Best British Drama Movies
This page is updated regularly. Subscribe, so you don't miss new recommendations. The list of "Best British Drama Movies" contains films with the following parameters. Style: realistic, serious, captivating, thought provoking, psychological and emotional. Plot: friendship, loneliness, family relations, storytelling, british, drinking, death, betrayal, kiss and dialogue. Genre: Drama, Romance and Biography. Country: UK, USA and Sweden.
Best British Drama Movies
TOP Movies: The Wife (2017), Belle (2013), Mister Foe (2007), Help (2021), Belfast (2021), 1917 (2019), The Road Dance (2021), This Is England (2006), The Colour Room (2021), Marvellous (2014), The Scapegoat (2012), Third Star (2010), A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001), 45 Years (2015), Anthony (2020), Locke (2013), Brick Lane (2007), Danny Boy (2021), The Kid (2010), Scrapper (2023).
List of Best Movies
45K
Genre: Drama
Country: UK, Sweden, USA, Switzerland, Denmark
Duration: 99 min.
Story:
A wife questions her life choices as she travels to Stockholm with her husband, where he is slated to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature.
Style:
thought provoking, sincere, lyrical, novela, intellectual ...
Plot:
writers, infidelity, marriage, aspiring writer, novelist, twists and turns, father son relationship, family relations, revelation, adulterous husband, professor, love affair ...
Time:
1950s, year 1992, 60s, 90s, 2010s ...
Place:
stockholm sweden, connecticut, new york, manhattan new york city, eastern europe ...
Is relevant?
35K
Genre: Biography, Drama, Romance
Country: UK
Duration: 100 min.
Story:
BELLE is inspired by the true story of Dido Elizabeth Belle, the illegitimate mixed race daughter of a Royal Navy Admiral. Raised by her aristocratic great-uncle Lord Mansfield and his wife, Belle's lineage affords her certain privileges, yet ...
Style:
period piece, costume drama, sentimental, captivating, historical drama ...
Audience:
chick flick, girls' night
Plot:
racism, slavery, interracial relations, white male black female relationship, high society, social differences, aristocracy, interracial couple, society, hopes, love and romance, biracial ...
Time:
18th century, ancient times, georgian era, regency period, victorian era ...
Place:
england, indiana, europe, london, africa ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Romance
Country: UK
Duration: 95 min.
Story:
Hallam's talent for spying on people reveals his darkest fears-and his most peculiar desires. Driven to expose the true cause of his mother's death, he instead finds himself searching the rooftops of the city for love.
Style:
talky, sentimental, independent film, psychological, realistic ...
Audience:
teens
Plot:
sexuality, coming of age, sex, older woman younger man sex, hotel, teenage life, loneliness, treehouse, voyeur, peeping tom, death of mother, male female relationship ...
Time:
70s, 21st century
Place:
scottish highlands, glasgow scotland, edinburgh scotland, europe, scotland
Is relevant?
Genre: Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
Country: New Zealand, USA, UK
Duration: 178 min.
Story:
Young hobbit Frodo Baggins, after inheriting a mysterious ring from his uncle Bilbo, must leave his home in order to keep it from falling into the hands of its evil creator. Along the way, a fellowship is formed to protect the ringbearer and make ...
Style:
epic, scenic, atmospheric, breathtaking, exciting ...
Audience:
teens, kids, family outing, manly, chick flick ...
Plot:
sword fight, fantasy world, friendship, sword and sorcery, good versus evil, wizard, magic, middle earth, lord of the rings, mythology, hobbit, magical ...
Time:
year 2001, future, 2000s, prehistoric times, prehistory
Place:
iran, detroit, new zealand
Is relevant?
Related movie lists
13K
Genre: Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 98 min.
Story:
Sarah seems to have found her calling working in a Liverpool care home where she has a special talent for connecting with the residents. Then, in March 2020, the Coronavirus pandemic hits.
Style:
psychological, captivating, melancholic, intense, social ...
Plot:
isolation, pandemic, elderly, retirement home, quarantine, caregiver, loneliness, compassion, epidemic, lifestyle change, isolated house, workplace ...
Place:
liverpool
Is relevant?
117K
Genre: Biography, Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 98 min.
Story:
Buddy is a young boy on the cusp of adolescence, whose life is filled with familial love, childhood hijinks, and a blossoming romance. Yet, with his beloved hometown caught up in increasing turmoil, his family faces a momentous choice: hope the ...
