For some film fans, drama is where the pinnacle of craft sits. Dramas take home the majority of the awards and much of the critical acclaim. Other genres often have to work much harder to be taken seriously, and frequently must contain dramatic elements within their respective niches.
While drama is the frontrunner when it comes to critical reception, the sheer volume of dramatic films being produced promises that some will be more popular than others. Simply put, dramas like The Power of the Dog (2021) and Nomadland (2020) have the financial and critical push to the forefront, while other films remain hidden by their larger counterparts’ popularity.
10 Blue Valentine Couldn't Contend With Twilight
Blue Valentine (2010) is an intense and emotional drama directed by Derek Cianfrance about the rise and fall of a couple’s relationship. Starting from when they first meet, all the way to their end, it follows them in splices between past and present from the good to the bad.
While Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams put on Oscar-worthy performances in this film, it simply couldn't compete with other dramas of the time. Having been released in between two of The Twilight Saga films, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn: Part I (2010 and 2011, respectively), this heartbreaking fell into relative obscurity, thanks to the most popular franchise at the time.
9 She Dies Tomorrow Was Overshadowed By Big Contenders
She Dies Tomorrow (2020) is an intriguing and odd drama that follows a woman named Amy who is convinced that she is living her last day on Earth. What makes her obsession with her final day more confounding is that her preoccupation with death is contagious; every person she comes in contact with, and then every person that those individuals are in contact with, also become convinced that they will die tomorrow.
She Dies Tomorrow is full of beautiful visuals and restrained but intense performances that were unfortunately left to fly under the radar when the film was released due to other more heavily marketed intense dramas like Promising Young Woman and Pieces of a Woman. It also didn't help that the film, about a mostly isolated person, came out during July, when the COVID pandemic was reaching astronomical proportions.
8 Lars And The Real Girl Is Weird In A Good Way
A drama that fits into the “bizarre” category, Lars and the Real Girl (2007) is a surprisingly heartwarming story about a socially withdrawn man who falls in love with a life-sized doll. The film's poorly timed release put it in competition with other Fall films, where filmmakers are flexing the big guns for awards.
Despite its competition, this film deserves all the acclaim it can get. It’s a unique and touching depiction of loneliness, and Ryan Gosling puts on a performance that can’t be compared to any other in his career.
7 Paterson Had No Chance Against Oscar Favorites
Paterson (2016) is a quiet and thoughtful drama about a week in the life of Paterson, a bus driver and poet, and his wife Laura, an artist. What at its core is about two people content with being in love with each other and being in love with their art, this drama deserved much more attention than it got upon release.
It's no wonder this film has ended up as a hidden gem, however, considering how big 2016 was for dramas. With giants like Lion and Nocturnal Animals gracing the screens, Paterson had some tough competition.
6 Margaret's Release Was Too Close To Big Names
Margaret stars (2011) Anna Paquin and Mark Ruffalo, this drama follows Lisa (Paquin) after she witnesses a bus accident and becomes entwined with the aftermath, wondering who is at fault. It’s a poignant and emotional story that unfortunately couldn’t contend with the other dramas that shared close release dates.
While films like Zero Dark Thirty and Life of Pi also made their debuts in the same year that Margaret was released, there were simply too many other good dramas that year to give the film a fighting chance. It also didn't help that, of the multiple versions of the film, the theatrical cut was not calibrated exactly as the writer/director Kenneth Lonergan had envisioned.
5 Small Engine Repair Flew Under The Radar
Small Engine Repair (2021) is adapted from the play of the same name, and its unique story makes it worth the watch in either iteration. The story follows three old friends reuniting for one night after having not seen each other for several months. As the night progresses, however, what initially seemed to be a casual get-together quickly turns sideways.
Despite its tense story and impressive performances, Small Engine Repair suffered from its 2021 release like many others due to the pandemic and the release of larger, spotlight-stealing crime dramas like The Card Counter and The Guilty.
4 Wildlife Was A Quiet Project For Paul Dano
Wildlife (2018) is a restrained drama written and directed by Paul Dano, adapted from the novel by Richard Ford, and stars Jake Gyllenhaal. It tells the story of a mother and son dealing with their husband/father’s unexpected decision to leave them to take a job fighting wildfires for the summer.
Gripping and emotional, the film is a combination of a coming-of-age and a relationship drama that deserved more attention, but unfortunately, having been released in 2018, it had some stiff competition in Beautiful Boy and Mid90s.
3 Away We Go Is Sam Mendes' Forgotten Beauty
While Sam Mendes has recently focused on directing action-packed films like two of the recent James Bond films (Skyfall and Spectre) and 1917 (2019), he also has some major chops when it comes to directing dramas. Away We Go (2009) follows a couple expecting their first child as they search for the perfect place to call home.
This gentle family drama sported impressive writing supported by just-as-impressive performances from John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph, but compared to the other films in Mendes’ collection such as American Beauty (1999) and Revolutionary Road (2008) which came out just a year before Away We Go simply didn’t have the room to shine.
2 God's Own Country Was Too Similar To Another Big Drama
God’s Own Country is an intense romantic drama set in Yorkshire. When Johnny, a young English man has to work through the summer with a Romanian farmhand named Gheorghe, hired to help him on his family farm, Johnny finds himself with unexpected feelings for the new visitor. It’s heartfelt and soft-spoken, and for how much it tugs at the heartstrings, it should have been a hit upon release.
Despite its merits, it was released at the same time as Call Me by Your Name, which was a massive hit, and as both films are LBGTQ+ dramas, God’s Own Country was buried under the success of Timotheé Chalamet’s Oscar-nominated performance.
1 The Rider Is Chloé Zhao Finding Her Footing As A Director
Before Chloé Zhao won her Best Directing Oscar for Nomadland or landed her role directing Eternals (2021), she directed a film about a cowboy titled The Rider (2018). This emotional drama follows a rising rodeo star as he recovers from a serious injury, unsure of if he will ever participate in a rodeo again.
It’s a heartfelt film about when and when not to let go of dreams and reigniting one's passions. It should have been a hit, but with competition like Eighth Grade and The Favourite in the running at the same time as its release, it just couldn’t find its place.