Best of Lists Best Films

Best International Films of 2025 – From North Macedonia to Zambia

2025 saw the return of some of cinema’s biggest voices, and most of them delivered. Jafar Panahi, Joachim Trier, and Kaouther Ben Hania all came back with hits, while Bong Joon-ho’s divisive follow-up to Parasite and Abderrahmane Sissako’s Black Tea were notable exceptions. Cannes continued to be a strong predictor of the Academy’s International Feature Film nominees as It Was Just an Accident, The Secret Agent, and Sirât all earned prizes in France.

Speaking of the Academy, they picked a strong 5 international features this year – the only film we’re missing is Sirât which I am yet to see. Surprisingly, despite the presence of 5 highly celebrated filmmakers on the nominee list, only 2 of them have been nominated before!

So go and watch the Academy nominees where you can and use our list below to broaden your horizons and discover films beyond the recognized names. As always, please reach out to us with your thoughts. We’re always eager to find out what we’ve overlooked or missed!

20 Best International Films of 2025

20. Belen (Argentina)

A surprise inclusion on the International Feature Film shortlist for the Academy Awards, Belen is a gripping activist movie that highlights and challenges the abortion laws of Argentina. If you’re a fan of court-room thrillers that take on injustice, give Belen a watch.

19. We Believe You (Belgium)

Tensions rise and family secrets unravel over the course of a crucial day in a cleverly crafted court-room drama. The director’s choice to shoot this entire film in tightly framed close-ups keeps the full-picture deliberately hidden from us. In a narrative influenced by Kurosawa great Rashomon, we have to make a leap of faith to believe the words of a strained mother fighting for her children.

18. The Tale of Silyan (North Macedonia)

This is Kotevska’s follow up to her brilliant debut documentary Honeyland. Whilst it’s missing the brilliantly unbelievable singular narrative of her debut, this admirable follow up has a range of beautiful landscape shots and an interesting anti-capitalist thread that makes it a highly interesting watch.

17. Misericordia (France)

This is French slow-burn mystery at its best. Jeremie returns to his hometown for the funeral of his former boss, the village baker. Whilst there, he picks up old rivalries and new friends with dubious intentions. If you like movies that look normal and familiar, but take you on queer and unexpected paths, this film is for you.

16. The Voice of Hind Rajab (Palestine)

Kaouther Ben Hania is no stranger to making polarizing, emotion filled films or breaking the fourth wall; she has done it well in her previous films (see Beauty and the Dogs and Four Daughters). In The Voice of Hind Rajab, Hania blends the real voice recording of a five-year old girl trapped in a car under fire in Gaza into the narrative to create an emotionally fierce critique of the Israeli attacks on Gaza.

15. Caught by the Tides (China)

Two Chinese films in 2025 time-traveled through the 20th and 21st Century to paint pictures of the recent changes in China. Whilst the experimentation in Bi Gan’s Resurrection is more inventive, Jia Zhangke’s Caught By The Tides is more complete. Zhangke depicts two experiences of the country’s dramatic transformation through a pair of estranged lovers: one evolving with modernity, and another caught by the tides.

14. Stranger Eyes (Singapore)

The more you watch someone, the more of a criminal they become. This unnerving film captures loneliness brilliantly. Like Michael Jackson’s ‘Stranger in Moscow’, no matter how much you’re filmed or sharing space with other people, the close proximity to others does not rid yourself of loneliness. Watch this film if you enjoy feeling uneasy.

13. Don’t You Let Me Go (Uruguay)

Trauma affects everyone differently. In Don’t You Let Me Go, Adela takes a comforting, nostalgic journey back in time to re-live the good times with her best friend. The weight of the present is whisked away by whimsical dream-scapes and the warmth of the past, allowing Adela and the audience find a semblance of peace and happiness.

12. We Shall Not Be Moved (Mexico)

First time feature length director, Pierre Saint Martin Castellanos, leans into the black and white Mexico City aesthetic familiar from Alonso Ruizpalacios’ Gueros to interrogate a historically sensitive topic in Mexican film: the 1968 Tlatelolco massacre. Unlike other films which cover the massacre, Castellanos skips the violence to bring plenty of dark humor to the lasting trauma. Luisa Huertas is the star of the show, bringing plenty of life and bite to an aging woman after vengeance.