Style:
black and white, period piece, psychological, disturbing, captivating ...
Audience:
date night, teens
Plot:
working class, bigotry, british politics, intolerance, riot, child, poverty, child protagonist, family relations, european, boy, social problems ...
Time:
year 1969, year 1970, 60s
Place:
ireland, northern ireland, europe
Is relevant?
761K
Genre: Action, Drama, War
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 119 min.
Story:
At the height of the First World War, two young British soldiers, Schofield and Blake are given a seemingly impossible mission. In a race against time, they must cross enemy territory and deliver a message that will stop a deadly attack on hundreds ...
Style:
period piece, visually stunning, tense, entertaining, sad ...
Audience:
boys' night, teens, date night, adult
Plot:
world war one, trench warfare, race against time, soldier, british soldier, british army, death, battlefield, military, british military, dangerous mission, german soldier ...
Time:
year 1917, 1910s, 20th century, year 2019, 2010s
Place:
persia, los angeles, britain, europe, france
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 116 min.
Story:
A young girl lives in the Outer Hebrides in a small village in the years just before WWI. Isolated and hard by the shore, her life takes a dramatic change when a terrible tragedy befalls her.
Style:
costume drama, crying
Plot:
pregnant from rape, mother daughter relationship, rape, conscription, constable, doctor, world war one, women, love, morning sickness, nightmare, photograph ...
Time:
year 1916, 1910s
Place:
new york, scotland
Is relevant?
Related movie lists
Genre: Crime, Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 101 min.
Story:
A story about a troubled boy growing up in England, set in 1983. He comes across a few skinheads on his way home from school, after a fight. They become his new best friends even like family. Based on experiences of director Shane Meadows.
Style:
political, depressing, cult classic, stylized, harsh ...
Audience:
teens, pre-teens
Plot:
skinhead, racism, childhood, friendship, coming of age, neo nazi, adolescence, nationalism, boy, children, youth, violent ...
Time:
80s, year 1983, year 2006, 2000s, 20th century
Place:
england, britain, northern england, united kingdom, europe ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 112 min.
Story:
Follows a pioneering ceramic artist who roared to prominence in the 1920s while working in Britain’s Stoke-on-Trent pottery industry.
Style:
captivating, thought provoking, disturbing, historical drama, bizarre
Plot:
working class, talent, factory worker, factory owner, innovation, worker, female protagonist, workplace situations, workplace, reform, interwar period, women ...
Time:
1920s
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 90 min.
Story:
Dramatisation of the true story of the life of Neil "Nello" Baldwin. Born with a mild learning disability but without the burden of social embarrassment & how his inexhaustible ability to see the good in any situation overcame any ...
Style:
touching, serious, sentimental, feel good, realistic ...
Plot:
human spirit, disability, hopes, society, sport team, clergy, football, soccer, special needs, friendship, clown, death of mother ...
Time:
20th century
Place:
england
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 108 min.
Story:
Set in 1952, as England prepares for the coronation, The Scapegoat tells the story of two very different men who have one thing in common - a face.
Style:
atmospheric, period piece, serious, suspenseful, realistic ...
Plot:
lookalikes, scapegoat, dark humor, hidden identity, switching roles, family problems, dishonesty, family relations, disorder, coincidence, cons and scams, estate ...
Time:
20th century, 50s, 1950s, year 1952
Place:
england, europe
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 92 min.
Story:
James and his three closest lifelong friends go on an ill-advised trip to the stunning coastal area of Barafundle Bay in West Wales. What follows is a touching and comical adventure dealing with friendship, heroism and love.
Style:
thought provoking, contemplative, humorous, emotional, realistic ...
Plot:
friendship, dealing with death, male bonding, life is a bitch, obsessive quest, wilderness, best friend, friends, one last chance, unfulfillment, introspection, hopes ...
Time:
year 2011, 21st century
Place:
wales, europe, england
Is relevant?
Genre: Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi
Country: USA
Duration: 146 min.
Story:
A robotic boy, the first programmed to love, David is adopted as a test case by a Cybertronics employee and his wife. Though he gradually becomes their child, a series of unexpected circumstances make this life impossible for David. Without final ...
Style:
philosophical, thought provoking, futuristic, touching, sentimental ...
Audience:
kids, family friendly, teens, teen drama
Plot:
artificial intelligence, cyberpunk, androids and robots, androids, distopia, adoption, robot, imagination, boy, destiny, machine, child abuse ...
