Sitting down and scrolling through movies and TV shows to find the perfect one for your mood at the moment can be challenging. There are so many streaming services out there and so little time. Sometimes, you’ll be able to find the same movie or show on multiple streamers, making it more likely that you’re going to choose it. But if you’re not in the mood for that genre of content, you’ll move past it.

If you are in the mood for a darker film, there are a lot of good options available on Tubi. Scrolling the Drama section of Tubi or even looking through the newly added options can unearth some twisted gems for those interested in a thrilling film. Here are just some of the dark dramas currently available to watch for free on Tubi.

9

The Road

Based on the Cormac McCarthy novel, The Road follows a father and a son as they travel through a post-apocalyptic world. It stars Viggo Mortensen as the man who is trying to protect his son at all costs as they are trying to find some form of safe haven. The world has turned people in cannibals as a last resort and he doesn’t want him or his son to experience the fate of becoming food.

The son is played by Kodi Smit-McPhee with Charlize Theron playing the man’s wife in flashbacks. They encounter many people as they travel down the road with a shopping cart, trying to avoid these cannibalistic gangs. It’s a bleak, dystopian look at the world and Mortensen carries the heaviness of the situation in all his movements. Smit-McPhee earned praise for his performance as the boy, which was an impressive achievement for a child of his age. For anyone who’s a fan of Mortensen from his days in The Lord of the Rings, this is another one where he forges a path forward to protect those he loves.

8

Nightcrawler

I remember watching the Academy Award nominations come out in 2015 and being astonished that Jake Gyllenhaal was snubbed for his haunting performance in Nightcrawler. The film features one of Gyllenhaal’s best roles, as he plays Lou, a man who decides to become a freelance stringer for a news station, seeking out the latest crime scenes in order to get paid bigger amounts of money for his photos and videos. The man takes the rush of being the first person on scene at a crash a little too seriously, and it begins to consume him.

Rene Russo plays the news director at the station that Lou works for. In one of her best roles, she is conflicted about dealing with a man who is clearly troubled but also wants to be the first person to air the best footage of crime scenes. Lou doctors crime scenes to make them seem worse than they really were or potentially even changing who is responsible for them. Riz Ahmed stars as Lou’s assistant, who helps him drive around Los Angeles looking for crime scenes and Bill Paxton plays a rival stringer.

Director Dan Gilroy’s direction and writing show L.A. in a shady and pessimistic light, reminding viewers that it’s a town where people can try to be famous or make themselves feel more important by doing whatever they feel is necessary.

7

Frailty

Speaking of Paxton, his directorial debut is also available on Tubi. Frailty stars Matthew McConaughey as Fenton Meiks, a man who turns himself in to the police for questioning by saying that his brother Adam was a serial killer. He spins a tale to Powers Boothe, who plays an FBI agent, about how their father (played by Paxton) claimed he saw visions from God that told him he needed to rid the world of demons, which were hiding inside other humans.

When I first saw the film, I remember thinking about the delicate balance of using religion to justify horrible behavior. This movie is shown in both flashbacks featuring Paxton teaching his boys how to kill as well as Fenton talking with the FBI about how the killings went down. It’s a taut horror-thriller with an explosive third act, highlighting just how far people will go to fulfill their so-called destiny.

6

The Iceman

Another film that highlights the delicate balance between someone doing horrible things for their family, The Iceman is based on a true story. Michael Shannon puts forth a strong lead performance as Richard Kuklinski, a mob hitman who completely hides his professional life from his wife, played by Winona Ryder. The movie shows Kuklinski carrying out horrific acts while spending time with his family, showing the duality of someone many would describe as a monster.

It takes place in New York and New Jersey, as Kuklinski was a contract killer for a New York mobster. The film is set mainly in the 1970s, and Shannon does a terrific job of playing the volatile character. As the film goes on, Kuklinski struggles more and more to hide his violent side from his family. Everything comes to a head eventually, and the final shots of the film reveal the true facts about his life.