11. Universal Language (Canada)

Ever wondered how Winnipeg would look in Iran? Here’s your golden chance. Universal Language delivers a vivid mash-up of two contrasting cultures brought to life through carefully crafted production design. The quirky quests, intersecting ‘side-quests’ merge into a loose singular narrative, making the film feel less like traditional art-house cinema, and more like an intriguing open-world video game. It’s fresh, playful, and unlike anything else released in the last few years.

10. Magellan (Philippines)

Lav Diaz is back with another slow film! This one moves like a Paul Greengrass thriller relative to the ultra slow pace that defines much of his oeuvre, but it’s still beautifully and patiently crafted. In Magellan, Diaz casts Mexican super-star Gael Garcia Bernal as a deeply narcissistic explorer, stripping him completely of his heroic historical aura. Rather than reinforcing the myth that permeates Filipino culture, Diaz dismantles it, shifting focus to Enrique and Humabon – two Malay figures largely erased from Western history. By restoring their presence, the film re-frames the Magellan narrative and challenges the colonial lens through which this history has been told in the West and the Philippines.

9. Romeria (Spain)

Carla Simon is establishing herself as one of the top filmmakers in Spain. This is just her third feature, but watching it feels like she has been making movies for decades. Just like in her Golden Bear winner Alcarràs, Simon creates a incredibly strong sense of setting and fully fleshed characters in such a short time. In Romería, we swing across Spain, displacing the hot summer of Catalonia’s peach harvest for the grey buildings, overcast skies, and frigid Atlantic seas of Vigo. The setting works to hide family secrets as Marina returns to the city in search of her lost past.

8. My Armenian Phantoms (Armenia)

When I think of compilation films, I think of Los Angeles Plays Itself, and the diary films of Jonas Mekas. The first uses archival clips from a wide range of films set in Los Angeles to show how the city has changed alongside Hollywood, whilst Jonas Mekas uses raw personal footage to document his experiences in a diary format. My Armenian Phantoms borrows from both of these styles to take you on a journey through Armenian film history – spinning you onto a bunch of Armenian films to watch next – whilst writing a moving love letter to her father and Armenia itself.

7. 2000 Meters to Andriivka (Ukraine)

As shown in the image above, this war documentary places you directly in the action. Body-cam footage looks like a first-person shooter as a group of soldiers inch forward through trench warfare. However, this is a far bleaker reality. We’re introduced to soldiers minutes before they become lifeless bodies on screen, and for what? To re-conquer a few meters of what was once forest and move closer to Andriivka. Both the land and the town are now stripped of life. This is an unflinchingly real anti-war film.

6. Afternoons of Solitude (Spain)

Afternoons of Solitude is not a film which takes a stance on the controversy of bull-fighting. Instead, it’s a mesmerizing portrait of cherub-faced matador, Andres Roca Rey, and the choreographed routines he shares with his loyal team. It captures the banal in the car rides from fight to fight, and the rituals of dressing and undressing between the violence of the arena itself. By mixing the mundane routines with the brutal fights, the film invites you to sit with the compelling absurdity (or beauty depending on the eye of the beholder) of this age-old spectacle.

5. On Becoming A Guinea Fowl (Zambia)

After breaking onto the art-house scene with I Am Not A Witch in 2017, director Rungano Nyoni returned with On Becoming A Guinea Fowl, a bold second feature that puts Zambia on the global film map. Grounded in place and culture, this film offers an exploration of inter-generational trauma and the culture of silence which sustains it through an anti-patriarchal lens.

4. Sentimental Value (Norway)

If you’re experiencing an early mid-life crisis, or examining your relationship with your parents (or elder kids), this film is for you. In his follow up to The Worst Person in the World, Joachim Trier turns to the next chapter in life, once again led by Renate Reinsve, as her character experiences an existential crisis triggered by the return of her father. As with his previous films, Trier’s strength lies in his dialogue – he somehow manages to capture family dynamics that feel natural and familiar. Some of the moments will affect you long after the final scene.

