Aro Favourite: Drama

107 Drama Films have attained the hallowed status of Aro Favourite

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Apprentice, The (2024): A riveting drama that charts the apprenticeship of Donald Trump as a young huckster in the 1970s and 80s who is mentored in business chicanery by the…; DVD $29.95 | Blu-Ray $34.95
Memoir of a Snail (2024): Another sublime stop–motion animated feature from Adam Elliot (Mary & Max) that chronicles the life of an outsider in poignant and hilarious…; DVD $29.95 | Blu-Ray $34.95
We Were Dangerous (2024): A striking Kiwi fable about three teenage girls who plot to escape an oppressive school for delinquents on an isolated island in the 1950s, it's the…; DVD $29.95
Àma Gloria (Ama Gloria) (2023): Centred by an extraordinary child performance, this is an exquisite French drama bathed in the milk of human kindness in the face of…; DVD $29.95
Anatomy of a Fall (2023): An extraordinary, multi–layered dramatic thriller from France that deservingly won the Palm D'or at Cannes. For the past year, Sandra, a…; DVD $29.95 | Blu-Ray $34.95
Goodbye Julia (2023): An outstanding drama from Sudan about two women – a retired Muslim singer and a Southern Sudanese widow – who forge an unusual friendship…; DVD $29.95
Let the River Flow (2023): A superbly–crafted and moving indigenous rights drama about a young teacher whose repressed Sami heritage is awakened by a protest group who…; DVD $29.95
Aftersun (2022): This quietly devastating story of a father and daughter that share holiday time in the 90's assembles its remembered and video–recorded…; DVD $29.95 | Blu-Ray $34.95
Blaze (2022): A powerful, imaginative Australian drama from Archibald–winning artist Del Kathryn Barton about a twelve–year–old girl conflicted…; DVD $29.95
One Fine Morning (Un Beau Matin) (2022): Lea Seydoux is French movie star royalty but she keeps it real in this sublime film from Mia Hansen–Løve (Bergman Island), one of Europe’s…; DVD $29.95
Quiet Girl, The (An Cailín Ciúin) (2022): An exquisite rites–of–passage drama filmed mostly in the Irish/Gaelic language, it is the very definition of a literary pastoral that…; DVD $29.95
Saint Omer (2022): Inspired by real events, this devastating fictional drama from French–Senegalese director Alice Diop delivers a formally brilliant treatise on…; DVD $29.95
Full Time (A Plien Temps) (2021): A cracker of a French drama that teeters on the edge of a thriller throughout because it’s all about the pressure cooker that is modern life.…; DVD $29.95
Mass (2021): An emotionally devastating drama in which two sets of parents from both sides of a school shooting tragedy agree to meet and talk in an attempt to…; DVD $29.95
Paris, 13th District (Les Olympiades, Paris 13e) (2021): Jacques Audiard’s film charts the interwoven relationships between four twenty–somethings, beautifully played by Lucie Zhang, Makita Samba,…; DVD $29.95
Worst Person in the World, The (2021): Gloriously provocative and richly perceptive comedy drama from talented Norwegian director Joachim Trier (THELMA), which follows an unpredictable,…; DVD $29.95
Father, The (2020): Anthony Hopkins reaches another career peak in this brilliant conceived and executed drama about an aging man who is losing his sense of…; DVD $29.95 | Blu-Ray $34.95
Quo Vadis, Aida? (2020): A devastating, personal account of a nightmarish dilemma for a wife and mother working as a translator between the UN, the Serbian aggressors and…; DVD $29.95
Corpus Christi (2019): A devastating, gripping drama based on the true story of a charismatic ex–convict who is mistaken to be a priest in a devout Polish village, a…; DVD $29.95
First Cow (2019): A western set in the Pacific Northwest from acclaimed director Kelly Reichardt (MEEK'S CUTOFF), patiently depicting the hardscrabble way of life of…; DVD $29.95
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood) (2019): Sprawling love–letter to the final years of Hollywood's golden age, following a faded television actor and his stunt double as they face the…; DVD ~~$24.95~~ $18.70
