Awesome Dramas

(PG-13) Actor Shia LaBeouf wrote and stars in this fictionalized retelling of his own stormy life, from his rise to childhood fame, through his battles with his mental health, drug addiction, rehab and recovery. LaBeouf portrays a version of his own father, a deeply troubled man himself.

(Spoilers) After helping Netflix launch its awesome catalog of original programming back in 2013, Orange Is the New Black is coming to an end. The final season spends more time outside of Litchfield Prison than ever before as one of the show’s main characters struggles to return to her “normal” life. Drops 7/26/19.

Daniel Kaluuya, Jodie Turner-Smith, Bokeem Woodbine and Chloë Sevigny lead off a fantastic cast in this drama about a couple who get pulled over by a cop on their first date, and end up being responsible for the officer’s death – but was it a criminal act or self-defense? Drops 11/27/19, just in time for Oscar season.

Nope, this isn’t a Gregor Clegane/Game of Thrones spin-off. Instead, The Mountain is an unusual indie film starring Jeff Goldblum as a renowned lobotomist who finds himself on a tour to try and promote the benefits of the waning procedure, and the relationships that develop along the way.

Every frame is truly a painting in director Alfonso Cuaron’s black and white love letter to his home – a film about a difficult year in the life of a family in 1970s Mexico City. Arrives in theaters 11/21/18 and on Netflix 12/14/18.

Ansel Elgort (Baby Driver) stars as a man suffering with a multiple personality disorder whose inner demons battle it out over a girl that one of his personas starts to date. Naturally, she doesn’t know that he can be two very different people.

As far as we know, Dirty John is the first TV drama to be based on a podcast. The Bravo limited series takes on the dark and gritty true crime story of a woman who falls in love with a handsome and successful doctor, but who ends up being anything but the man of her dreams.

(PG-13: Language) A woman finds herself stuck at a red light that never seems to want to change in this surprisingly tense and emotive short by writer/director/editor Sam Benenati. It’s a fantastic example of how less can sometimes be more in filmmaking.

Willem Dafoe portrays Vincent van Gogh in this non-traditional biopic which attempts to paint a picture of the artist’s life and mental health struggles through scenes based on letters he wrote. From director Julian Schnabel (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly)

Peter Dinklage stars in this HBO film about the final days of actor Hervé Villechaize (of Fantasy Island and Live and Let Die fame) and an encounter with an LA journalist that impacts both of their lives greatly.

Maggie Gyllenhaal stars in this Netflix drama about a school teacher who becomes obsessed with the talent and potential of a kindergarten student, and the extreme levels to which she will go to to ensure his abilities are exposed and appreciated. Drops 10/12/18.

“You are not a real person. You are a man in a box.” Jim Carrey stars as an iconic children’s TV character, whose bright and shiny persona masks the despair of his personal life. Frank Langella, Catherine Keener, and Judy Greer co-star in this compelling new Showtime series.

“A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.” Michael B. Jordan and Michael Shannon star in this HBO movie adaptation of Ray Bradbury’s classic novel about a bleak future in which so-called “firemen” burn books to control the minds of the people. Drops May 2018.

Luther creator Neil Cross’ mini-series looks incredibly intense. Hard Sun is a fresh take on police dramas, as two cops stumble onto details about a coverup that reveals the end of the world is upon us. Streaming now on BBC Player, and starting 3/7/18 on Hulu.

Now that Ridley Scott has presented his take on the story of J. Paul Getty and his kidnapped grandson, Danny Boyle and Simon Beufoy are here with a very different approach – an FX series inspired by the tale of greed and family dysfunction. Premieres 3/25/18.

(PG-13) Hot on the heels of Atomic Blonde comes Red Sparrow. Based on Jason Matthews’ eponymous spy novel, the movie stars Jennifer Lawrence as one of the products of a Russian program that trains girls to become wily and seductive secret agents.

Christian Bale stars as an Army captain who must escort a Cheyenne chief and his family through dangerous territory. The “one last mission before I retire” thing has been done to death, but it seems fresh in this setting. From director Scott Cooper (Black Mass, Crazy Heart).

This film adaptation of Jeffrey Dahmer’s classmate Derf Backderf’s graphic novel explores the serial killer’s life during his teenage years. It doesn’t excuse his actions, but makes us ponder how ignorance of his mental health issues contributed to his outcome.

After a man’s sister is murdered, he comes to Los Angeles from Cape Town, South Africa to avenge her death. While the revenge thriller has been done to death, we’re excited for the cast, which includes Chadwick Boseman, Luke Evans, and Alfred Molina. Coming to Netflix 8/4/17.

After a handful of not so deep roles, Bryan Cranston seriously flexes his acting muscle as a successful lawyer thought to have gone missing, but who is fed up with his life and holes up in the attic of an unoccupied house across the street from his family.

Director Kathryn Bigelow of The Hurt Locker, Zero Dark Thirty, and yes, original Point Break fame presents a gritty drama that takes us inside the civil rights uprisings that engulfed Detroit, Michigan back in 1967.

A film inspired by the true story of Percy Fawcett, a British explorer who journeyed deep into the Amazon in search of a lost civilization that he was convinced was way more advanced that his contemporaries would believe. Coincidentally, the film is from Amazon Studios.

Not to be confused with the insane 1970s film about living with lions (which you also must watch), Stuart Langfield & Dylan Rekert’s short film is a contemplative take on the superhero genre, and a rare look at where superpowers lead heroes in their dying days.

Tom Hanks plays Captain “Sully” Sullenberger, the brave and skilled pilot who saved 155 lives by safely landing his malfunctioning airliner in NYC’s Hudson River, and the distasteful investigation that ensued afterwards. Directed by the multitalented Clint Eastwood.

Bruce Willis plays a high-powered banker, and Christopher Meloni, Dave Bautista, and Adrian Grenier are FBI agents in this drama about a series of deadly bank robberies which turn out to actually be a cover for something much, much bigger.

The latest from Terence Malick (Tree of Life, The Thin Red Line) is a star-studded parable about a man (Christian Bale) who lives a shallow life of excess and celebrity, and the real life he longs for. The plot synopsis provides no further clues.