The Best Drama Films On BBC iPlayer In Australia [2023 Collection]
Wondering what are the best drama films on BBC iPlayer to watch in Australia? We have compiled a list of the best drama films to watch on BBC iPlayer in Australia right now. Since BBC iPlayer is not available in Australia, you need to use a premium VPN like ExpressVPN to access content like shows and movies to watch BBC iPlayer in Australia.
Drama films resonate deeply with audiences because they often tackle universal themes and emotions. While we may daydream about extraordinary feats like launching meteors into space or outsmarting a holiday-themed murderer, these scenarios remain firmly rooted in the realm of fiction.
BBC iPlayer has many popular drama films in Australia and a vast collection of movies that you can watch in Australia. All you need is to subscribe to a premium VPN and register for a free BBC iPlayer account.
Let’s check out the list of the best 20 drama movies to watch on BBC iPlayer in Australia:
20 Best Drama Films to watch on BBC iPlayer at the moment
Below is the list of the best drama films on BBC iPlayer currently you can watch. As there is a large library to choose from, it might be difficult to play and check for each film in order to generate enough interest to keep watching.
This makes it easy for people to choose a film to watch that fits their interests from a small pool of options.
So, let’s jump to the best drama movies on BBC iPlayer to watch in Australia list with best BBC iPlayer VPN:
1. Bulldozer (2022)
Year of release: 2022
Genre: Crime
Director: Michael Lazar
Major Cast: Michael Lazar, Brendan Walsh, Dewey Cooper, Leann Tabers, Rio Valentin, Rich Hevner
Runtime: 1h 23m
Movie Storyline: After the abduction of his fiancée, a former “tough guy” finds himself being drawn back into the world he had hoped to leave behind. It was either up to him to execute the task, or she would pass away. He is ready to demonstrate why others refer to him as a “Bulldozer.”
You can avail BBC iPlayer free trial to watch this movie on iPlayer in Australia.
2. Expensive Sh*t (2020)
Year of release: 2020
Genre: Drama, Short
Director: Adura Onashile
Major Cast: Modupe Adeyeye, Kim Allan, Nebli Basani, John Mclarnon, Ainsley Jordan, Shona McHugh
Runtime: 13min
Movie Storyline: This is one of the best films on iPlayer in which Tolu, a Nigerian bathroom attendant in a Glasgow nightclub, manipulates the behavior of unknowing ladies for the titillation of males watching behind mirrors. Tonight, she can’t draw the line any longer, so she has to give out the poisoned water.
When Tolu’s sole friend and fellow punter, Louise, becomes the target and is drugged, she finds herself torn. Tolu, unwilling to accept the consequences of her actions, musters the will to alter the course of the night as it spirals out of control.
After watching this amazing action movie, you can also watch the best BBC iPlayer shows.
3. County Lines (2020)
Year of release: 2020
Genre: Drama
Director: Henry Blake
Major Cast: Conrad Khan, Ashley Madekwe, Tabitha Milne-Price, Harris Dickinson, Marcus Rutherford, Anthony Adjekum, Chizzy Akudolu
Runtime: 1h 30m
Movie Storyline: An unreported aspect of contemporary British society is the use of children as “county lines,” or couriers, to transport illegal substances from urban regions to coastal and rural areas.
Henry Blake’s powerful feature directorial debut features an outstanding central performance by Conrad Khan as Tyler, a 14-year-old whose mother Toni is struggling to support him and his sister. Blake was inspired to make the film by the stories he listened to while advising kids at an East London pupil referral unit.
To make ends meet after being kicked out of school, Tyler takes a job as a drugs courier for Harris Dickinson’s coolly menacing local criminal Simon. With a calm artistic certainty that is all the more frightening for its strict unsentimentality, County Lines exposes the inevitable cycle of debt, dishonesty, and brutal abuse.
This is one of the best new drama movies on BBC iPlayer for watching. Intrigued by the story? Why not grab your iPhone and watch BBC iPlayer on iPhone?
4. 2003 (2021)
Year of release: 2021
Genre: Short, Drama
Director: Harris Dickinson
Major Cast: Patrick Gibson, Andrew Tiernan, Olivia Brady, Harrison Struthers, Zayne McKale, Keifer Nyron Taylor
Runtime: 12m
Movie Storyline: A young soldier and his father have some hard truths to confront before the young man leaves for his first tour of duty.
Want to know what happens next to the soldiers’ life? Grab your Roku device and access BBC iPlayer on Roku, to watch 2003.
5. Dark Waters (2019)
Year of release: 2019
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Director: Todd Haynes
Major Cast: Mark Ruffalo, Anne Hathaway, Tim Robbins, Bill Pullman, Bill Camp, Victor Garber, Mare Winningham
Runtime: 2h 6m
Movie Storyline: It tells the shocking and inspirational story of an attorney, played by Mark Ruffalo, who puts his career and his family in jeopardy in order to expose a sinister secret kept hidden by one of the largest corporations in the world and to bring justice to a community that has been hazardously exposed to potentially lethal chemical compounds for decades.