Time:
future, year 2001, 2000s, near future, distant future ...
Place:
new york, persia, usa, coney island brooklyn new york city, manhattan new york city ...
Is relevant?
37K
Genre: Drama, Romance
Country: UK
Duration: 95 min.
Story:
There is just one week until Kate Mercer's 45th wedding anniversary and the planning for the party is going well. But then a letter arrives for her husband. The body of his first love has been discovered, frozen and preserved in the icy ...
Style:
cerebral, art house, melancholic, psychological, touching ...
Plot:
old woman, marriage, childless couple, anniversary, aging, elderly, anniversary party, jealousy, promise, character study, haunted by the past, family secret ...
Time:
2010s, year 1962, 21st century
Place:
england, usa, switzerland, berlin germany, tokyo
Is relevant?
508
Genre: Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 86 min.
Story:
In July 2005, black teenager Anthony Walker was murdered by two white men in an unprovoked racist attack in a Liverpool park. He was just 18 years old. This film tells the story of how this talented young man's life might have turned out.
Style:
poignant, emotional, thought provoking, reflective, educational ...
Plot:
racism, biopic, racial injustice, racial violence, memories, murder, social commentary, loss, moving, racial tension, mature, community ...
Time:
2000s
Place:
britain, liverpool
Is relevant?
168K
Genre: Drama
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 85 min.
Story:
Ivan Locke has worked hard to craft a good life for himself. Tonight, that life will collapse around him. On the eve of the biggest challenge of his career, Ivan receives a phone call that sets in motion a series of events that will unravel his ...
Style:
clever, atmospheric, captivating, neo noir, talky ...
Audience:
teens, family friendly, boys' night, adult
Plot:
on the road, driving, destiny, dead father, adultery, character study, life turned upside down, family problems, dialogue, mobile phone, family man, night ...
Time:
y2k, 90s, future, 2010s, 21st century
Place:
england, britain, ethiopia, usa, london
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 102 min.
Story:
The grind of daily life as a Brick Lane Bangladessi as seen through the eyes of Nazneen (Chatterjee), who at 17 enters an arranged marriage with Chanu (Kaushik). Years later, living in east London with her family, she meets a young man Karim ...
Style:
realistic, contemplative, psychological, sentimental, captivating ...
Plot:
immigrant, love triangle, family relations, society, love affair, fall in love, village, racism, sister sister relationship, loss of mother, self discovery, moral dilemma ...
Time:
year 2007, 80s, september 11 2001
Place:
london, bangladesh, europe, england, india ...
Is relevant?
Related movie lists
512
Genre: Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 84 min.
Story:
Soldier Brian Wood, is accused of war crimes in Iraq by the human rights lawyer Phil Shiner. The two men go head to head in a legal and moral conflict that takes us from the battlefield, at so-called Checkpoint Danny Boy, to the courtroom and one of ...
Style:
tense, suspense, suspenseful, disturbing, captivating ...
Plot:
iraq war, war crime, american soldier, ex soldier, human rights, military, accused of murder, framed for a crime, framed for murder, military officer, soldier, war violence ...
Place:
united kingdom
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 111 min.
Story:
Based on the real life story of Kevin Lewis, the film follows his childhood of abuse, his descent into a life of crime and the way he put his life together again afterwards.
Style:
uplifting, realistic, touching, serious, period piece ...
Plot:
abusive parent, abused child, abuse, abusive father, hopes, human spirit, rise to the top, dysfunctional family, ambition, life is a bitch, going straight, family problems ...
Place:
london, europe
Is relevant?
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 84 min.
Story:
Georgie is a dreamy 12-year-old girl who lives happily alone in her London flat, filling it with magic. But when her estranged father turns up out of nowhere, Georgie is forced to confront reality.
Style:
satirical, thrilling, captivating, psychological, semi serious ...
Plot:
father daughter relationship, young girl, working class, estranged father, satire, father and daughter, teenager, teenage life, teenage girl, lifestyle change, changing lives, relationships ...
Place:
london
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 95 min.
Story:
Colin has rented a stately country home for his extended family’s New Year celebrations. He’s the centre of attention until his estranged brother David unexpectedly arrives, throwing the family dynamic far off orbit.
Style:
tension, captivating, light, humorous, cynical ...
Plot:
friendship, parents and children, couples, eccentric family, nothing goes right, family problems, family relations, family drama, dysfunctional family, happy ending, family life, christmas ...