3. A Poet (Colombia)

Imagine a tragicomic white-savior movie with the energy of Uncut Gems and you’ll find yourself close to A Poet. Oscar Restrepo, a proud poet fails to recapture his former success in the empty bottles that leave him shouting drunken verses at transients in the middle of the night. To try and reconnect with his teenage daughter, he turns to teaching, and finds an unpolished gem in one of his students to live his dreams through. However, not everyone understands his intentions. Class and race collide in this roller-coaster tragicomedy powered by an anxious, always moving camera, sudden cuts, and Oscar’s winning smile.

2. IT Was Just An Accident (Iran)

Panahi is just playing now. Still officially banned from film-making, Panahi delivers a surprisingly traditional thriller that shows no signs of restriction. Its unambiguous critique of power in Iran places this one alongside the recent, acclaimed works of Asgari and Rasoulof. The film’s genius lies in its construction: Panahi gradually assembles the narrative with each new character he introduces, creating a Russian-doll script that deepens with every layer.

1. The Secret Agent (Brazil)

Kleber Mendonca Filho is back with another hit which blends the slow, patient pace Aquarius with flashes of violence a la Bacurau. This is by no means a spy film, but a portrait of Brazil in the 1970’s; a turbulent moment in which anyone could fall foul of a government aligned with capitalists and control. The film’s beauty lies in its warm tone, which conveys the sweltering heat of Recife, and in the small communities of resistance that offer glimmers of hope. The archivists that uncover Armando’s story expose the danger of forgetting history, and how easily it repeats itself.

HONORABLE MENTIONS FOR BEST INTERNATIONAL FILMS OF 2025:

Ghost Trail (France), Meeting with Pol Pot (Cambodia), Young Mothers (Belgium), Black Tea (Mauritania/China), Resurrection (China)

If you think we’ve missed a film from a list that you think is one of the best international films of 2025, please get in touch by email.

Best International Films of 2020 – From Colombia to Angola

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.

Best International Films of 2021 So Far – From Cote d’Ivoire to Thailand

5 months into the year and we’ve already had a bunch of great international films premiere at film festivals and virtual cinemas across the world. With film festivals such as Sundance and the Berlinale going virtual, viewers have had the chance to watch World Premieres that they might not have otherwise been able to see if the premieres were confined to theater screenings. It’s a bittersweet plus for film fans. Read on to find 10 of the best international films from 2021 so far. Some are already available at cinemas physically and virtually, and look out for the rest in the near future.

10 Best International Films of 2021 So Far

1. Night of the Kings (Cote d’Ivoire)

Night of the Kings follows Roman, the latest arrival to an Abijan’s infamous MACA prison as he is forced to engage in a storytelling ritual with his life on the line. It’s got high stakes, theater, and even an appearance from shapeshifter Denis Lavant. But the focus is always on the story – a story that Roman has to keep telling to survive. It’s brilliantly original and beautifully simple, whilst offering plenty to analyze.

Read the full review here.

2. Pebbles (India)

In Pebbles one angry father takes his young son out of school to visit his mother’s village. However, when they find out his mother has already left, they begin a long walk home under the burning sun. It’s simple storyline is hard to look away from as the camera brilliantly captures both the inhospitable landscape as well as the tension between the unpredictably violent father and his cautious son. So, if you’re looking for a film which compacts pure cinematic energy with a hot and arid environment in 75 minutes, you need to watch this film.

Pebbles premiered at the 2021 edition of the Rotterdam International Film Festival where it won the Tiger Award.

3. Softie (Kenya)

If you’re looking for an observational documentary that follows a political activist trying to change a corrupt system by running for government whilst showing the effects this has on their family, Softie is the film for you. Boniface “Softie” Mwangi was drawn to political activism during his time photographing the post election violence in 2007. Now, he’s running for office in a regional Kenyan election. To succeed, he has to radically change a democracy tainted by corruption, violence, and mistrust.

Read the full review here.

