Awesome Dramas

Hillary Swank stars in this Netflix series about the first astronauts to journey from the Earth to Mars, and the impact it has on their personal lives and families during their 3-year mission. From the creator of “Friday Night Lights.” Premieres 9.4.2020.

(PG-13: Language) A loss prevention officer encounters a thief in his store, and finds himself faced with a moral dilemma after realizing he has a past with the shoplifter. Alexander Etseyatse’s powerful short film offers a more human look at crime and law enforcement than the way they’re typical portrayed in TV and movies.

A group of young friends decide to break into an empty house to steal cash from a safe, but when an elderly couple who lives there comes home early, all bets are off, and the would-be robbers find themselves on the wrong end of a very bad situation. Based on the graphic novel Une Nuit de Pleine Lune. Premieres 9.4.2020.

Based on the writings of the legendary Bruce Lee, Warrior follows a Chinese martial arts prodigy in San Francisco’s Chinatown during the brutal 19th century Tong Wars between rival crime families. The 10-episode second season kicks off with new season regular Dustin Nguyen (“21 Jump Street”) 10.2020 on Cinemax.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars in this tense drama about a hijacked passenger plane, and the difficult decisions the co-pilot faces as he attempts to protect his passengers and prevent the villains from gaining entry to the cockpit. Coming to Amazon Prime Video 6.19.20.

Ethan Hawke stars in this fictionalized retelling of the story of John Brown, a controversial 19th century figure who attempted to overthrow U.S. slavery with violence and rebellion, and is alternatively remembered as both a heroic martyr and an crazed terrorist. The 7-episode series premieres 8.9.2020 on Showtime.

Jennifer Connelly and Daveed Diggs star in the TNT series Snowpiercer, a post-apocalyptic thriller based on the film by Oscar winner Bong Joon Ho (Parasite). Set seven years after the world has become a frozen wasteland, the politics of survival play out on a perpetually moving train circling the globe. Debuts 5.17.20.

This Belgian TV series centers around an airplane which is forced to keep flying westward into the night after the sun starts killing every living thing in its path. As the passengers and crew struggle to survive, they must hop from airport to airport in the darkness of night. Premieres 5.1.20 on Netflix.

Set in 1930s Los Angeles, this HBO original series stars Matthew Rhys (The Americans) in a gritty origin story for the vigorous and dedicated criminal defense attorney made famous by actor Raymond Burr in the 1950s and 1960s. Premieres 6.21.20.

Shea Whigham, Michael Shannon, and Catalina Sandino Moreno star in this thriller about a drifter who kills a traveling preacher, then assumes the man’s life in a small town unfamiliar with his appearance. When the local police chief suspects something is amiss, things take an even darker turn. Drops 4/17/2020.

Vince Vaughn, Liam Hemsworth, and Clark Duke star in this indie crime drama about a couple of losers who work for an evil Arkansas drug kingpin, and the very bad consequences of a deal gone wrong. Also stars John Malkovich, Michael Kenneth Williams, and Vivica A. Fox. Drops 5/1/2020.

Mark Ruffalo stars in this this HBO limited series about identical twin brothers whose lives take very different paths after one of them struggles with mental health issues as a paranoid schizophrenic. Based on the 1998 best-selling novel by Wally Lamb.

Tom Hanks stars in this WWII action drama about a first-time destroyer commander who must face terrible odds to help a convoy of dozens of allied ships survive attacks by deadly packs of Nazi U-boats. Based on a true story.

In this dark and twisted film from director Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia, inmates are subjected to a terrible plight in a prison where food is rationed from a platform that that gradually moves to lower floors. As the prisoners fight for scraps and leftovers, the worst aspects of humanity emerge. Coming to Netflix 3/20/20.

Vincent Boehringer’s impactful short film follows two young men who experience very different feelings after committing a violent crime together. What makes it so effective is how it tells its story without a single word of dialogue.

This limited-run crime drama from HBO Europe takes place in the not-too-distant future, in a world where refugees from the stone age, the Viking era, and the late 19th century have somehow settled in Oslo, Norway. Naturally, conflicts emerge between the modern folks and the time travelers.

Joseph Lee Anderson wrote, directed, and starred in this short film about a man who starts his day on a very positive note, but things take a tragic turn after he heads out for his morning jog. It’s a powerful story about racism and prejudice, boiled down to five powerful minutes.

Daniel Radcliffe stars in this true story about two men convicted of terrorism by the South African government for being part of an underground anti-Apartheid movement in the late 1970s. This fictionalization follows the story of Tim Jenkin and two fellow inmates and their dramatic 1979 escape from Pretoria Prison.

Director Tom Waller’s film tells the true story of the Thai soccer team who found themselves trapped deep within a cave, kicking off a global rescue effort, resulting in acts of true heroism and bravery, and some strange behavior from Elon Musk. Premieres at the Busan Film Festival.

Clint Eastwood directed this retelling of the tragic story of the security guard who went from being lauded as a hero to being treated as a terrorist after the 1996 Centennial Olympic Park bombing in Atlanta. If ever there was a cautionary tale for irresponsible journalism, it’s this.

It looks like the final season of Mr. Robot plays out during the Christmas season, but there’s no sense of joy or holiday spirit here. Instead there’s darkness, and a real sense of doom. We’re guessing Elliot and his Dad are on Santa’s naughty list too. Premieres 10/6/19 on USA Network.

This Netflix film offers a cool twist on the typical crime drama, as cop becomes obsessed with hunting down a serial killer who only resurfaces every nine years, and it turns out there’s something far more complicated at stake than just the lives of her victims.

Nicolas Cage and Laurence Fishburne star in this action drama about members of a drug cartel who are sent on a mission to figure out why their supply chain is breaking down. Along the way, they have run-ins with other gangsters, the feds, and many others who stand in their way.