Movies are often reflections of the world we live in and social drama movies deliberately try to showcase the issues at hand, with the hope of change. Many such works leave the audience thinking about what they have just watched and further discussing it with others. Hereby, we bring you such movies that will urge you to think and see the world in a different light.
10 Social Drama Movies to Watch
The Death of Mr Lazarescu
This comedy film is actually based on a true story of a man who was refused medical treatment by five hospitals in Bucharest, only to be left on the streets to die. It comments on the healthcare system in Romania and stars Ion Fiscuteanu and Luminița Gheorghiu. The story follows Mr Lazarescu whose one call for an ambulance turns into a hellish ride of endless hospital transfers with no cure and only deteriorating health.
Watch it on Amazon Prime Video or Roku.
Peepli Live
This satirical film stars Omkar Das Manikpuri as well as Naseeruddin Shah, Raghubir Yadav, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Shalini Vatsa and Malaika Shenoy among other. It shows the plight of the farmers which is a very common issue but with comedic undertones. Broken down from everywhere and with no other way to make their living, a farmer decides to commit suicide but becomes a national issue that further complicates his life rather than solving his problem of loan debt and drought-ridden produce.
Watch it on Netflix.
Dark Waters
The film is inspired by Robert Bilott’s case against the chemical manufacturing corporation DuPont after they contaminated a town with unregulated chemicals. Starring Mark Ruffalo as Bilott, along with Anne Hathaway, Tim Robbins, Bill Camp, Victor Garber, Mare Winningham, William Jackson Harper, and Bill Pullman.
The story follows lawyer Bilott who takes on the case of a local farmer from his hometown after his hundreds of cows die mysteriously. What looks like a strange incident finds its deep roots in the company which he represents and thus risks losing his everything, in order to expose the truth of how chemicals from these companies are harming nature and humans alike.
Watch it on SonyLIV.
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
Based on the true story of William Kamkwamba, the story follows a 13-year-old boy whose invention saves his family and the village from the deadly famine they have been facing. The film stars Maxwell Simba, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Lily Banda and others in this inspiring film of determination and grit which helped the whole Kasungu region from a terrible drought in 2001. It also highlights how human activities have adverse effects on nature and vice versa could be fatal for human beings.
Watch it on Netflix.
Taare Zameen Par
Taare Zameen Par is a story about Ishaan who faces difficulty in reading and learning but is highly creative and a brilliant artist. People around him fail to understand him and he is forced to go to boarding school. There, he meets Ram Shankar Nikumbh who finds out that Ishaan has dyslexia and special needs. Thus begins a new journey for Ishaan where, with his hard work, he not only excels in academics but also in life and art. This film was one of the first that highlighted the topic of autism & more about the people on the spectrum.
Watch Taare Zameen Par here.
Skin
Can you really leave your shameful and violent past behind and become a better person? This is what this film questions through this true biographical story of Bryon Widner. It is written and directed by Guy Nattiv and stars Jamie Bell, Danielle Macdonald, Daniel Henshall, Bill Camp, Louisa Krause, Zoe Colletti, Kylie Rogers, Colbi Gannett, Mike Colter, and Vera Farmiga.
In this film, a disillusioned Neo-Nazi Bryon decides to leave his white supremacist gang and starts a new family with a girl he is slowly falling in love with. But it’s not easy to leave something which has been your whole life for the most part. With vindictive former allies, Bryon has to find his way out before the world of hate engulfs him.
Watch it on Showtime.
Thappad
Starring Taapsee Pannu and Pavail Gulati in lead roles, Thappad is Directed By Anubhav Sushila Sinha and is produced by Bhushan Sudesh Kumar, Krishan Krishna Kumar and Anubhav Sushila Sinha. The film talks about the topic of domestic violence and how common it is considered in Indian marriage.
It tells the story of Amrita whose seemingly perfect married life is shattered when her husband slaps her in an argument. While everyone around her urges her to let go as a small mistake but is it truly right to go back as if nothing happened? Amrita thinks otherwise and stands up again any kind of violence – big or small, as she fights to get a divorce.
Watch it on Amazon Prime Video.
Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom
Starring Sherab Dorji, Ugyen Norbu Lhendup, Kelden Lhamo Gurung and Kunzang Wangdi, Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom is a Bhutanese film that is set in a picturesque mountainous village and appeals to the slow life. It follows Ugyen, a young teacher who is sent to teach in one of the remotest areas to teach. There he learns the beauty in nature and revisits his own aspiration to become a singer in Australia.
It is based on the true story of a teacher living in the same place, as he found his home and peace in the last village at the end of the world. It tends to comment on the hustle culture and how no job is big or small in comparison.
Watch it on Amazon Prime Video.
Philomena
A true story based on the book The Lost Child of Philomena Lee by journalist Martin Sixsmith, the film stars Judi Dench and Steve Coogan as the mother & the journalist who embark on a journey to help find the estranged son. We follow an elderly Irish woman searching for the toddler son she gave up for adoption as an unwed teen living in a convent.
The film is a mix of a road movie, a budding friendship and also highlights political subtext in its comparison of the church’s oppression and the ideology over sex before marriage, homophobia and others.
Watch it on Netflix.
Two Days One Night
Two Days One Night shows how in the modern world there’s so much uncertainty about anyone’s job and life. Starring Marion Cotillard and Fabrizio Rongione, the story follows Sandra, when she returns to work only to find that she is getting fired from her job and the only way to save her spot is to ask her colleagues to give up their bonus. She only has the weekend to persuade them to keep her employed by sacrificing the bonus they need to make ends meet.
The film talks about depression, the uncertainty in this economy and how the fight for justice might land you in the right place, albeit the struggle.
Watch it on Amazon Prime Video.
Which of the above-mentioned movies are you looking forward to watching? Let us know in the comments below.