Independent Dramas on Netflix
Last updated June 07, 2023
Dog Pound
2010 | NR | 3.9 out of 5 StarsAt a spirit-crushing juvenile correctional facility, teenage offenders Butch, Davis and Angel desperately struggle to steer clear of trouble while simultaneously confronting violent challenges from aggressive inmates and abusive adults.
Details about Dog Pound
Beat the Drum
2003 | NR | 3.9 out of 5 StarsWhen a mysterious illness wipes out his entire village, claiming the lives of both his parents, 9-year-old Musa (Junior Singo) is forced to set off on his own, eventually joining the ranks of the scores of orphans who live on the streets of Johannesburg. Directed by David Hickson, this poignant award-winning film examines the heartbreaking effect that AIDS has had on the poor and underprivileged children of Africa.
Details about Beat the Drum
Any Day Now
2012 | NR | 3.9 out of 5 StarsRudy and Paul take in their neighbor's teenage son Marco, who has Down syndrome, when his neglectful mother throws him out of her apartment. Their attempt to legally adopt Marco sparks a court battle over gay rights in this powerful true story.
Details about Any Day Now
The World's Fastest Indian
2005 | NR | 3.9 out of 5 StarsThis fact-based drama stars Anthony Hopkins as quirky New Zealander Burt Munro, a 67-year-old grandfather who flies across Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats and attempts to break into the record books on his customized Indian Scout motorcycle.
Details about The World's Fastest Indian
Drift
2013 | NR | 3.9 out of 5 StarsIn the 1970s, the two Kelly brothers spend their youth searching for the perfect wave and launch a backyard surf business out of their van. Battling big waves, small town conservatism and criminals, the brothers give rise to a global brand.
Details about Drift
Monsieur Lazhar
2011 | NR | 3.9 out of 5 StarsWhen an Algerian immigrant seeking asylum in Montreal takes a job replacing an elementary school teacher who committed suicide, he finds that his own secret, tragic background enables him to help the children deal with their loss.
Details about Monsieur Lazhar
Donnie Darko
2001 | NR | 3.9 out of 5 StarsWriter-director Richard Kelly's trippy, mind-bending feature debut stars Jake Gyllenhaal as a troubled Midwestern teenager plagued by incessant sleepwalking, family drama and visions of a menacing 6-foot-tall, doomsday-prophesying rabbit. Drew Barrymore, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Mary McDonnell, Jena Malone, Patrick Swayze and Noah Wyle also star in this dark and intriguing psychological fantasy that swiftly earned a cult following.
Details about Donnie Darko
The Music Never Stopped
2011 | NR | 3.9 out of 5 StarsNearly 20 years after their son ran away from home, his estranged parents learn he has a brain tumor that prevents him from forming new memories. Desperate to reconnect, the father realizes the best way is through the classic rock music he despises.
Details about The Music Never Stopped
The Red Violin
1998 | NR | 3.9 out of 5 StarsWhen the long-lost "red violin," a rare instrument crafted during the Italian Renaissance, shows up at a modern auction, it reveals its mysterious history -- and the lives of its previous owners -- in a series of flashbacks spanning three centuries.
Details about The Red Violin
Fargo
1996 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsPolice chief Marge Gunderson -- a serious sleuth who's sharper than her folksy accent suggests -- is hot on the trail of a Minneapolis car dealer conspiring with two kidnappers to snatch his wife so he can pocket part of the hefty ransom.
Details about Fargo
Down in the Delta
1998 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsUnemployed single mother Loretta Sinclair (Alfre Woodard) lives with her mother, Rosa Lynn (Mary Alice), in a Chicago apartment until drug abuse causes Loretta to neglect her children in this familly drama directed by renowned poet Maya Angelou. To get Loretta back on her feet, Rosa Lynn ships her and the kids to their Mississippi Delta hometown, where Uncle Earl (Al Freeman Jr.) takes them in and teaches them about their rich heritage.
Details about Down in the Delta
American Streetballers
2010 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsWriter-director Matthew Scott Krentz also stars in this gritty tale about John, a troubled junior college basketball player who forges an unlikely friendship with a fellow baller through pick-up games on the streets of St. Louis. Former University of Missouri basketball player Jimmy McKinney co-stars as John's onetime competitor, who eventually becomes a source of solace and strength as they cope with family dysfunction and poverty.
Details about American Streetballers
Saints and Soldiers
2004 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsIn a story based on actual events, a small band of Allied soldiers are trapped behind enemy lines with information that could save thousands of American lives. Outgunned and ill-equipped, they battle a frigid wilderness and roving German troops.