4. Taming the Garden (Georgia)

Taming the Garden is a slow documentary about a billionaire’s project to create a garden of the grandest trees in his country. Bidzina Ivanishvili, the billionaire, and former Prime Minister of Georgia, is the invisible villain of this film, as we follow his construction teams uproot trees from around the country to be transported across the seas to his home. The focus is not on his garden though, but the sublime images of the trees being transported and how they happened; the huge efforts of the construction teams and the locals caught in-between.

Read the full review here.

5. The Dog Who Wouldn’t Be Quiet (Argentina)

Dogs are everywhere. Before the pandemic, ownership seemed to be rising. Everyone either had a dog or knew someone who did, whether it was a neighbor or a colleague who brought their dog into work. Now, with everyone mostly still stuck at home, they’ve become even more popular. It’s within this context that The Dog Who Wouldn’t Be Quiet is set, a perfectly relevant, quietly funny Argentinian satire along the lines of Martin Rejtman.

Read the full review here.

6. The Pink Cloud (Brazil)

If there’s ever a movie that perfectly envisions the pandemic and quarantine, it’s The Pink Cloud. Made before COVID times, it follows Giovanna and Yago as their one night stand turns into a lifetime stuck together indoors as a poisonous cloud descends on the world. It’s probably one of the best portrayals of a relationship in lockdown.

Read the full review here.

7. Writing With Fire (India)

If you’re looking for an inspirational documentary that features a group of trailblazing women in India, watch Writing with Fire. It follows a group of Dalit women – Dalits being the lowest caste in the Indian caste system – that start a newspaper in Uttar Pradesh, one of India’s largest and most politically important states. The newspaper, Khabar Lahariya, stands out from others both because its written only by women and because of the emphasis on seeking out the truth no matter the stakes. It’s a great documentary for anyone interested in learning a bit about the current state of India and how to run a newspaper.

Read the full review here.

8. Stateless (Dominican Republic)

If you’re looking for a documentary that examines racism in the Dominican Republic’s past and present through two women campaigning at either end of the political spectrum, Stateless is the film you’re looking for. Like Softie, it’s another observational documentary that captures an activist outside the system fighting against corruption. However unlike Softie, it shows both sides of the fight against racism to highlight the contradictions of the ‘nationalists.

Read the full review here.

9. Come Here (Thailand)

Come Here is not the easiest film to follow. It’s slow art cinematic style isn’t conducive to a firm storyline. However, this doesn’t really matter as this is a film which you experience more than you follow. The unique soundscape and stylish black and white contrasts gives it a meditative tone. It feels like you’re just a dreamy fly on the wall following these four friends on holiday.

Come Here premiered at the 2021 edition of the Berlin International Film Festival.

10. Emptiness (Ecuador)

Emptiness is not a new story. The themes of the immigrant experience and human trafficking have been portrayed before in films such as I’m No Longer Here, Buoyancy, and Maria Full of Grace. However, the story in Emptiness just feels more authentic. There’s less melodrama and no violence or gangs which are intertwined into the stories of the films above. The immigrant’s experiences in Emptiness look less threatening, which highlights the invisible ordinariness of many human trafficking cases.

Emtpiness was selected as the Ecuadorian entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 93rd Academy Awards.

Let us know what your favorite films are by getting in touch with us on Twitter or by email.

5 More Great International Films from 2021

Even though we’re now a year and a half into the pandemic, there are still a lot of a great international films being released on streamers and film festivals this year. Here are 5 more great international films from 2021 to add to our 10 Best International Films from 2021 So Far list we wrote back in May. Two of them are available to watch on Netflix and another is available to watch on Hoopla (for library members in the U.S.). The other two were screened at film festivals so look out for their release dates in the near future.

5 More Great International Films from 2021

1. The Disciple (India)

The Disciple might be our favorite film of 2021. It follows a struggling Indian classical musician in training with an aging guru from an enigmatic musical lineage. His journey is presented as a leap of faith in his existential search for meaning. It’s presented patiently with long musical takes cut with some memorable nighttime shots of Sharad biking home listening to his prized philosophical musings from his enigmatic hero. This film is a must watch as long as you’re ready to spare a bit of time to fully immerse yourself in Indian classical music.

