The period drama will never go away. As one of the most acclaimed film genres, it has produced some of the best and most beloved films from any given decade. Period dramas offer a loving, usually romanticized and highly stylized look at a bygone era, and audiences loved them for it.
Luckily for film lovers, the 2010s delivered more than a few incredibly lush and compelling entries into the esteemed genre. From modernized adaptations of literary masterpieces to searing romantic dramas and even a few LGBTQ+ classics-in-the-making, these period dramas represent the finest filmmaking of the 2010s.
10 ‘The Beguiled’ (2017)
Sofia Coppola directs an all-star cast, including Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst, Elle Fanning, and Colin Farrell in the Southern Gothic period drama The Beguiled. A remake of the eponymous 1971 film, Coppola’s version follows a wounded Union soldier who seeks refuge in a Southern all-female boarding school. Things get complicated when sexual tension between the soldier and the school’s women leads to mistrust, jealousy, and confrontation.
Tense and riveting, The Beguiled is a near-unbearable slow burn, heightened by passionate, committed performances from its acclaimed cast. Coppola’s restrained approach, coupled with the film’s distinctive Southern Gothic atmosphere, results in an anxious psychological drama that ranks among the director’s most confident efforts.
9 ‘Phantom Thread’ (2017)
Three-time Oscar winner Daniel Day-Lewis stars opposite Vicky Krieps and Lesley Manville in Paul Thomas Anderson‘s psychological period romantic drama Phantom Thread. The plot centers on Reynolds Woodcock, a high-maintenance fashion designer in 1950s London, who develops a complicated relationship with a young waitress and turns her into his muse.
Phantom Thread is among the best romantic dramas of the 21st century. Anchored by Day-Lewis’ all-time great performance, the film is a poignant exploration of love, obsession, co-dependency, and seduction that is as thought-provoking as seductive. Sumptuous and delicately crafted, Phantom Threadis a love story like only Anderson could make.
8 ‘Jane Eyre’ (2011)
Jane Eyre, the 2011 adaptation of Charlotte Brontë’s 1847 classic, stars Mia Wasikowska in the title role, with Michael Fassbender as Mr. Rochester. The plot chronicles Jane’s life, from her painful childhood to her young adulthood working for Mr. Rochester, with whom she falls in love.
It’s not an overstatement to call Wasikowska the best actress to have played the iconic role of Jane Eyre. The actress is astonishing in the film, conveying a million emotions with her pale, unmoving canvass of a face. Much like its title character, Jane Eyre is bright, insightful, quiet, and utterly beautiful, revealing an inner wealth to all those willing to pay close attention.
7 ‘Brooklyn’ (2015)
Saoirse Ronan received her second Oscar nomination for her lead performance in the 2015 romantic period drama Brooklyn. Based on the eponymous 2009 novel and set in the 1950s, the film revolves around Eilis Lacey, a young Irish woman who moves to the United States, where she meets and falls for a young Italian man. Returning home following a tragedy, Eilis’ encounter with a fellow Irishman will make her question her new life in the US.
Brooklyn features a brilliant lead performance from Ronan, who beautifully conveys the doubt and fears of coming-of-age. A profound and thoughtful love story about breaking free from childhood innocence and venturing into adulthood, Brooklyn is a searing and loving portrayal of a pivotal moment in every person’s life.
6 ’12 Years a Slave’ (2013)
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Based on Solomon Northup’s memoir, Steve McQueen‘s 2013 biographical period drama 12 Years a Slave is a gut-wrenching viewing experience. Oscar-nominated for his powerful performance, Chiwetel Ejiofor stars as Northup, a free man kidnapped and sold into slavery. The film depicts his twelve years of servitude before his eventual release.
Harrowing and haunting, 12 Years a Slave is a brutal and eye-opening portrayal of one of history’s greatest injustices. Powered by an outstanding performance from Ejiofor and a scene-stealing Lupita Nyong’o, the film will prove challenging for many; however, it’s a must-watch work of art and one of the all-time best biopics that lives up to its seminal source material.
5 ‘The Shape of Water (2017)
Arguably the most refreshing Best Picture winner in the 2010s, Guillermo del Toro‘s romantic fantasy The Shape of Water is a love story unlike any other. Two-time Oscar nominee Sally Hawkins plays Elisa, a mute custodian who falls in love with a humanoid amphibian trapped in a secret government facility.
Set in 1960s Baltimore and overflowing with del Toro’s trademark love for the unusual and monstrous, The Shape of Water is a romantic movie for non-romance fans. The film is delicate, sweet, and incredibly humane, a love letter to and a much-needed win for cinema’s classic monsters, featuring spectacular production values and career-best performances from everyone involved.
4 ‘Carol’ (2015)
Todd Haynes‘ 2015 period romantic drama Carol stars Oscar-winner Cate Blanchett opposite Oscar-nominee Rooney Mara. Based on the influential novel The Price of Salt, the film chronicles the romance between an older woman going through a divorce and a young aspiring photographer unsure of what she wants.
Carol is an elegant, sweeping film, elevated by Blanchett and Mara’s passionate, captivating performances. Enhanced by its rich period setting and guided by Haynes’ confident approach, the film is powerful, searing, and profoundly rewarding, a classic sapphic love story that offers a close look at melancholy and longing without descending into the tragedy audiences have come to expect with their queer content.
3 ‘Portrait of a Lady on Fire’ (2019)
The groundbreaking, thoughtful, and outright masterful Portrait of a Lady on Fire is nothing short of a work of art. Directed by Céline Sciamma and starring Adèle Haenel and Noémie Merlant, the film deals with the romance between a French aristocrat and the artist commissioned to paint her picture in 18th-century France.
A triumph of LGBTQ+ cinema, Portrait of a Lady on Fire is one of the best period pieces in recent memory. Accompanying its delicate yet striking visuals with an equally impactful story, Portrait of a Lady on Fire is a deeply affecting and enriching examination of passion and love, more interested in what provokes these feelings than what results from them.
2 ‘Little Women’ (2019)
The incredible Greta Gerwig might very well be the defining director of her generation; her 2019 adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s beloved classic, Little Women, proves it. Saoirse Ronan stars as the timeless heroine Jo March, with an equally compelling Florence Pugh as the artistic and ambitious Amy. Emma Watson and Eliza Scanlen round up the main cast, playing Meg and Beth, respectively.
What Gerwig does with Little Women is nothing short of extraordinary. The writer and director successfully reinvigorates a well-known classic, making it timely, topical, and refreshing. Powered by amazing, Oscar-nominated performances from Ronan and Pugh and bringing 19th-century Massachusetts to vibrant life, Little Women proves some stories truly are timeless.
1 ‘The Favourite’ (2018)
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The 2018 biting black period comedy-drama The Favourite is the perfect and inspired match for Yorgos Lanthimos‘ wicked and idiosyncratic directorial style. Olivia Colman, Emma Stone, and Rachel Weisz deliver a trio of titanic performances in this unrelenting tale, set in Queen Anne’s court and focusing on her relationships with Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough, and Abigail Masham.
Absurd, cruel, and unforgiving, The Favourite is a wicked and quite hysterical movie from one of cinema’s most interesting auteurs. The mighty Olivia Colman gives a career-best performance as the broken Queen Anne, an exquisite yet grotesque performance that seamlessly blends pity with sympathy. The Favourite is a singular and refreshing take on the period piece and further confirmation that Yorgos Lanthimos is a one-of-a-kind talent.
