10 Underrated Political Dramas of the 2010s Worth Revisiting

1. Ides of March (2011)

So George Clooney directed this, and it's a crime it's so underrated. We're thrown into a Democratic primary where Clooney is running for president. His campaign manager, played by Ryan Gosling, finds himself in a sticky situation involving an intern and a scandal. When the intern commits suicide, Gosling's character has to decide: spill the beans or protect the campaign. Ah, the smell of moral dilemma.

2. Miss Sloane (2016)

Ever heard of lobbying? Well, you're about to get schooled. Jessica Chastain plays Elizabeth Sloane, a top lobbyist who decides to go against her pro-gun clients and lobby for gun control instead. Backstabbing, secret meetings, and televised hearings ensue. In a slick twist, she sets herself up to be exposed, ultimately allowing her to lay out the corruption for everyone to see.

3. The Report (2019)

Talk about digging up skeletons. This one's based on the Senate Intelligence Committee's report on CIA torture post-9/11. Adam Driver plays Daniel Jones, the staffer who spends years compiling this report, only to find out that folks in high places want to keep it buried. The climax? He has to choose whether to leak the report to the media. A slow burn with a ticking time bomb of a payoff.

4. Coriolanus (2011)

Shakespearean dialogue in a modern setting—what could go wrong? Ralph Fiennes directs and stars as Coriolanus, a Roman general who's pushed into politics. He's too honest and loathes the public, which becomes his downfall. Banished, he allies with his enemy to exact revenge. It's an old tale revamped, asking us how far a person can go for the sake of pride and vengeance.

5. Beasts of No Nation (2015)

This is about a young boy, Agu, in an unnamed African country who gets recruited as a child soldier after his family is killed. His commanding officer, played by Idris Elba, becomes a father figure but also pushes him into horrific acts. This Netflix film only made about $90,777 at the box office, but it's a gut-punch that begs the question: What becomes of innocence in the face of political violence?

6. Eye in the Sky (2015)

Helen Mirren plays a UK Colonel who oversees a drone mission to capture terrorists in Kenya. But wait—there's a little girl selling bread within the blast radius. It's a ticking clock situation where politicians and military officers pass the buck about who makes the final call. It's like a chess game, but the stakes are human lives.

7. A Most Wanted Man (2014)

Philip Seymour Hoffman's last complete film role, and man, does he shine. He plays a German intelligence officer trying to track down a Chechen-Russian immigrant who might be a jihadist. It's all murky water—no one knows who to trust. He tries to use him to expose a bigger network but gets outsmarted by the Americans. It's like a maze where each turn could be a trap.

8. Truth (2015)

Journalism and politics go hand in hand, and this one's proof. Cate Blanchett and Robert Redford find themselves in hot water when their CBS story on George W. Bush's military service gets called into question. The fallout is messy: careers are jeopardized and journalistic integrity is on trial. It's a tightrope walk of ethics and accountability.

9. Margin Call (2011)

Alright, not a traditional political drama, but the 2008 financial crisis had political implications, right? An investment bank discovers that their portfolio of mortgage-backed securities is far more risky than they'd believed. Kevin Spacey, Jeremy Irons, and Zachary Quinto have to navigate a moral and financial minefield. It's all numbers, but boy, those numbers can kill careers and livelihoods.

10. Snowden (2016)

You've heard the name, now see the story. Edward Snowden, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, starts questioning his role at the NSA when he discovers the mass surveillance program. He smuggles classified info and leaks it to the press. Hero or traitor? The jury's still out, but this Oliver Stone film makes you ponder the role of surveillance in our lives.