This movie has some horror touches, isn’t it amazing? This is also known as one of the best horror movies on BBC iPlayer, so don’t miss watching.
6. Denial (2019)
Year of release: 2019
Genre: Drama, Biography
Director: Mick Jackson
Major Cast: Rachel Weisz, Tom Wilkinson, Timothy Spall, Andrew Scott, Jack Lowden, Caren Pistorius
Runtime: 1h 49m
Movie Storyline: The film DENIAL is based on Deborah E. Lipstadt’s court struggle for historical truth against David Irving, who sued her for libel after she called him a Holocaust denier in the book “History on Trial: My Day in Court with a Holocaust Denier.”
As the defendant bears the burden of evidence in cases of defamation under English law, it fell to Lipstadt and her legal team to establish beyond a reasonable doubt that the Holocaust indeed had a place.
You can also access BBC iPlayer on Apple TV and stream this amazing movie easily.
7. Balloon (2018)
Year of release: 2018
Genre: Drama, Thriller, History
Director: Michael Herbig
Major Cast: Friedrich Mücke, Karoline Schuch, David Kross, Alicia von Rittberg, Thomas Kretschmann, Jonas Holdenrieder, Tilman Döbler, Christian Näthe
Runtime: 2h 5m
Movie Storyline: Two families in Thüringen, East Germany, came up with a wild scheme in the summer of 1979. They want badly to escape the DDR to the ‘West,’ therefore they’re going to use a handmade hot air balloon to do it.
The amateurs have been stitching and fiddling for weeks, and now they are ready to give it a go. Their balloon was damaged by the weather and crashed only meters from the West German border. Happily, they are able to evade capture by the authorities. Unfortunately, the remnants of their failed escape attempt are discovered, setting off a frantic search for them. The families’ resolve to try again raises the stakes in the ensuing race against time.
In the first step, officials learn that a second attempt is being prepared and go out to apprehend the traitors. On the other hand, the escapees know that the search is getting closer and they need to construct a more sturdy, weatherproof balloon while trying to conceal their tracks.
We suggest accessing BBC iPlayer on Android and watching this thrilling drama anytime you want.
8. Ben Is Back (2018)
Year of release: 2018
Genre: Drama
Director: Peter Hedges
Major Cast: Julia Roberts, Lucas Hedges, Courtney B. Vance, Kathryn Newton, Rachel Bay Jones, David Zaldívar, Alexandra Park
Runtime: 1h 43m
Movie Storyline: The story follows the attractive but troubled Ben Burns (Hedges), who goes home to his family on the fateful Christmas Eve. His family is unaware of what is about to happen.
Holly Burns, Ben’s cautious mother, played by Roberts, is overjoyed to see her cherished son again, but she quickly finds that he is still in a precarious situation. Holly has just one day to try to save her family from a fate that might alter their lives irrevocably, and she must do all in her ability to make this happen.
You can watch this movie on Christmas, as it is known as one of the best Christmas movies on BBC iPlayer.
9. Blue Story (2018)
Year of release: 2018
Genre: Crime, Musical, Drama
Director: Rapman
Major Cast: Micheal Ward, Eric Kofi-Abrefa, Jo Martin, Richie Campbell, Karla-Simone Spence, Rohan Nedd, Chris Wilson, Sean Sagar
Runtime: 1h 30m
Movie Storyline: The young brothers Timmy and Marco, who live in different zip codes, form an unlikely relationship in Blue Tale. Timmy is a brilliant and naïve young boy from Deptford who attends school in Peckham, where he befriends Marco, a dynamic and streetwise local child.
Despite coming from competing zip codes, the two create an instant bond that stands the test of time until they find themselves on opposite sides of a street brawl. Personal events and memories from Rapman’s childhood are reflected in Blue Tale.
This is also considered as one of the best crime movies on BBC iPlayer. But other than this you can also watch a collection of other movies on BBC iPlayer as well.
10. Happy New Year, Colin Burstead (2018)
Year of release: 2018
Genre: Drama
Director: Ben Wheatley
Major Cast: Neil Maskell, Sura Dohnke, Marvin Maskell, Nicole Nettleingham, Doon Mackichan, Bill Paterson, Hayley Squires, Mark Monero
Runtime: 1h 35m
Movie Storyline: For the New Year’s celebration, Colin books an opulent rural house for his large extended family. Sadly for Colin, the return of his long-lost brother David poses a significant challenge to his authority within the family. David and Colin had been separated for a long time. So without further ado, access BBC iPlayer on Sky and watch this amazing drama film on the go.
