made. Steven Spielberg can. Though best known for being the father of blockbusters and the mind behind some of the most entertaining movies in Hollywood history, when the director went serious with Schindler's List, it worked wonders.

This is no box-office-focused popcorn flick. It's one of the best biopics of all time, as well as one of the greatest war film masterpieces ever made, an emotionally stirring masterpiece unfit for the faint of heart. Everything, from the gorgeous black-and-white cinematography to Thomas Keneally and Steven Zaillian's faultless script to John Williams' soul-scarring score, works in perfect harmony with every other element to deliver a drama that packs a wallop.

Martin Scorsese has many times been called the greatest filmmaker working today, and as such, it's no surprise that he's made several of the most acclaimed movies of all time. The question of what his magnum opus is usually garners many different responses, but there's one title that's bound to come up more than most: Goodfellas, one of the greatest gangster epics ever committed to celluloid.

With Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci, and Robert De Niro all doing some of the best work of their careers front and center, Goodfellas wouldn't have needed to do anything else special in order to be memorable. Scorsese always goes the distance, however; and so, his vibrant direction, the enthralling pacing, and the flawlessly written dialogue all make this one of the best movie masterpieces of the '90s.

The era of silent cinema was one filled with some of the greatest and most groundbreaking masterpieces in film history, and one of the biggest is The Passion of Joan of Arc. This French historical epic is a must-see mainly because Renée Jeanne Falconetti delivers in it what might just be the greatest acting performance in movie history, but that's not all that the film has going for it.

It truly is one of the best silent movies of all time, an absolutely gut-wrenching and beautifully poetic portrayal of the final chapter in the life of one of history's most enigmatic figures. Director Carl Theodor Dreyer understood framing and blocking better than the vast majority of his contemporaries, and it shows. The Passion of Joan of Arc is one of those masterpieces where every single frame looks like a gorgeous painting.

South American cinema in general, and Brazilian cinema in particular, is jam-packed with criminally underrated gems that deserve far more fans than they have—but thankfully for all those who love international cinema, City of God is no underrated gem. Instead, this masterpiece has always received all the praise that it deserves, as proved by the fact that it remains among the 30 highest-rated movies on IMDb, and the 10 highest-rated movies on Letterboxd.

It's a well-deserved achievement. With some of the most potent yet sensitive use of shock value ever committed to celluloid, City of God depicts life in the slums of Rio in a way that's undeniably gut-wrenching, yet impossible to look away from. It's one of the fastest-paced crime movies of all time, as well as a riveting coming-of-age drama that's not afraid to be brutal toward the audience, but is never needlessly cruel toward its characters.

Speaking of essential dramas must always bring the conversation to Spike Lee and his groundbreaking fourth feature, Do the Right Thing. Vibrant, colorful, and absolutely electrifying, this drama doesn't bother to hide its scathing social critique and urgent themes with pointless subtleties. It's loud, it's fiery, and it's one of the most complex and nuanced movies of the '80s—a decade full of complex and nuanced movies.

There are no good guys or bad guys here, nor any easy answers or spoon-fed messages. It's a masterpiece that's as thoughtful as it is thought-provoking, elevated by the way Lee plays with structure, pacing, and the camera itself. Never preachy, yet always clear about what it's trying to say, this is one of the most essential Hollywood movies ever made, and everyone who enjoys film should check it out at least once in their lives.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is one of only three films (the others being It Happened One Night and The Silence of the Lambs) that have ever won the Big Five Oscars: Picture, Directing, Screenplay, Actor, and Actress. Every single one of those victories was well deserved. Though not at all without a sense of humor, this is one incredibly heavy drama, but it's worth every tear.

With Jack Nicholson and Louise Fletcher delivering two of the best movie performances of the '70s, and director Miloš Forman exploring the story and its themes on authority and mental illness with tons of heart and care, it's no wonder this is generally regarded as one of the greatest films ever made. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is no feel-good drama, but it sure is an essential one.

Directed by the legendary German auteur Wim Wenders, Paris, Texas is perhaps his best work. It's one of the most acclaimed road trip films of all time, a Palme d'Or winner that's also one of the '80s cult classics most beloved by cinephiles. It's definitely a slow-burn, but as one of the most enthralling character study dramas ever made, it's an absolute must-see for all those who enjoy slow cinema.

A beautiful tale about loss, loneliness, and redemption, lavished in Americana aesthetics that complement both its quiet tone and powerful themes wonderfully, this is nothing short of one of the best movies of the 20th century. It's a sorrowful, understated drama, one of emotional power so tremendous that it's unlikely you'll ever forget it once the credits roll.

One of the kings of 20th-century indie cinema was John Cassavetes, who frequently collaborated with his actress wife, Gena Rowlands. In A Woman Under the Influence, Cassavetes demonstrates some of the greatest directing of any '70s indie drama, and Rowlands delivers one of the most gut-wrenching and powerful acting performances in the history of cinema.

But aside from being a vehicle for Rowlands' transformative turn as a woman having a severe mental crisis, Woman Under the Influence is a far-ahead-of-its-time masterpiece about the crushing weight of gendered social expectations, particularly on women and housewives. It's deeply nuanced and incredibly thought-provoking, and every second of its two-and-a-half-hour runtime is filled with richly detailed character work.