Truth, The (2019): Dazzling modern family drama from master auteur Kore–eda Hirokazu (SHOPLIFTERS), pairing French screen icons Catherine Deneuve and Juliette…; DVD $29.95
Woman at War (2018): A droll yet heroic tale of a fifty–year–old environmental activist who is secretly waging a one–woman–war on the local…; DVD $29.95
20th Century Women (2017): Recalling her turn in THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT, Annette Bening shines once again as a bohemian Californian mom, who here enlists Greta Gerwig and Elle…; DVD ~~$20~~ $15
Battle of the Sexes, The (2017): Entertainingly playful telling of the story behind the milestone 1973 tennis match in which the 29–year–old women's champ Billie Jean…; DVD ~~$19.95~~ $14.95
Disobedience (2017): Sebastián Lelio (GLORIA) directs this powerful and exquisitely melancholy film about a woman who returns to the ultra orthodox Jewish community that…; DVD ~~$20~~ $15
Lucky (2017): Harry Dean Stanton plays an eccentric and fiercely independent veteran called Lucky, who lives in a small Arizona desert town. A gentle exploration…; DVD $24.95
Roman J. Israel, Esq. (2017): A superbly written dramatic thriller from the director of NIGHTCRAWLER set within the overburdened Los Angeles criminal court system. Denzel…; DVD ~~$20~~ $15
Crown, The - Season 1 (TV Series) (2016): The writer of the acclaimed 2006 movie THE QUEEN, Peter Morgan, turns his attention to Elizabeth II's earlier years. Season One covers her marriage…; DVD ~~$30~~ $22.50
Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016): A feel–good comic misadventure in which a rebellious city kid and his reluctant foster uncle become subjects of a manhunt after they "go bush"…; DVD $29.95 | Blu-Ray $34.95
Jackie (2016): A portrait of Jackie Kennedy following the assassination of her husband John F. Kennedy. Natalie Portman provides an intimate and sensitive portrayal…; DVD ~~$19.95~~ $14.95
Manchester By the Sea (2016): Casey Affleck won a Best Actor Oscar for his role as a man with a haunted past who is asked to take care of his teenage nephew after his brother…; DVD ~~$19.95~~ $14.95
Odyssey, The (L'odyssée) (2016): A shimmering yet unvarnished biopic of pioneering Frenchman Jacques Cousteau, who invented the aqualung and went on to become a world–famous…; DVD $29.95
Perfect Strangers (Perfetti sconosciuti) (2016): A clever comedy of manners for the iphone–era, this Italian award–winner follows a dinner party debacle that unfolds after seven…; DVD ~~$19.95~~ $14.95
A Perfect Day (2015): Trenchant, satisfying black comedy about a group of aid workers struggling with the task of removing a corpse from a well at the end of the Yugoslav…; DVD ~~$20~~ $15
Diary of a Teenage Girl, The (2015): This brave and bittersweet portrait of an unusual sexual awakening has Bel Powley as a fledgling cartoonist entering into a relationship with her…; DVD ~~$20~~ $15
Heavy Water War, The (The Saboteurs) (2015): Thrilling Norwegian mini–series tells the story behind Hitler's plan for obtaining the atomic bomb during WW2, and the heavy water sabotages in…; DVD $34.95
20,000 Days on Earth (2014): A 24–hour portrait of writer and musician Nick Cave, blending fiction and reality, as it examines the artistic process and the power of the…; DVD $29.95 | Blu-Ray ~~$34.95~~ $17.50
Orange is the New Black (TV Series) (2013): A bracing, darkly humorous addition to the women–in–prison genre, centred on the plight of a privileged young woman whose fling with a…; DVD ~~$20~~ $15
Philomena (2013): Poignant drama stars Judi Dench as a elderly Irish woman searching for the child she was forced to give up while working at a convent as a teenager.; DVD ~~$19.95~~ $14.95
Wind Rises, The (2013): Hayao Miyazaki's glorious swansong is the poignant story of aviation engineer Jiro Horikoshi and his dreams of designing the perfect flying machine…; DVD $34.95 | Blu-Ray $39.95
Cloud Atlas (2012): An awe–inspiring cinematic epic that adapts David Mitchell's ambitious and 'unfilmable' novel as an 'auteur blockbuster' and genuine…; DVD ~~$15~~ $11.25
Intouchables, The (2011): Exemplary feel–good French comedy that details the unlikely friendship between an aristocratic quadriplegic and a young French–African…; DVD ~~$19.95~~ $14.95
