The Best Dramas on Hulu Right Now (September 2021)

Drama is an intrinsic part of our lives. No one lives completely free of conflict and tension. But as much as we tend to avoid drama, dramatic movies are a cathartic experience. Removed from any personal stakes, it can be engrossing to lose yourself to someone else’s story for two hours or more as they struggle to overcome their personal obstacles. Sometimes they triumph, and sometimes they fail. But it’s the journey that matters, and the emotions that we remember the most. That’s one of the reasons why Hulu stands out among the streaming pack. With a selection that includes the two most recent Oscar winners for best picture, Parasite and Nomadland, Hulu can truthfully claim to have the best dramas online. Those films are surrounded by a rich and diverse lineup that goes back several decades. If you’re looking to find a great drama, then you’ve come to the right place. Just check out our list of the best dramas that you can stream on Hulu right now.

Can’t find what you’re looking for? We also have a guide highlighting the best dramas on Netflix.

The Hate U Give (2018)

Angie Thomas’s powerful young adult novel The Hate U Give was adapted as an equally compelling movie by director George Tillman Jr. and screenwriter Audrey Wells. Amandla Stenberg headlines the film as Starr Carter, a young woman whose life is thrown into turmoil when she witnesses the death of her best friend, Khalil Harris (Algee Smith), during a police shooting. Starr initially tries to hide her connection to the shooting from her friends and schoolmates. But when the officer escapes the consequences of his actions, Starr steps up to take a more vocal stand against the racism and hatred that threatens her family, her community, and even Starr herself.

Rotten Tomatoes: 97%
Stars: Amandla Stenberg, Regina Hall, Russell Hornsby, K.J. Apa, Sabrina Carpenter
Director: George Tillman Jr.
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 133 minutes

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Bombshell (2019)

There aren’t a lot of sympathetic figures at Fox News, but Bombshell humanizes two real personalities, Megyn Kelly (Charlize Theron) and Gretchen Carlson (Nicole Kidman), by dramatizing the sexual harassment they faced from Fox News CEO Roger Ailes (John Lithgow). Ailes’s ongoing harassment severely harms Carlson’s career, while Kelly is clearly reluctant to share her own story out of fear of reprisal. But when Kelly meets Kayla Pospisil (Margot Robbie), she comes to realize that the problems at Fox News are much bigger than Ailes. And the only way to confront them is to speak out.

Rotten Tomatoes: 68%
Stars: Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman, John Lithgow, Kate McKinnon, Margot Robbie
Director: Jay Roach
Rating: R
Runtime: 109 minutes

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The Peanut Butter Falcon (2019)

The Peanut Butter Falcon is the story of two young men, Tyler (Shia LaBeouf) and Zak (Zack Gottsagen), who forge an unlikely friendship on the road. While Tyler is merely an outcast, Zak is an escaped patient living with Down syndrome who dreams of becoming a professional wrestler under the tutelage of The Salt Water Redneck (Thomas Haden Church). Zak’s caretaker, Eleanor (Dakota Johnson), follows him in order to bring him back to the nursing facility. Yet Eleanor finds herself drawn to both Zak and Tyler as a makeshift family, especially when she learns what will happen if Zak is returned to the facility.

Rotten Tomatoes: 95%
Stars: Shia LaBeouf, Zack Gottsagen, Dakota Johnson, Bruce Dern, Jon Bernthal
Director: Tyler Nilson, Michael Schwartz
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 98 minutes

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50/50 (2011)

How would you live your life if you knew that it might be coming to an end? That’s the question facing Adam Lerner (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) in 50/50. After receiving a cancer diagnosis with an unfavorable survival rate, Adam’s best friend, Kyle Hirons (Seth Rogen), does his best to lift Adam’s spirits. The same can’t be said for Adam’s girlfriend, Rachael (Bryce Dallas Howard), who emotionally abandons him during his chemo treatment. That’s why Adam becomes close to his therapist, Katherine McKay (Anna Kendrick). But as the lines between doctor and patient blur, Adam has to question what he should do in the time he has left.