Details about Saints and Soldiers
Partition
2007 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsIn 1947, the same tumultuous year that India and Pakistan were divided into two separate states, a Sikh and former soldier (Jimi Mistry) puts his life on the line to save the life of a beautiful Muslim woman (Kristin Kreuk). In the wake of the heroic rescue, the two strangers find themselves falling in love. But are they destined to stay confined by the strict boundaries of their respective faiths?
Details about Partition
The Fat Boy Chronicles
2010 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsOverweight teenager Jimmy Winterpock transfers to a new school, where he's mercilessly bullied by classmates. After he starts keeping a journal that puts him in touch with his feelings, he resolves to lose weight and win the girl of his dreams.
Details about The Fat Boy Chronicles
La Mission
2009 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsUltra-macho ex-con Che Rivera learns the true meaning of being a father when he discovers his son is gay. At first, he turns violent. But when a beautiful neighbor helps him see through his anger, he begins to reconcile his long-held beliefs.
Details about La Mission
Harlem Aria
1999 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsHarlem kid Anton (Gabriel Casseus) is young, black and gifted with a voice of operatic beauty. A mental disability can't hamper his plans for stardom, which combust when Anton hears pianist Matthew (Christian Camargo) playing Verdi in the park and breaks into song. While Matthew is cynical and Anton too trusting, silver-tongued street buddy Wes (Damon Wayans) has enough gumption to go around, and he's determined to land the duo in the limelight.
Details about Harlem Aria
Paraiso Travel
2007 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsAfter a long journey from Colombia to a new life in New York City, Marlon (Aldemar Correa) is separated from his beloved, Reina (Angelica Blandon), and must fend for his own in the dangerous streets of Queens, where he gets a menial job in a restaurant. While flashbacks reveal details of the couple's trek to America, Marlon starts to fall for an aspiring singer (Margarita Rosa de Francisco) in this gripping drama that also stars John Leguizamo.
Details about Paraiso Travel
Older Than America
2008 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsRain (Georgina Lightning) has visions of a cruel incident suffered by her Native American ancestors. Afraid she'll be branded a lunatic like her elderly aunt, Rain fears telling even her policeman husband, Johnny (Adam Beach), about the dreams. But as they intensify, she finds that they have eerie connections to her current life. Lightning also writes and directs this mix of supernatural and historical mysteries.
Details about Older Than America
What's Eating Gilbert Grape
1993 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsIn a backwater Iowa town, Gilbert struggles to take care of his mentally disabled brother, Arnie, and provide for the rest of his family. But after falling for the stranded Becky, Gilbert discovers exciting new possibilities for his life.
Details about What's Eating Gilbert Grape
Yelling to the Sky
2011 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsRocker Lenny Kravitz's daughter, Zoë, stars in this independent coming-of-age drama as Sweetness O'Hara, a conflicted 17-year-old girl struggling to reconcile her purposeful dreams with the realities of her violent surroundings.
Details about Yelling to the Sky
After the Wedding
2006 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsTo save the failing orphanage he runs in India, Danish transplant Jacob Petersen returns to his homeland to meet a self-indulgent businessman named Jørgen who's offered a generous donation -- and represents everything the noble-minded Jacob abhors.
Details about After the Wedding
Soda Springs
2012 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsThe story of a man's struggle to claim his future by confronting his past. The road is not an easy one though, as old demons resurface to threaten everything Eden has fought to overcome.
Details about Soda Springs
We the Party
2012 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsMario Van Peebles directs this dramedy that explores the ups and downs of a group of high school friends trying to negotiate their way through the sometimes treacherous waters of relationships, money, sex, identity and social media.
Details about We the Party
Saving Faith
2010 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsMalcolm's life is crumbling after surviving a car accident that took the life of his daughter. He's losing his focus, direction and faith. But altercations with a rebellious gang member reveal the power of forgiveness and save Malcolm's faith.
Details about Saving Faith
About Best on Netflix USA
Best on Netflix is the place to discover the best TV shows and movies available on Netflix. Find the newest releases of your favorite movies and TV shows available for streaming on Netflix today. This site lists all the amazing content available to Netflix members. If you want to watch a movie or TV shows, you must go to the official Netflix website. Best on Netflix is not related to Netflix and its purpose is to highlight the great content already available on Netflix since we're such huge fans of their service. We love Netflix just as much as you do! We hope you enjoy this movie and tv show discovery tool.
We have a lot of great features coming up in the next few weeks to help highlight the best movies and TV shows on Netflix, so stay tuned!