Orator, The (O le tulafale) (2011): In this superlative Polynesian drama – the first Samoan language feature film – tradition and modernity collide on the island of Upolu, where a…; DVD ~~$24.95~~ $18.70
Separation, A (2011): Winner of the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, this masterfully layered domestic drama sees the wheels of justice turn slowly against a…; DVD ~~$19.95~~ $14.95
Justified - Season 1 (TV Series) (2010): Slick urban western with an old–school U.S. Marshal reassigned from Miami to his childhood home in the poor, rural coal–mining towns of…; DVD ~~$30~~ $22.50
A Single Man (2009): Colin Firth gives a career–best performance as a gay English professor who grieves for his long–time lover in this impeccable and…; DVD ~~$19.95~~ $14.95
Balibo (2009): Searing political thriller based on the death of five Australian–based journalists (one, a Kiwi) who, upon covering the occupation of East…; DVD $19.95
District 9 (2009): Superb sci–fi blockbuster from first–time writer/director Blomkamp, set in an alternate–reality Johannesburg where an…; DVD ~~$19.95~~ $14.95
White Ribbon, The (Das weisse Band) (2009): Michael Haneke’s intellectual rigour is paired with a mesmerising sociological drama in this award–winning exploration of the roots of…; DVD $30
Dean Spanley (2008): This Kiwi–British production cross–breed is a charmingly eccentric, surprisingly moving 'drawing room' drama set in Edwardian Britain in…; DVD ~~$25~~ $18.75
I've Loved You So Long (Il y a longtemps que je t'aime) (2008): Gratifying, melancholy French drama featuring a career–best performance by Kristen Scott–Thomas as an enigmatic woman struggling to fit…; DVD ~~$20~~ $15
Diving Bell and the Butterfly, The (Le Scaphandre et Le Papillon) (2007): Justly celebrated adaptation of the autobiography of the late Jean–Dominique Bauby, who enjoyed the high life as editor of Elle magazine before…; DVD ~~$20~~ $15
Savages, The (2007): Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney make for convincing, disenchanted siblings in this acute observation of a family crisis surrounding their…; DVD ~~$20~~ $15
Visitor, The (2007): Compassionate, beautifully–measured tale of a widowed college professor whose banal mid–life finds renewed joy (and heartbreak) after he…; DVD ~~$19.95~~ $14.95
Queen, The (2006): A regal Helen Mirren brings command and pathos to the screen as Queen Elizabeth II, an iconic yet closely–guarded world figure whose retreat in…; DVD $14.95
Shortbus (Short bus) (2006): A raucous, freewheeling comedy of intercourse from gay auteur John Cameron Mitchell, audacious in its employment of explicit sex, unknown actors and…; DVD ~~$24.95~~ $18.70
Ten Canoes (2006): Beguiling Aboriginal parable from Rolf de Heer is an evocative time–warp of Australia’s rich ancestry, told through the campfire narration of…; Blu-Ray $19.95
Match Point (2005): Widely touted as Woody Allen's finest film since the mid–80's, this is also his least characteristic – set in London and entirely…; DVD ~~$20~~ $15
Proposition, The (2005): Grimly intense and atmospheric 'Australian Western' – scripted by singer Nick Cave – is set the outback of the 1880s, where lawman Ray…; DVD ~~$19.95~~ $14.95
River Queen (2005): Both underrated and overblown, dir. Vincent Ward's (VIGIL) ambitious historical drama depicts the journey across heart, soul and land–scapes of…; DVD ~~$30~~ $22.50
Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada, The (2005): Stunning tale of redemption straddles the Texas–Mexico borderline, beginning with the offhand killing of a Mexican ranch–hand (Cedillo)…; DVD ~~$20~~ $15
Downfall (Der Untergang) (2004): Widely acclaimed for its claustrophobic intensity, intelligence and detail, this vivid re–enactment of the last ten days in the life of Adolf…; DVD ~~$20~~ $15
In My Father's Den (2004): Achieving a new high watermark in production terms at least, this vivid New Zealand melodrama harnesses the complexities of Maurice Gee's…; DVD ~~$24.95~~ $18.70
