It’s fitting, given that Netflix is America’s favorite streaming app, that Netflix is also a quintessentially American story. The at-home DVD rental company has grown to become an entertainment behemoth, and it’s one of the best places to go for movies of all kinds.
If you’re looking to celebrate Independence Day, Netflix is the perfect place to go for some great dramas. If that’s the move you make, then we’ve pulled out three dramas that will keep you entertained in wildly different ways. Whatever you’re looking for to celebrate the holiday, you can rest assured knowing that we’ve got you covered. These are three great dramas to check out this Independence Day on the streaming service.
Mank (2020)
You wouldn’t necessarily think that a movie about the creation of Citizen Kane would be the kind of movie that’s ideal for Fourth of July viewing. But in addition to being a story about the writing of a single script, Mank is also a history of California during the Great Depression, and of a single powerful magnate’s ability to assert control over all of Hollywood.
Directed by David Fincher, Mank is a reminder of the very real context surrounding one of the best movies ever made, and it doubles as a great history lesson about an often underdiscussed aspect of American history.
You can watch Mank on Netflix.
Rustin (2023)
Bayard Rustin is one of the heroes of the Civil Rights Movement, but because he was also a gay man, his story was often sidelined. Thankfully, Rustin sets out to rectify that wrong, focusing specifically on the grassroots work that Rustin did to orchestrate the March on Washington that led to Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech.
Featuring a brilliant central performance by Colman Domingo, as well as a roster of great supporting actors like Jeffery Wright and Chris Rock, Rustin is unafraid of showing us every bit of who this man was, including all the things that the Civil Rights Movement was once afraid of.
You can watch Rustin on Netflix.
Moneyball (2011)
Baseball is America’s pastime, but for many Americans, it can be hard to understand why. If you ever find yourself wondering why baseball is so important to some Americans, look no further than Moneyball. The film tells the story of the 2002 Oakland A’s, a team that was horribly underfunded, and so its GM started using advanced statistics instead of scouts to build a roster.
Although the movie is about math as much as baseball, it’s also about the beauty of understanding that in all sports, and in baseball in particular, there’s only so much you can predict. It’s all a little bit random, but what keeps you coming back is the pull of the story and the great performances by Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill, who were both nominated for Oscars for their terrific work.
You can watch Moneyball on Netflix.