From 1957 Jury Room to 2019 Hillside Home: 10 Drama Films Perfect From Start to Finish
Why drama is hard to perfect
Drama offers little cover for a weak script or performance: without monsters, chases or a final twist, flaws can stand out. But when the elements work, the genre can be especially powerful.
The ten films described here span more than six decades. Some are subdued and others are louder, but they share a lean approach to storytelling.
Grief and family conflict
In Manchester by the Sea, Lee Chandler, played by Casey Affleck, returns to his Massachusetts hometown after his brother Joe dies. Lee learns that Joe named him guardian of his 16-year-old son, Patrick, though Lee does not feel ready for the responsibility.
Kenneth Lonergan wrote and directed the film, which was shot in the real Massachusetts town. A brief street conversation between Lee and his ex-wife, Randi, became a defining scene. Affleck won Best Actor, and Lonergan received Best Original Screenplay; the story offers no easy recovery for Lee.
A family faces the courts
A Separation opens with Tehran couple Nader and Simin arguing over whether to leave Iran. After Simin moves out, Nader hires Razieh to care for his father, who has Alzheimer’s. A dispute leads to a shove and a court case over whether Razieh lost her baby.
Their daughter, Termeh, watches the adults struggle with the truth. The film became the first Iranian production to win the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film and also claimed the top prize at the Berlin Film Festival. Its ending leaves a difficult choice unresolved.
Ambition and identity on screen
The Social Network traces Mark Zuckerberg’s creation of Facebook and the loss of his friendship with Eduardo Saverin. David Fincher reportedly filmed the opening bar conversation about 99 times. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross won an Oscar for a score whose cold piano sound gives the story a nervous, lonely mood.
Moonlight follows Chiron through childhood, adolescence and adulthood, when he is known as Black. Barry Jenkins directed the film from a play by Tarell Alvin McCraney; both men grew up in Miami’s Liberty City, where the movie was filmed. Its budget was about $1.5 million, and the three actors portraying Chiron were reportedly kept apart during production.
Key points
- Manchester by the Sea centers on grief and an unready guardian.
- A Separation turns a family dispute into a court case with no easy answer.
- The Social Network follows Zuckerberg’s rise and the loss of a close friendship.
- Moonlight portrays Chiron across three stages of life in Miami’s Liberty City.