Time:
90s
Is relevant?
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: UK
Duration: 89 min.
Story:
Three friends discover their new flatmate dead but loaded with cash.
Style:
neo noir, black comedy, suspense, dark comedy, action thriller ...
Audience:
date night
Plot:
friendship, dark humor, manipulation, betrayal, greed, cop, paranoia, crime gone awry, deception, caper, robbery, death ...
Time:
year 1994, 90s, 20th century
Place:
scotland, britain, edinburgh scotland, rio de janeiro
Is relevant?
Related movie lists
Genre: Drama, Romance
Country: UK
Duration: 91 min.
Story:
A young man of Chinese-Cambodian descent dies, leaving behind his isolated mother and his lover of four years. Though the two don't share a language, they grow close through their grief.
Style:
realistic, bleak, serious, touching, emotional ...
Plot:
lgbtq, gay, lgbt, gay relationship, gay love, retirement home, male homosexuality, language barrier, homosexual, mourning, mother love, loss of lover ...
Time:
21st century
Place:
england, london
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 90 min.
Story:
The C Word is an adaptation of Lisa Lynch's inspiring and candid book, based on her blog, about her battle with cancer.
Style:
sincere, sentimental, touching, witty, realistic ...
Plot:
family relations, optimism, life turned upside down, human spirit, couples, terminal illness, journalism, couple relations, life is a bitch, hopes, cancer, blogger ...
Time:
year 2008, 21st century
Place:
spain
Is relevant?
765K
Genre: Crime, Drama
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 93 min.
Story:
Renton, deeply immersed in the Edinburgh drug scene, tries to clean up and get out, despite the allure of the drugs and influence of friends.
Style:
disturbing, psychedelic, captivating, dark comedy, black comedy ...
Audience:
boys' night, teens, teen drama
Plot:
addiction, heroin, drug addiction, drug abuse, existentialism, dark humor, counterculture, junkie, life is a bitch, subculture, dialogue, social misfits ...
Time:
90s, 20th century, year 1996
Place:
scotland, edinburgh scotland, london, england, britain ...
Is relevant?
216K
Genre: Drama
Country: UK, Canada, USA
Duration: 101 min.
Story:
Brandon is a New Yorker who shuns intimacy with women but feeds his desires with a compulsive addiction to sex. When his wayward younger sister moves into his apartment stirring memories of their shared painful past, Brandon's insular life ...
Style:
sexual, erotic, sexy, psychological, erotic drama ...
Audience:
adult
Plot:
addiction, sex, sex addict, sexuality, nudity, sexual relations, sex scene, sexual dysfunction, male nudity, masturbation, lifestyle, fetish ...
Time:
year 2011, 2010s, 21st century
Place:
manhattan new york city, usa, new york, madison square garden manhattan new york city, new jersey
Is relevant?
Genre: Biography, Comedy, Drama
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 104 min.
Story:
The true story of the relationship between Alan Bennett and the singular Miss Shepherd, a woman of uncertain origins who ‘temporarily’ parked her van in Bennett’s London driveway and proceeded to live there for 15 years.
Style:
witty, touching, talky, semi serious, social ...
Plot:
homeless, elderly, intergenerational friendship, friendship, catholic, nun, cemetery, poverty, van, social differences, homelessness, old woman ...
Time:
70s, 21st century
Place:
england, london
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 108 min.
Story:
David Blair directs this powerful British Drama, loosely inspired by John Steinbeck's novel 'Of Mice and Men'. Set in Nottingham, the film revolves around the relationship between the thuggish Danny (Stephen Graham) and Joseph ...
Style:
rough, emotional, serious, touching, social ...
Plot:
friendship, underground fighting, odd couple, misfit, human nature, mental disorder, money problems, rottweiler, stoner, violent content, best friend, sexual content ...
Time:
21st century
Place:
europe, england
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 90 min.
Story:
N has been a day patient at north London's Dorothy Fish day hospital for 13 years - her ambition is never to leave. Then she meets glamourous new patient Poppy Shakespeare, an ad agency receptionist convinced she's not mad.
Style:
disturbing, suspense, captivating, psychological, tense ...
Plot:
mental disorder, hospital, public health, mental illness, mental health, psychiatric hospital, social problems, patient, mental institution, life is a bitch, female protagonist, mentally unstable ...
Time:
2000s
Is relevant?
Related movie lists
