A Glean movie guide
The Gold Standard: Best Picture Dramas
Cinema's highest honors.
From modern epics to timeless classics, these Academy Award winners define the power of drama.
Handpicked for this guide
The movie list
- 01
Parasite
A razor-sharp social thriller that masterfully blends dark humor with a devastating critique of class.
All unemployed, Ki-taek's family takes peculiar interest in the wealthy and glamorous Parks for their livelihood until they get entangled in an unexpected incident.
- 02
Oppenheimer
A visually stunning and intellectually dense portrait of the man who changed the course of history forever.
The story of J. Robert Oppenheimer's role in the development of the atomic bomb during World War II.
- 03
The Godfather
An unparalleled epic that transforms a crime family saga into a profound meditation on power and legacy.
Spanning the years 1945 to 1955, a chronicle of the fictional Italian-American Corleone crime family. When organized crime family patriarch, Vito Corleone barely survives an attempt on his life, his youngest son, Michael steps in to take care of the would-be killers, launching a campaign of bloody revenge.
- 04
Schindler's List
A harrowing yet deeply moving testament to humanity's capacity for courage in the face of absolute darkness.
The true story of how businessman Oskar Schindler saved over a thousand Jewish lives from the Nazis while they worked as slaves in his factory during World War II.
- 05
Moonlight
A visually breathtaking and intimate exploration of identity, told through three pivotal chapters of a young life.
The tender, heartbreaking story of a young man’s struggle to find himself, told across three defining chapters in his life as he experiences the ecstasy, pain, and beauty of falling in love, while grappling with his own sexuality.
- 06
No Country for Old Men
A tense, atmospheric neo-Western that pits a simple man against an unstoppable force of pure evil.
Llewelyn Moss stumbles upon dead bodies, $2 million and a hoard of heroin in a Texas desert, but methodical killer Anton Chigurh comes looking for it, with local sheriff Ed Tom Bell hot on his trail. The roles of prey and predator blur as the violent pursuit of money and justice collide.
- 07
Casablanca
The definitive wartime romance, balancing political intrigue with a timeless story of sacrifice and lost love.
In Casablanca, Morocco in December 1941, a cynical American expatriate meets a former lover, with unforeseen complications.
- 08
12 Years a Slave
A visceral and unflinching look at a dark chapter of history, anchored by a powerful lead performance.
In the pre-Civil War United States, Solomon Northup, a free black man from upstate New York, is abducted and sold into slavery. Facing cruelty as well as unexpected kindnesses Solomon struggles not only to stay alive, but to retain his dignity. In the twelfth year of his unforgettable odyssey, Solomon’s chance meeting with a Canadian abolitionist will forever alter his life.
- 09
Nomadland
A quiet, soul-searching journey through the American West that finds profound beauty in a life on the margins.
A woman in her sixties embarks on a journey through the western United States after losing everything in the Great Recession, living as a van-dwelling modern-day nomad.
- 10
All About Eve
A brilliantly scripted backstage drama that remains the gold standard for cinematic wit and ambition.
From the moment she glimpses her idol at the stage door, Eve Harrington is determined to take the reins of power away from the great actress Margo Channing. Eve maneuvers her way into Margo's Broadway role, becomes a sensation and even causes turmoil in the lives of Margo's director boyfriend, her playwright and his wife. Only the cynical drama critic sees through Eve, admiring her audacity and perfect pattern of deceit.
- 11
Amadeus
A lavish and energetic period piece that explores the toxic intersection of genius, jealousy, and faith.
Disciplined Italian composer Antonio Salieri becomes consumed by jealousy and resentment towards the hedonistic and remarkably talented young Salzburger composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
- 12
Spotlight
A meticulous and gripping procedural that honors the vital importance of investigative journalism.
The true story of how the Boston Globe uncovered the massive scandal of child molestation and cover-up within the local Catholic Archdiocese, shaking the entire Catholic Church to its core.