5

Brawl in Cell Block 99

Not many people would have thought of Vince Vaughn for a deeply dramatic role before 2017. He did play Norman Bates in Gus van Sant’s remake of Psycho, but that was met with negativity from critics and viewers, and he stuck with his comedic roots for many years after that. But his role in Brawl in Cell Block 99 showed a different side of him as an actor. He plays Bradley, a man with a violent nature who is incarcerated after being caught during a police sting of a drug transportation operation.

He is sent to a medium-security prison but is told that he needs to find his way into a maximum security prison and kill an inmate there, or a gang is going to kill his pregnant wife. The depiction of brutality in the film is intensified as he makes his way into a maximum security prison. The twist once he gets there is surprising, and the movie shows a man beaten down by society trying to make things as right as he can.

4

Buried

Anybody with claustrophobia probably shouldn’t watch Buried, the 2010 film by Rodrigo Cortes. It stars Ryan Reynolds as Paul Conroy, an American working in Iraq who wakes up and finds himself buried in a coffin. He has his cellphone and a lighter as his only forms of light. The only person seen on screen the entire film is Paul, as the movie features him talking to people on the phone, trying desperately to be saved.

His captor calls to tell him that he needs to produce $5M or they will leave him buried. He calls the U.S. State Department but only finds out they will look for him, but not pay the ransom. The movie features a panicked, frantic, and strong performance from Reynolds, who conveys the constant mood swings and the dire feeling of processing what’s happening around him with pristine accuracy.

3

American History X

American History X is not an easy watch by any means. It’s a piercing look at Neo Nazism in the United States and looks at one man’s attempt to redeem himself for his past wrongs. It stars Edward Norton as Derek Vinyard, a young man who, after his father is murdered by Black drug addicts, becomes engulfed in Neo Nazi culture and forms a hate group with Cameron Alexander (Stacy Keach).

What Derek fails to realize during his time as a Neo Nazi is how it affects his brother, played by Edward Furlong. Derek ultimately lands in prison and, while there, he becomes reformed. However, when he’s released, he realizes his brother is following in his footsteps. The first half of the film is shot in black and white, and the latter half is in color, potentially signaling the change in Derek. Norton is chillingly brilliant in the film, and it earned him an Academy Award nomination.

2

Christine

Based on a true story, Christine is an affecting character study with a tour-de-force performance from Rebecca Hall. She stars as Christine Chubbuck, a news reporter in Sarasota, Florida. Christine wants to be taken more seriously as a reporter and earn a promotion. She clashes with her boss, played by Tracy Letts, as she feels like, no matter what she’s doing, she can’t earn his approval. She has affection for her coworker George, played by Michael C. Hall, but he ultimately doesn’t feel the same way about her.

The big twist in the film coincides with Christine being told that she needs to make the news juicier and sensational. I won’t spoil what happens, as you can look up the true story of Christine, but it is a heartbreaking film that is carried by Hall’s performance. She gives audiences a look into the life of a woman who can’t seem to get ahead, no matter how hard she tries, taking audiences on a roller coaster ride through Christine’s fragile emotional state.

1

Hard Candy

A true two-hander, Hard Candy stars Elliot Page and Patrick Wilson in a scintillating game of cat-and-mouse. Page plays Hayley, a 14-year-old who meets 32-year-old Jeff (Wilson) online. The two have been chatting for weeks and finally meet up. Jeff doesn’t seem at all bothered by the fact that Hayley is only 14, and their sexual conversations online only fuel what this kind of meetup looks to be.

However, audiences are brought on a completely different kind of ride, which I won’t spoil. But what Hayley and Jeff go through will make you shocked and awed, questioning who you’re rooting for in the film. Ultimately, there is a clear winner, but it takes a while for the audience to fully know either side’s motives. The movie was directed by David Slade and written by Brian Nelson. Page’s performance is utterly engrossing and awe-inspiring.

Tubi is filled with great content, and there is no shortage of heavy dramas to watch. The above-listed films are only some of the ones that audiences can watch to feel their fists clench with anxiety. Tubi’s lineup of shows and movies make it easy to find good offerings, and they are frequently refreshed monthly. For now, get ready to lean slightly forward in anticipation and keep those eyes glued to the TV.