You’ve seen the best movies of 2020 lists from Indiewire and Rotten Tomatoes, and you’re already prepping your prediction for the Academy Awards. You might have Minari and Nomadland competing for the top spot, or a soft spot for one of Netflix’s string of 2020 releases. However, whilst you’re thinking about your picks, take a minute to think about what films you’ve seen from outside the U.S. There’s a whole world of incredible films out there, and 2020 has been just as good as any other. Read on to find 30 of the best international films of 2020 to help diversify your Academy Award picks. After all, Parasite is the reigning Best Picture champ.
30 Best International Films of 2020
(In a fairly flexible order)
1. Los Conductos (Colombia)
Los Conductos is the everything art film that’s also the best international film of 2020. It’s part minimalist thriller, music video, documentary, and sketch comedy. It’s hard to define, but that’s kind of the point. The mix of styles reflects the nation of many histories that it’s birthed from. It’s like a big puzzle that you have to piece together. With the help of the protagonist, a zany guide, you’re tasked with piecing together an eclectic contemporary Colombian society.
Read the full review here.
2. Bacurau (Brazil)
Bacurau is one of the years most entertaining movies. It’s part Seven Samurai, part Arnold Schwarzenegger in Predator, and part social critique. It features a diverse close knit community in the middle of rural Brazil under attack from unknown forces following the death of its matriarch at the grand old age of 94. Things get crazy.
Watch Bacurau on Kanopy or the Criterion Channel.
3. Song Without A Name (Peru)
Song Without a Name is a brilliantly made black and white drama of one indigenous woman’s experience in a turbulent 1980’s Peru. It’s a tragedy on many levels: personal tragedy, the tragedy of a people, and the tragedy of a country. It’s one of the best debut features of 2020.
Read the full review here. Rent Song Without a Name from Amazon, Vudu, or Apple TV online.
4. The Fever (Brazil)
The Fever follows an indigenous man caught between the allure of a modern salaried life in industrial Manaus, and the free life of his relatives in the jungle. It features a bit of magical realism, a mysterious fever, and a commentary on contemporary Brazil’s prejudices.
5. The Mercy of the Jungle (Rwanda)
If you’re a fan of disorientating movies set in the jungle (Apocalypse Now, Aguirre, Beasts of No Nation) you’ll love The Mercy of the Jungle. It depicts the inescapable cycles of war around the Virginia National Park in the heart of Africa through two lost soldiers. Can they survive the jungle and the war?
Read the full review here. Rent The Mercy of the Jungle on Vimeo
6. So Long, My Son (China)
If you’re looking for an epic cross generational drama with tragedy, family rivalry, and working people subject to the government, this is what you need to watch. So Long My Son is the story of two families driven apart by China’s infamous one child policy. It ties time together incredibly well, jumping back and forth across the generations with ease to build each of the characters. By the end of the film, it feels like we know the family and their struggle intimately.
7. Ema (Chile)
I can understand why people don’t like this film. The characters are a bit too unbelievable and hard to identify with. However, that made them so intriguing to me. Plus the soundtrack is brilliant, as are the dynamic colors and dancing. Ema is one of the most immersive films of the year.
8. I’m No Longer Here (Mexico)
I’m No Longer Here is a fish out of water story of an immigrant living a foreign life in another country. But it’s also a celebration of the Kolombia culture of Monterrey, Mexico. Whilst the immigrant story is great, the unique dance, music, and language of this group of outcasts led by Ulises makes this an unforgettable audio visual experience.
Watch I’m No Longer Here on Netflix.
9. Selfie (Italy)
Selfie depicts one of the best friendships I’ve ever seen on screen. It’s shot completely by two teenagers – Alessandro and Pietro – who film with their neighborhood, neighbors, and daily life in the working class neighborhood of Trajan in Naples. It’s brilliant because it feels so incredibly personal, as if we’re with them, experiencing their melancholic teenage lives.
Rent Selfie on Vimeo.
10. Nasir (India)
This film has stayed in my mind ever since I watched it three months ago. It portrays a day in the life of a middle aged Muslim tailor in Tamil-Nadu, one of India’s southern states. It’s slow paced and doesn’t shy away from the mundane – nothing much happens. However, if you’ve got a bit of patience, you’ll find a movie that brilliantly portrays a man trying to live a humble life amidst rising nationalism.
11. Vitalina Varela (Portugal)
If you’re looking for an entry point into the world of Slow Film, Pedro Costa’s Vitalina Varela is a perfect place to start. It’s a meditative film that visualizes the process of mourning. But don’t let the downbeat subject matter put you off as the whole film looks like a piece of classical art. Every frame is lit up with splashes of light in the darkness like a Rembrandt painting, so even if the storyline doesn’t appeal to you, there’s still plenty to look at.