11. The Man with the Iron Heart (2017)
Year of release: 2017
Genre: Biography, Thriller, Action
Director: Cédric Jimenez
Major Cast: Jason Clarke, Rosamund Pike, Jack O’Connell, Jack Reynor, Mia Wasikowska, Stephen Graham, Thomas M. Wright, Barry Atsma, Geoff Bell, Enzo Cilenti, David Horovitch, Abigail Lawrie
Runtime: 2h
Movie Storyline: As an officer in the German Navy, Reinhard Heydrich is now active. Soon after he starts dating Lina, he is court-martialed for lying to the other lady he was having sex with. After marrying Lina, he joins the Nazi Party and comes to admire Adolf Hitler in the same way.
As he and Heinrich Müller struggle to combat Communist influence in Weimar Germany, he crosses paths with Heinrich Himmler and is eventually promoted to chief of SS counter-intelligence. Heydrich takes over as head of the Gestapo when Hitler becomes chancellor.
With the outbreak of World War II and the German invasion of Poland, Heydrich was elevated to the position of Head of the Reich Security Main Office. To inflict genocide throughout Eastern Europe, Hitler orders his Einsatzgruppen assassination squads to trail the German army.
As a result of his threats, General Eduard Wagner provides the Einzsatzgruppen with the intelligence they need to carry out their extermination of Jews and other Untermenschen.
12. Dirt Road to Lafayette (2016)
Year of release: 2016
Genre: Drama
Director: Kenneth Glenaan
Major Cast: Neil Sutcliffe, David O’Hara, Margo Moorer, David Hayman, Jill Jane Clements, Julia Deon Ceasar, Randall Newsome, D.Taylor, Pablo Esparza
Runtime: 1h 40m
Movie Storyline: After the loss of Murdo’s mother, he and his father, Tom, go from Scotland to North Alabama to spend time with Murdo’s American/Scottish relations. Once his mother died away, Murdo put away his accordion and hasn’t touched it since.
In the company of other musicians, he encounters an elderly woman who introduces herself as Queen Monzee-ay and plays the accordion. She inspires him to pick up an instrument again and offers to have him perform a gig with her.
The music builds a rift between him and his well-meaning but ultimately futile attempts at parental control. At some point, Murdo is able to rise above his father and listen to his own musical intuition.
BBC iPlayer is compatible with most of the devices that we generally use. You can watch BBC iPlayer on iPad, Apple TV, iPhone, Roku, Android, or operating systems like Mac and Windows.
13. The Fault in Our Stars (2014)
Year of release: 2014
Genre: Drama, Romance
Director: Josh Boone
Major Cast: Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort, Nat Wolff, Laura Dern, Sam Trammell, Willem Dafoe, Lotte Verbeek, Ana Dela Cruz
Runtime: 2h 6m
Movie Storyline: Featuring Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort in the lead roles in a romantic drama. An “us against the world” friendship that quickly develops into love occurs between two adolescents who meet one other at a cancer self-help group.
14. Angel Face (1953)
Year of release: 1953
Genre: Chrome, Drama, Film-Noir
Director: Otto Preminger
Major Cast: Robert Mitchum, Jean Simmons, Mona Freeman, Herbert Marshall, Leon Ames, Barbara O’Neil, Kenneth Tobey, Raymond Greenleaf, Griff Barnett
Runtime: 1h 31m
Movie Storyline: After Mrs. Tremayne is poisoned by gas, Frank Jessup meets her elegant but sensual stepdaughter Diane, who rapidly pursues and falls in love with him while he is on the job as an ambulance driver.
After succumbing to Diane’s charms, Frank finds himself driving for the Tremayne family. Nevertheless, he starts to worry that there may be more to her seeming kindness than meets the eye. Diane’s plan when he starts to draw away is to dig him in so deep he can’t get out.
Apart from this drama film, we recommend you watch some of the best BBC iPlayer documentaries to see the world with a wiser perspective.
15. Citizen Kane (1941)
Year of release: 1941
Genre: Mystery, Drama
Director: Orson Welles
Major Cast: Joseph Cotten, Dorothy Comingore, Agnes Moorehead, Ruth Warrick, Ray Collins, Erskine Sanford, Everett Sloane, William Alland, Paul Stewart, George Coulouris
Runtime: 1h 59m
Movie Storyline: Reporters are attempting to figure out what Charles Foster Kane, the newspaper magnate who was worth millions, meant by the phrase “Rosebud.” After opening with a newsreel on Kane’s life intended for the general public, the film shifts into flashback mode.
As the journalists dig further, the story of a remarkable man’s ascent to stardom and subsequent fall from grace is revealed to the audience.
In addition to this, you can also check out other movie genres like the best comedy movies on BBC iPlayer.