Rotten Tomatoes: 93%
Stars: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, Anna Kendrick, Bryce Dallas Howard, Anjelica Huston
Director: Jonathan Levine
Rating: R
Runtime: 100 minutes

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Chaplin (1992)

Biopics toe a fine line between failure and success. Lean a little too hard in one narrative direction or misplace a key moment in someone’s life, and there’s a good chance the film may land in rough waters with viewership. Richard Attenborough’s Chaplin lives somewhere right in the middle of this polarity but with more wins than losses. Starring a young Robert Downey Jr. as the titular movie star, Chaplin traces the famous actor’s true rags-to-riches ascent from a vaudevillian start in London to his prolific leading-man career in some of cinema history’s most prominent films. When the script begins to meander, Downey Jr. steers it right back on course with his earnest performance and endearing charisma. It’s not perfect, but Chaplin pulls it together in more ways than one.

Rotten Tomatoes: 60%
Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Dan Akyroyd, Geraldine Chaplin
Director: Richard Attenborough
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 144 minutes

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Graduation (2017)

Cristian Mungiu is a singular talent. In his blistering domestic follow-up to his 2012 film Beyond the Hills, Graduation takes a step away from the religious frenzy of the former in favor of a narrative closer to home. Romeo (Adrian Titieni), a Transylvanian physician, seems to have his small but busy life in perfect order. That is until his daughter, Eliza (Maria-Victoria Dragus), is assaulted before her final examinations. When efforts to locate the attacker begin falling short, Romeo decides to take matters into his own hands. At the same time, a stack of separate allegations begins piling up, with investigators aiming magnifying glasses directly at Romeo’s life and what he’s done to ensure his daughter’s academic success. In part a critique of modern Romanian culture, Graduation shines a light on a triumphant ensemble of performers and an intimate narrative that puts us directly in Romeo’s shoes as everything he knows and has arranged begins to crumble.

Rotten Tomatoes: 95%
Stars: Adrian Titieni, Maria-Victoria Dragus, Lia Bugnar
Director: Cristian Mungiu
Rating: R
Runtime: 128 minutes

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I, Daniel Blake (2017)

Daniel Blake (Dave Johns) is a widowed carpenter working and living in London. After suffering a heart attack, his physician deems him unfit to return to work — but not according to the British government. When Daniel passes a work capability assessment, his employers demand he return. Launching an appeal against the governing body, Daniel’s wit and stamina are put to the test as the workplace fiasco begins taking its toll. As his appeals drag on, Daniel becomes close with Katie (Hayley Squires), a single mother of two going through workplace troubles of her own. A brilliant examination of the working class versus the mighty and merciless powers that be, I, Daniel Blake features incredible acting, a tight script, and a more-than-relatable story.

Rotten Tomatoes: 54%
Stars: Blake Lively, Michiel Huisman, Kathy Baker
Director: Lee Toland Krieger
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 113 minutes

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The Age of Adaline (2015)

Let’s face it: No one wants to grow old. In director Lee Toland Krieger’s The Age of Adaline, the gift of infinite youth is bestowed upon Adaline Bowman (Blake Lively). Remaining 29 for nearly 80 years, Adaline has done well to keep her permanent age under wraps — that is until she falls for one Ellis Jones (Michiel Huisman), a charming philanthropist-type. As Adaline begins to fall for the man, she just may have to lift the veil from her well-guarded gift. Led by strong performances from Lively and Huisman and a compelling story, The Age of Adaline doesn’t necessarily break new grounds in the realm of magic realist dramas, but it’s a film that works in more ways than one.

Rotten Tomatoes: 54%
Stars: Blake Lively, Michiel Huisman, Kathy Baker
Director: Lee Toland Krieger
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 113 minutes

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Mountains May Depart (2015)

In writer-director ZhangKe Jia’s eighth feature film, Mountains May Depart, Tao Zhao stars as Shen Tao, a shopkeeper-turned-gas-station manager. Set over three distinct time periods, Mountains explores Tao’s personal life and her romantic connections with various suitors over the course of 30 years. Sure-footed in his approach, ZhangKe Jia’s intimately lush narrative and mesmerizing cinematography paints a picture of China’s capitalist boom while exploring the era’s impacts on those looking to reap the rewards of consumerist living, both nationally and internationally.