Lost in Translation (2003): A coolly romantic and engaging tale of a “brief encounter” between two Americans stranded in Tokyo – a movie–star in midlife crisis…; DVD ~~$19.95~~ $14.95
Whale Rider (2003): A stirring, widely–acclaimed adaptation of Witi Ihimaera’s novel about a young girl’s struggle to win the approval of her patriarchal…; DVD ~~$24.95~~ $18.70
Secretary (2002): A spanking good black comedy detailing the bizarre relationship between a peculiar, ill–tempered lawyer and the meek secretary he…; DVD ~~$20~~ $15 | Blu-Ray $34.95
Atanarjuat (The Fast Runner) (2001): A ‘cause celebre’ of recent film festivals worldwide, this filmed folktale from the ice–bound Innuit communities of northern Canada,…; DVD ~~$29.95~~ $15
Y Tu Mama Tambien (And Your Mother Too!) (2001): Acclaimed universally (and here in NZ beset with censorship wrangles), this Mexican joyride, taken by two teenage boys and an older woman, is indeed…; DVD ~~$20~~ $15
Amores Perros (Love's a Bitch) (2000): Bursting forth with passion, cinematic mettle and pungent local flavours, this debut feature, a triptych of stories set in polyglot Mexico City, is…; DVD ~~$29.95~~ $15, $29.95
Straight Story, The (2000): Far from wild at heart, this soft–peddle road movie from the infamous David Lynch is a serene, supremely dignified fable (though based on a…; Blu-Ray $34.95
Traffic (2000): A masterful, suitably complex address of the ‘drug problem’ and how it enslaves consumers, dealers, policy–makers and law–enforcers…; DVD $19.95
Boys Don't Cry (1999): Widely touted dramatisation of the true–life 'Brandon Teena' tragedy set in the grim badlands of America's Midwest, where a teenage girl…; DVD ~~$19.95~~ $14.95
Charles Dickens Collection, The (The Pickwick Papers, Oliver Twist, A Christmas Carol, Martin Chuzzlewit, David Copperfield, A Tale of Two Cities, Great Expectations, Our Mutual Friend) (1999-2005): The BBC's twelve–DVD set offers eight acclaimed mini–series adaptations featuring the creme of Bitish stage and screen performers; DVD ~~$90~~ $67.50
Truman Show, The (1998): A brilliantly conceived script by expat–Kiwi whizz–kid Andrew Niccol (GATTACA) finds consummate direction in the hands of esteemed…; DVD ~~$20~~ $15, $19.95
Apostle, The (1997): Labour of love – in the best possible sense – for Robert Duvall (as Actor/Writer/Director), raising hellfire as a repentant…; Blu-Ray $34.95
Love and Death On Long Island (1997): Delightful central conceit sees John Hurt fall in love with flaky teen–movie actor Jason Priestley in this decidedly genre and…; Poster (G) $12.95
Dead Man Walking (1996): In a feat of rare ambition and integrity, actor Tim Robbins proves supremely adept behind the camera with this even–handed presentation of the…; DVD ~~$19.95~~ $14.95
Kolya (1996): A beautifully sentimental Oscar winner for Best Foreign film – set during the 1988 Russian occupation of Czechoslovakia, when a…; DVD ~~$24.95~~ $18.70
Pride and Prejudice (TV Series) (1995): Jane Austen connoisseurs shan't be disappointed with this terrifically popular BBC version of her consummate novel about romantic intrigues between…; DVD ~~$24.95~~ $18.70
Fun (1994): Two teenage girls just want to have fun, but their obsessive pursuit of it leads them to murder an old lady for no other reason. This remarkable…; Poster (G) $9.95
Schindler's List (1993): Spielberg deservedly swept the '94 Oscars with this compassionate, consummately–crafted tale of a prominent Nazi's precarious mission to save…; DVD ~~$24.95~~ $18.70
Player, The (1992): A glittering Tinseltown satire that manages to be an intricate, clever, surprising and entertaining thriller all at the same time, with a cast of…; DVD ~~$24.95~~ $18.70
Red Curtain Trilogy (Strictly Ballroom; Romeo and Juliet; Moulin Rouge) (1992-2001): Australian dir. Baz Luhrmann's three visionary modern musicals given a lavish box–set presentation.; DVD ~~$35~~ $25
Prime Suspect (TV Series) (1991-2003): Helen Mirren stars as DCI Tennison in seven award–winning (Emmy and BAFTA) mini–series from the pen of Lynda La Plante.; DVD $54.95