Read the review here. Watch Vitalina Varela on the Criterion Channel or rent on Amazon or Apple TV.
12. There Is No Evil (Iran)
Like Rasoulof’s A Man of Integrity, There is No Evil is made to be provocative. It’s a four part anthology showing the expansive control of the Iranian government in the lives of its citizens through their implicitly in the death penalty. If that description makes this film sound dry, don’t worry, it’s not, its characters will keep you second guessing how they’re linked to the theme as they are all hiding something.
13. This is Not a Burial, It’s a Resurrection (Lesotho)
This is Not a Burial, It’s a Resurrection is not your typical film. It’s pretty slow paced and full of carefully crafted shots like Vitalina Varela. Don’t expect an easy to follow narrative, as like a Lav Diaz film, it requires a lot of interpretation. However, if you put in the effort, you’ll be rewarded with a beautifully constructed film touching on a wide range of themes covering death, community, progress, and the environment.
14. Collective (Romania)
This documentary is like a horrific real life sequel to The Death of Mr Lazarescu, Cristi Puiu’s dark comedy about everything that is wrong with the Romanian health care system. This documentary is even more maddening than Puiu’s infuriating satire of bureaucracy. Just when you think director Alexander Nanau makes it seem terrible enough, it turns another corner to reveal even more filth. It’s a downward spiral of bureaucracy, negligence, and corruption.
Rent Collective on Apple TV, Amazon, YouTube, or Redbox
15. Tenere (Niger)
If you like the latest installment of Mad Max, look no further. Tenere documents the incredible real life Mad Max esque journey of Nigerien people crossing the Sahara on customized trucks in search of a better life. It’s an almost unbelievable journey, and although more people try to cross the Sahara than the Atlantic to get to Europe from Africa, it surprisingly rarely makes the news.
16. I Carry You With Me (Mexico/U.S.)
I Carry You With Me is an epic cross generational, border crossing love story that hops between Puebla in Mexico and New York in the U.S. It’s shot across three time periods: the present, the past, and the distant past and cuts between them seamlessly to create warm nostalgia for the past and uncertainty for the future. This makes it feel like they’re continuously committing the leap of faith in love. The best part is their courting in Puebla, which uses colors and food to symbolize falling in love like Wong Kar Wai’s portrayal of Hong Kong in In The Mood for Love. Watch this if you’re looking for a romantic drama.
17. My Little Sister (Switzerland)
If you can brave a film featuring an intimate relationship with a relative battling cancer, you’ll appreciate My Little Sister. ‘Appreciate’ because watching it is tough; Sven’s fate is inevitable, and Lisa has to start separating herself from their incredibly close bond before she’s shattered by his death. On the positive side, Sven is a bit of a joker, and helps his sister find her feet to become a better person before he leaves.
18. Towards the Battle (France)
If you’re interested in Mexican history and Don Quixote try Towards the Battle. It features a French photographer commissioned to photograph the French-Mexican War that gets lost in the Mexican wilderness trying to find it. He’s helped by a Mexican peasant who finds him close to death and chooses to help his unlikely quest. They’re a Don Quixote & Sancho Panza pairing that highlight the madness of the French in Mexico, and the absurdity of the French occupation.
19. The Intruder (Argentina)
If you’re looking for a more everyday horror than the endless fright fest that dominates the genre today, watch The Intruder. Instead of evoking fear of the unknown, The Intruder creates fear in what we think we know. It blurs Ines’ reality with her dreams and turns her life into one big uncanny valley where nothing is what it seems.
20. Fire Will Come (Spain)
If First Cow wasn’t enough to satisfy your bovine film quota for 2020, Fire Will Come stars another beautiful cow. The film itself is a slow burner. It features the return of Amador, a recently freed arsonist, to a remote town in rural northern Spain to take care of his elderly mother. Their pace of life is slow and in tune with their environment. But as a powerful opening scene warns, they and their unwelcoming neighbors, are all powerless in the hands of Mother Nature.
Rent Fire Will Come on KimStim.
21. Let It Burn (Brazil)
If you love documentaries which show you as slice of life/reality, then Let it Burn is worth your time. It focuses on a homeless hotel in Brazil and never leaves it. It’s amazingly honest and open, as we watch each of the hotels occupants in some of their most private moments. Through fights, arguments, and failed relationships, Let it Burn humanizes the forgotten people of society to evoke sympathy for their tragic plight.
Watch Let it Burn on Amazon Prime, Vudu, or Tubi.