Rotten Tomatoes: 90%
Stars: Tao Zhao, Yi Zhang, Zijian Dong
Director: ZhangKe Jia
Rating: NA
Runtime: 132 minutes

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If Beale Street Could Talk (2018)

Although James Baldwin’s novel If Beale Street Could Talk was released in 1974, the story feels all too timely in this 2018 cinematic adaptation. KiKi Layne and Stephan James play Clementine “Tish” Rivers and Alonzo “Fonny” Hunt, respectively. The two young lovers have known each other nearly their entire lives, and they plan to have a future together. Those plans are derailed when Fonny is accused of a rape he couldn’t possibly have committed. As Fonny faces a long sentence behind bars, Tish struggles to prove his innocence while navigating some family drama of her own. Love can prevail, but it’s not always justice.

Rotten Tomatoes: 95%
Stars: KiKi Layne, Stephan James, Colman Domingo, Teyonah Parris, Michael Beach, Dave Franco
Director: Barry Jenkins
Rating: R
Runtime: 117 minutes

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The Social Network (2010)

In retrospect, Jesse Eisenberg really was the right choice to play Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network. He seems far more human in the role than the real-life Zuckerberg does. This film is a dramatic retelling of Facebook’s early days, as Mark forms a partnership with his best friend, Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield), only to betray Eduardo at the exact moment that it suited him. You’ll notice that’s a pattern in this story, as Mark’s former partners, the Winklevoss twins (Armie Hammer), angrily pursue Mark through legal actions. And as the movie’s tagline promises, “You don’t get to 500 million friends without making a few enemies.”

Rotten Tomatoes: 96%
Stars: Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake, Armie Hammer, Rooney Mara
Director: David Fincher
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 120 minutes

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Chappaquiddick (2017)

July 18, 1969: Massachusetts senator Ted Kennedy drives his car off a bridge on Chappaquiddick Island, just next to Martha’s Vineyard. Mary Jo Kopechne, a 28-year-old campaign strategist for Kennedy dies in the accident while Kennedy escapes relatively unscathed. Once seen as a potential future president, the ongoing investigation into the mysterious and scandalous events derails Kennedy’s political future and changes the course of the American government.

Rotten Tomatoes: 81%
Stars: Jason Clarke, Kate Mara, Ed Helms
Director: John Curran
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 101 minutes

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Nomadland (2021)

In director Chloé Zhao’s Golden Globe-winning Nomadland, Frances McDormand stars as Fern, a displaced U.S. Gypsum worker who sells off most of her possessions and property when the company’s Nevada plant closes. Taking to the road, Fern joins ranks with a good friend, Linda (Linda May), and a band of other nomadic wanderers in the deserts of Arizona. Under the tutelage of Bob Wells (as himself), Fern learns a series of imperative skills for surviving on your own in the American West. Adapted from Jessica Bruder’s 2017 non-fiction book, Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century, McDormand delivers a stalwart performance as the downtrodden Fern. She truly carries the film — it’s through her eyes that we learn of a world that America has attempted to leave behind and the fighting spirits that refuse to be forgotten.

Rotten Tomatoes: 94%
Stars: Frances McDormand, David Strathairn, Linda May, Bob Wells
Director: Chloé Zhao
Rating: R
Runtime: 108 minutes

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Judy (2019)

In this brazen biopic, Renée Zellweger stars as the titular Judy Garland. It’s been almost 30 years since the star dazzled audiences as the lovely Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. Now a nightclub singer in London at the Talk of the Town, Judy suffers from substance abuse as she does her best to press on as a much-lauded icon of cinema and the stage. Zellweger’s performance is emotionally raw and authentic beyond belief. Capturing every facet of the late star’s peacock personality, Judy is a loving ode to the adored actress and her greatest memories.