16. The Diary of Anne Frank (1959)
Year of release: 1959
Genre: Drama, Biography, Family
Director: George Stevens
Major Cast: Millie Perkins, Joseph Schildkraut, Shelley Winters, Richard Beymer, Gusti Huber, Lou Jacobi, Diane Baker, Douglas Spencer
Runtime: 3h
Movie Storyline: During WWII, Jewish families in Holland are hidden in an attic by shopkeeper Kraler who lives in hiding. Anne Frank, a little girl, writes in her diary about her family’s experiences hiding from the Nazis and living with the Van Daans.
Anne’s sister, Margot, becomes envious when she begins a relationship with Peter Van Daan. Years after the abduction of the Frank family, Otto Frank visits the attic and discovers his daughter’s journal.
We suggest you also watch the best romance movies on BBC iPlayer.
17. The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964)
Year of release: 1964
Genre: Drama, War, History
Director: Anthony Mann
Major Cast: Sophia Loren, Stephen Boyd, Alec Guinness, James Mason, Christopher Plummer, Anthony Quayle, John Ireland, Omar Sharif
Runtime: 3h 8m
Movie Storyline: After defeating the Germanic tribes, the shrewd diplomat Emperor Marcus Aurelius convenes all of the provincial governors of the Roman Empire to ensure lasting peace and prosperity across the vast empire.
Because of this, Marcus has chosen to give General Livius the imperial crown and throne instead of his corrupt son and natural heir, Commodus. Because of this high treason and mindless ambition, Aurelius was poisoned to death, ushering in a new period of despotism, unending intrigues, and gradual collapse.
No one is safe now that insane Commodus has declared himself a god, not even Aurelius’ daughter Lucilla, as darkness reigns on the Empire’s periphery and the Roman soldiers fight to resist the invading hordes.
Must check out our collection of war movies on BBC iPlayer.
18. Fellow Traveller (1989)
Year of release: 1989
Genre: Thriller, Drama
Director: Judd Ne’eman
Major Cast: Gidi Gov, Yossi Pollak, Shmulik Kraus, Yussuf Abu-Warda, Dalia Shimko, Suheiru Hany, Nurit Galron, Mohammad Bakri
Runtime: 1h 30m
Movie Storyline: Hawkins Fuller, a State Department employee, finds love with a congressional aide named Tim in “Fellow Travelers” and he must figure out how to proceed with their relationship in light of the McCarthy Red Scare trials and the Lavender Scare, which led to the dismissal of hundreds of gay state department employees.
19. Thelma and Louise (1991)
Year of release: 1991
Genre: Crime, Adventure, Drama
Director: Ridley Scott
Major Cast: Susan Sarando, Geena Davis, Harvey Keitel, Michael Madsen, Christopher McDonald, Stephen Tobolowsky, Brad Pitt, Timothy Carhart, Lucinda Jenney, Jason Beghe, Sonny Carl Davis
Runtime: 2h 10m
Movie Storyline: Louise has been having issues with her musician lover Jimmy, who is often traveling for business. Louise works as a server at a cafe. Darryl, Thelma’s husband, like it when she doesn’t make a lot of noise when cooking so that he can watch football on the television.
They pack their belongings into the vehicle and decide to take a break from their routine by driving across the country. After Louise murders, a guy who threatens to rape Thelma, their trip becomes a flight. They take out for Mexico, only to find themselves the targets of a manhunt back in the United States.
20. A Woman’s Secret (1949)
Year of release: 1949
Genre: Mystery, Fim-Noir, Drama
Director: Nicholas Ray
Major Cast: Maureen O’Hara, Melvyn Douglas, Gloria Grahame, Bill Williams, Victor Jory, Mary Philips, Jay C. Flippen
Runtime: 1h 24m
Movie Storyline: With a gunshot wound close to her heart, Susan is now receiving medical attention. According to Marian’s statement to the police, Susan was shot in a fit of fury when she decided to stop singing.
When Marian and Luke finally tracked Susan down, she was already a failure. She had a small vocal range but was a raw talent that Marian and Luke polished up by teaching her the basics of walking, dressing, and speaking.
Wrap Up
That’s all! You can easily watch drama films on BBC iPlayer in Australia with the help of this guide. You don’t need any more drama in your life than what you’ll find in these heartrending films, which range from epic emotional sagas to intimate personal portraits to thrilling inspiring stories.
Dramatic films have the power to affect audiences because the issues they explore are universal. This is the reason we have advised you to watch the best drama films on BBC iPlayer.
We guarantee you that you will explore the best drama films on BBC iPlayer. However, sadly due to geo-restrictions, BBC iPlayer is unavailable outside UK. Thus, use a VPN service like ExpressVPN and enjoy streaming the movies.
Have fun on a weekend night!