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Of all the movie genres, drama continues to be one of the most popular and common ones. There are multiple reasons for it, one of them being the fact that drama movies often reflect events and experiences that are familiar to many people and can, therefore, interest a large audience.Another reason is that drama can often be combined with other genres naturally and it's a mix that makes the story even more interesting. Finally, actors often give their greatest performances in drama movies because they get to portray challenging roles and give them their best. 2021 saw the premiere of dozens of drama movies but some of them stand out even among the rest.
8 Malcolm And Marie
It's rare to see a movie that manages to work with only two characters and is captivating anyway. Malcolm and Marie focus on a director who just had a successful premiere of his movie and his young girlfriend who's angry at him because he didn't include her in his thanking speech. As the night progresses, the conflict between them develops.
John David Washington and Zendaya both give excellent performances. Their heroes aren't always sympathetic but it's interesting to see what will happen next and what they will say or do. Malcolm and Marie is also a visually beautiful movie thanks to its use of black and white color.
7 The Dig
If anybody wants to see an excellent historical drama, it's always a safe bet to turn to British movies. They're often inspired by real events and include excellent actors. The Dig fits both of these things. It focuses on an archeologist who makes an important discovery shortly before World War Two.
Ralph Fiennes shines in the main role but Carey Mulligan as Edith Pretty also gives yet another great performance. The movie also has a strong atmosphere since both the audience and the characters, especially, know that the war can erupt any day and change their lives forever.
6 The Last Duel
Another excellent historical drama takes the audience even further into the past, into 14th century France. Matt Damon and Adam Driver play two friends who become rivals because they both care about the same woman, Marguerite, played by Jodie Comer. It seems that their conflict will come to an end when they're set to have a duel to the death.
Ridley Scott has directed many memorable movies, historical pieces included, and The Last Duel is one of his best works. It's visually beautiful, cast by talented actors, and the story remains captivating even though the movie lasts over 150 minutes.
5 House Of Gucci
Another excellent drama movie that Scott directed in 2021 is House of Gucci, which focuses on the intricate life of the Gucci family and a planned crime. Just like The Last Duel, this movie is also well over 2 hours long but manages to keep the audiences' attention throughout.
What makes it even better are the acting performances from the likes of Lady Gaga, Adam Driver, Al Pacino, Jeremy Irons, Jared Leto, and many more talented actors. House of Gucci will captivate the viewers regardless of whether they're interested in fashion or not.
4 King Richard
Even though the movie tells the story of young Venus and Serena Williams, it's their father Richard who has the most space in King Richard. The movie focuses on how Richard fought for his daughters and was instrumental in the sisters becoming tennis legends.
Will Smith gives one of his finest performances in the movie. King Richard is ultimately a feel-good drama that suggests that when people stick together, they can achieve many great things.
3 Cherry
Tom Holland is still best known for playing Spider-Man in the MCU but the young British actor likes to take on challenging drama roles as well. In the crime drama Cherry, Holland stars as a young man who serves in Iraq and after his return home, he succumbs to drugs and a life of crime.
The movie isn't easy to watch thanks to the many bad things that happen in it, but it's a fascinating story nonetheless. Holland gives an excellent performance and the directors, the Russo brothers, who worked on the Avengers, also step into the world of darker stories with finesse.
2 tick, tick...BOOM!
tick, tick...BOOM! is another drama movie that manages to mix multiple genres, in this case, drama and musical. Andrew Garfield stars as a 29-year-old musician, Jonathan, who will celebrate his 30th birthday in just a few days and he feels like he hasn't achieved anything.
Garfield's performance, the relatable and captivating story, and Lin-Manuel Miranda's music all make tick, tick...BOOM! an ideal watch even for people who don't normally enjoy musicals.
1 Last Night In Soho
Edgar Wright became a well-known name thanks to his Cornetto trilogy that included a zombie horror, a buddy cop comedy, and finally a sci-fi piece. However, Last Night in Soho is even a more unique work. Young student Eloise comes to London and in her dreams, she finds herself in the 1960s where she watches the life of a talented dancer, Sadie.
The movie is captivating, both visually and story-wise, because initially the audience has no idea what is going on and they're just as confused and fascinated as Eloise is. The cast is also excellent and includes names such as Thomasin McKenzie, Anya Taylor-Joy, Matt Smith, and the late great Diana Rigg.