Truly, Madly, Deeply (1990): Charming story of a grief–stricken widow who discovers the ghost of old luvvy resurrected in her living room. Many have fallen truly, madly and…; DVD $20
Do the Right Thing (1989): Spike Lee's tour–de–force of racial friction and personal politics, forged his status as the most important black director in history.…; DVD $39.95
Drugstore Cowboy (1989): A stylised yet vivid journey into the lives of a group of sympathetic, drug–addicted youths in the early '70s. A high point in the career…; Blu-Ray $34.95
Big Blue, The (1988): Visually, aurally (and literally) breathtaking tale of two rival free–fall divers, an American journalist, and the glorious Mediterranean.…; DVD ~~$19.95~~ $14.95
Babette's Feast (1987): Oscar–winning and mouth watering delight which tells a wistful, wise tale with a subtle sense of humour. Exiled French housekeeper Stephane…; DVD ~~$20~~ $15
Singing Detective, The (TV Series) (1986): Ground–breaking fantasy–drama from the unique genius of Dennis Potter. Michael Gambon is brilliant as a bed–ridden, frustrated…; DVD ~~$20~~ $15
Amadeus (1984): Academy–award winning biopic of Mozart's illustrious but brief existence that spawned much of the greatest music ever written. A humourous yet…; DVD ~~$24.95~~ $18.70
Utu - Redux (1983-2013): With lavish technical enhancement and narrative streamlining, this 'Redux' version of the 1983 epic restores its rightful place in the canon of great…; DVD ~~$24.95~~ $14.95, ~~$39.95~~ $24.95, ~~$39.95~~ $34.95 | Blu-Ray ~~$39.95~~ $34.95
Raging Bull (1980): Robert De Niro gives new meaning to 'method acting' in his portrayal of hot–blooded boxer, Jake La Motta. The film chronicles his violent world…; DVD ~~$19.95~~ $14.95
Days of Heaven (1979): The mid–western wheat–fields provide a magnificent backdrop for this poignant tale of two disparate bachelors who vie for the same woman.…; Blu-Ray $24.95
Quadrophenia (1979): Brilliant portrait of alienated youth, inspired by The Who's concept album, focuses on a young Mod's personal crises and his gang's violent agenda…; DVD ~~$24.95~~ $18.70
Annie Hall (1977): The 'hall'mark of Woody Allen's career – it won him an Oscar for Best Picture and made him a household name. It's a hilarious send–up of…; DVD ~~$20~~ $15
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975): Jack Nicholson gives a star–making performance in this courageous tragi–comedy about a misfit's influence on a group of oppressed asylum…; DVD ~~$24.95~~ $18.70
Godfather, The (1972): Adaptation of Mario Puzo's novel is a vivid and immaculately staged chronicle of a Sicilian family's ascension to NY gangland dominance. Seamlessly…; DVD $19.95
Last Picture Show, The (1971): Much admired film about the problems of adolescence in a roadside town in '50s Texas. Launched the careers of Jeff Bridges, Cybill Shepherd, Cloris…; DVD ~~$24.95~~ $18.70
Graduate, The (1967): An endearing Dustin Hoffman in his first leading role, is seduced by a middle–aged woman and then falls in love with her daughter. A brilliant…; DVD ~~$19.95~~ $14.95
Hustler, The (1961): Classic Paul Newman, playing a pool–shark with potential who gets into a match with the legendary Minnesota Fats (Jackie Gleason). George C…; DVD ~~$20~~ $15
Psycho (1960): Only Mr. Hitchcock could plunder B–movie conventions and turn in the biggest box–office success of his career. A plethora of…; Blu-Ray ~~$20~~ $15
Suddenly, Last Summer (1959): A kitsch classic in which Elizabeth Taylor is in finest neurotic form as a young woman trying to fight her vindictive aunt's will to have her…; DVD $14.95
Tokyo Story (1953): The master of Japanese cinema, this is Ozu's masterpiece. An emotional tour–de–force is drawn from an elderly couple's ill–fated…; DVD ~~$39.95~~ $29.95
Red Shoes, The (1948): Beloved dance classic is a strikingly realised story of a young ballerina who, in an echo of the Hans Christian Andersen story, becomes torn between…; DVD ~~$24.95~~ $18.70
Citizen Kane (1941): Orson Welles ground–breaking work chronicles a publishing tycoon's rise to power, told through a reporter's efforts to discover the meaning of…; DVD ~~$20~~ $15

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Aro Favourite: Drama