Here are our picks for the Best Drama Films of 2021.

5.) CODA (dir: Siân Heder)

In CODA, Emilia Jones plays Ruby, a Child of Deaf Adults. Her brother is also deaf, leaving Ruby to communicate for their fishing business and other appointments. The family moves as a tight unit, but when Ruby wants to follow her dream of singing, they struggle to understand why—both because they can’t fully appreciate her voice and out of fear. CODA is a heartfelt drama with plenty of tear-jerking moments and phenomenal performances all around.

— Dylan Blight

4.) Dune (dir: Denis Villeneuve)

After a couple of mixed adaptations, we finally have a Dune that captures the scale and epicness fans desired. Denis Villeneuve brings House Atreides’ arrival on Arrakis to life with stunning practical effects, an epic Hans Zimmer score and a star-studded cast led by Timothée Chalamet and Rebecca Ferguson. One of the year’s most ambitious films delivered on its promise—and we wait with anticipation for the sequel.

— Ashley Hobley

3.) The Matrix Resurrections (dir: Lana Wachowski)

The Matrix Resurrections may not have been the sequel many expected, but it’s the one we needed. Years after Revolutions, Neo is back in the Matrix, believing he is still Thomas Anderson and that his life as Neo is something he imagined. The tale Lana Wachowski and collaborators tell is remarkable—folding in metacommentary on the industry’s constant stream of remakes and reboots, touching on mental health, and ultimately centring a love story. A multi-layered marvel I look forward to revisiting to uncover even more.

— Ashley Hobley

2.) The Father (dir: Florian Zeller)

The first time I was asked about The Father, I called it a horror movie—I stand by that. It’s a drama, of course, but its themes of dementia and ageing shook me to the core. The film is filled with prestigious performances, most prominently from Olivia Colman and Anthony Hopkins (who won an Oscar for the role of Anthony). Adapted from a stage play and set largely in one location, director Florian Zeller keeps the camera alive and the performances do the rest.

— Dylan Blight

1.) Promising Young Woman (dir: Emerald Fennell)

Watching Promising Young Woman for the first time, I wondered if it might tip into horror—if Carey Mulligan’s Cassie would turn to violent revenge. The simmering tension keeps you asking how far she’ll go to cope with the past. Mulligan is phenomenal under the direction of writer-director Emerald Fennell. It’s a film that sparks conversation for days after viewing.

— Dylan Blight