Rotten Tomatoes: 81%
Stars: Renée Zellweger, Jessie Buckley, Finn Wittrock
Director: Rupert Goold
Rating: R
Runtime: 118 minutes

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Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019)

In the 18th century, Marianne (Noémie Merlant), a skilled painter, is commissioned to paint a portrait of a young aristocratic woman named Héloïse (Adèle Haenel). As the two get to know each other, romance blossoms between the artist and lady of royalty. But their unbridled affair can only last so long, as Héloïse is set to be wed to a Milanese nobleman. Winning an award for Best Screenplay at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival and earning several nominations from the Independent Spirit Awards and Golden Globes, Portrait of a Lady on Fire is a heartfelt romance picture with exquisite cinematography and two subtle but stirring lead performances.

Rotten Tomatoes: 98%
Stars: Noémie Merlant, Adèle Haenel, Luàna Bajrami
Director: Céline Sciamma
Rating: R
Runtime: 121 minutes

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Parasite (2019)

Sweeping the 92nd Academy Awards, Bong Joon-ho’s black comedy thriller managed to entertain and impress critics and audiences, alike. Delivered in Korean with subtitles, the movie, which is the first non-English language movie and the first South Korean film to win an Academy Award, tells the story of an average, low-income family who finds a clever way to dig themselves out of their financial hole. One by one, they get hired to work for the wealthy Park family, even though none is qualified to take on the job they pretend to know how to do. It begins when the son Ki-woo pretends to be a university student to tutor the Park’s daughter. Ki-woo’s sister, Ki-jung, using her brother’s recommendation, gets hired as an art therapist for the Park’s son. Through continued manipulations and blackmail, each member of the family slowly works their way into the Park family’s staff, with hilarious and dramatic consequences.

Rotten Tomatoes: 98%
Stars: Song Kang-ho, Lee Sun-kyun, Cho Yeo-jeong, Choi Woo-shik, Park So-dam, Lee Jung-eun, Jang Hye-jin
Director: Bong Joon-ho
Rating: R
Runtime: 132 minutes

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12 Years a Slave (2013)

An adaptation of Solomon Northup’s 1853 slave memoir of the same name, 12 Years a Slave is based on Northup’s first-hand account of how he, a free Black man born in New York, was kidnapped and sold into slavery in 1841. Widely considered to be the best film of 2013, it begins with Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor) joining two white men on a trip to Washington where he is told he can work with them as a traveling musician. But when he arrives, he is drugged and beaten, then sent off to New Orleans with other captives where he is sold for slave labor. The film follows Northup as he is passed from plantation owner to plantation owner as he fights for his freedom, and is underscored with brilliant performances from Ejiofor, Lupita Nyong’o, and Michael Fassbender, to name a few. Along with being a box office success, the movie received nine Academy Award nominations and won three, making British director Steve McQueen the first Black filmmaker to win the Academy Award for Best Picture.

Rotten Tomatoes: 95%
Stars: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano, Paul Giamatti, Lupita Nyong’o, Sarah Paulson, Brad Pitt, Alfre Woodard
Director: Steve McQueen
Rating: R
Runtime: 134 minutes

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Rocketman (2019)

It was a tall order to sum up the unique, successful, and storied life of famous British musician and icon Elton John. But this biographical musical managed to do just that, thanks to a wonderful performance by Taron Egerton. A captivating story that begins with John’s early days as a musical prodigy, Rocketman is an insightful look at his long-time relationship with musical partner Bernie Taupin, and, of course, the music. It’s easily one of the best movies ever made about music; not only does it have the prestige of receiving an Academy Award for Best Original Song, but it is also groundbreaking in that it’s the first movie by a major studio to feature a gay male sex scene.

Rotten Tomatoes: 89%
Stars: Taron Egerton, Jamie Bell, Richard Madden, Bryce Dallas Howard
Director: Dexter Fletcher
Rating: R
Runtime: 121 minutes

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