22. Los Lobos (Mexico)
Los Lobos is a spiritual sister to Sean Baker’s The Florida Project. Instead of a boisterous white mum and daughter living in a motel by Disney World, Los Lobos features a single mum with two young boys that have just crossed the border into the United States. It’s not a happy film. It’s imbued with melancholy that you can feel in the Americana soundtrack, motel like housing, and the empty wide roads. But there are glimmers of hope in the boys drawings, neighbors, and the relentless pursuit of the American dream.
Read the full review here. Watch Los Lobos on HBO Max.
23. Another Round (Denmark)
If you ever wanted to watch a film where high school teachers get drunk to see if they teach better and find happiness, this film is for you. It’s dark, but just like The Hunt, Another Round contains just the right amount of anxiety to make it hard to stop watching. Plus you’ll have to get to the end to watch Mads Mikkelsen start dancing.
Rent Another Round on Apple TV, Amazon, YouTube, or Fandango Now.
24. Land of Ashes (Costa Rica)
In Land of Ashes, thirteen year old Selva lives in a small coastal town surrounded by sea and dense forest. Her mother has passed away, so she shares the duties of looking after her frail old grandfather with Elena, an older woman who comes and goes as she wishes. It’s her coming of age story. A touch of magic adds some mysticism about Selva’s future and brings the vividly created jungle world to life.
25. Right Near the Beach (Jamaica)
Right Near the Beach follows the fallout from the murder of Jamaica’s world record breaking sprinter. The sprinter’s father becomes a social pariah as the press uncovers his son’s friendship with a gay man. Shot like a Terrence Malick film, the wandering camera and liberal cutting allow us to feel the father’s emotions. It’s only when his youngest son returns to the island that he is given a chance to transcend his isolation and grief.
26. Vai (Pacific Islands)
If you’re looking for a powerful feminist tribute to the indigenous women of the Pacific Islands, you need to watch Vai. It’s a collection of 8 short films set across the Pacific Islands featuring 8 different actresses playing Vai. Each part shows Vai at a different age and stage of life, dealing with it’s unique challenges to depict a common indigenous experience. It allows us to see the circle of life – seeing the challenges of being a child and teenager alongside old age, allowing us to better understand a complete life.
Read the full review here. Watch Vai on Amazon Prime Video or Tubi or rent on Amazon, YouTube, or Apple TV.
27. Air Conditioner (Angola)
Air Conditioner features the self-aware dry humor you might be familiar with from Martin Rejtman or Tsai Ming-liang’s films. It follows a house maid and security guard on an mystery quest to repair their boss’ broken air conditioner at a time when a/c units are falling from houses across the city. As they wander the city, we absorb the city’s laid back atmosphere and sounds for a uniquely oddball virtual introduction to Luanda.
28. Made in Bangladesh (Bangladesh)
There aren’t too many dramatic films that depict the global fight for workers rights. Those that do, such as Salt of the Earth and I, Daniel Blake, are rarely made outside of the Western or Communist world. Bucking that rule is Made in Bangladesh, a Bangladeshi made film following a group of women fighting their employers for fair pay at the factory they work at. Problem is, they’re up against a lot, as their exploitation is supported by consumers in the ‘first world’, corporations, and the patriarchy.
Read the full review here. Watch Made in Bangladesh on Amazon Prime.
29. Eyimofe (Nigeria)
Eyimofe is split into two stories set in Lagos. One features Mofe, a middle aged man who works as an electrician and lives with her children. The other features Rosa, a young woman who works as a hairdresser that takes care of her younger, pregnant sister. Both stories capture the wealth and class divide in Lagos. They’re both trying to make a life for themselves in and out of the city to escape their poverty.
30. Saudi Runaway (Saudi Arabia)
Over one thousand women escape Saudi Arabia each year. Saudi Runaway follows one of them, a fiancée named Muna plotting to escape her arranged marriage. She shoots all of the footage on her phone camera, hidden under her veil in tense escape moments and face to face for intimate video diary entries that convey her personal state. If you’re a fan of escape films – see A Man Escaped or Midnight Traveller – or an inside look of life in Saudi Arabia as a woman, this is a must watch.
Honorable Mentions for Best International Films of 2020:
Midnight Family (Afghanistan), Verde (Dominican Republic), Downstream to Kinshasa (DRC), Cuties (France), Once Upon A Time in Venezuela (Venezuela), Tragic Jungle (Mexico/Belize), Krabi, 2562 (Thailand), Only the Animals (France), Lane 4 (Brazil), The Clash (Peru)
If you think we’ve missed a film from a list that you think is one of the best international films of 2020, please get in touch on Twitter or by email.
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