Watch The Disciple on Netflix.

2. Sugar Daddy (Canada)

Musical Dramas Ema and Sound of Metal were amongst our favorite films from last year and Sugar Daddy felt more explosive than both of them. It follows a struggling artist that turns to a paid dating service to fund her music career. The standout is the lead actor, Kelly McCormack (who’s also the writer and producer behind the project), who gives one incredible performance. The music, craziness, and spiral of the lead make this film captivating. The only thing that we’d change is the misleading title.

Watch Sugar Daddy on Hoopla.

3. Landfall (Puerto Rico)

Landfall is a political documentary imbued with anger at the current state of Puerto Rico. It captures life in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, choosing to depict the current post-Hurricane tragedies instead of the actual Hurricane, and setting them within the history of U.S. imperialism. In doing so, Landfall presents a critique of disaster capitalism (see Naomi Klein’s Shock Doctrine) and the U.S. stranglehold on Puerto Rico and its ineffectual politicians.

Read the full review here.

4. The New Girl (Argentina)

The New Girl is an engaging coming of age story, as well as a protest movie along the lines of Made in Bangladesh and Salt of the Earth. It packs a lot into it’s relatively short run time (only 79 minute). It follows a transient migrating to an industrial region of Argentina to live and work with her brother. It highlights the privilege of crime – contrasting her experience stealing out of need vs. her brother’s smuggling to get rich. Plus there’s a union at the heart of the narrative to add to the anti-capitalist thread of the movie.

Read the full review here.

5. Nayattu (India)

Indian film is on a roll this year on the international circuit. To add to Pebbles, The Disciple, and Writing with Fire, here’s an engaging political thriller. It follows three police officers on the run after they get tangled in the death of a young man a few days before local elections. Whilst the political messages are a bit muddy, their escape and ensuing chase through rural India is exciting to watch. If you’re a fan of dark Hollywood thrillers along the lines of Fincher and Villeneuve, Nayattu is well worth a watch.

Watch Nayattu on Netflix.

For more of the great international films from 2021, check out our 10 Best International Films of 2021 so far list published in May. Also let us know what your favorite films are by getting in touch with us on Twitter or by email.

Spy Movies From Around The World – It’s Not all About James Bond

The Spy movie genre is dominated by James Bond. The franchise’s one liners, action sequences, campy humor, evil villains and their conspiracies to control the world have become almost synonymous with the Spy genre. But James Bond doesn’t quite have a complete monopoly on the spy film genre. Here are 8 Spy Movies from around the world that share some of the iconic motifs of the James Bond franchise to expand the range of your spy film viewing.

8 Great Spy Movies from Around the World

The Lives of Others (Germany)

Actual Spy, Historical

The Lives of Others definitely doesn’t feature your James Bond style spy. Instead of an attractive womanizing action figure, the lead spy in this film is a balding loner that wiretaps a playwright in East Germany to spy on him for the Stasi (East German Secret Police). He’s the villain of this historical drama, and whilst he’s not a popular character like James Bond, there’s a more in-depth examination of his character and the morality of his work. Plus you’ll also get a realistic portrayal of what life in the former GDR looked like.

The Spy Gone North (South Korea)

Actual Spy, In Disguise, Historical, Conspiracy

Like The Lives of Others, The Spy Gone North, is set within a real historical context. In this case, East Germany is switched for North Korea as one South Korean is hired by the government to infiltrate a North Korean nuclear power plant posing as a money-hungry businessman. The focus in this film is on how the spy builds and maintains his disguise is some pretty high pressure situations as well as the political conspiracy behind his mission. So expect to see more diplomacy and tension and less action than your typical Bond film.

The Killer (Hong Kong)

Stylish Action, One Liners, Romance

You can probably remember the great action scenes from your favorite spy movies. Maybe it’s the crane parkour scene from Casino Royale or one of Tom Cruise’s many stunts from the Mission Impossible series. In The Killer the whole film gives 100% – the action scenes, romantic storyline, brotherhood, and style are all pure over-the-top cinematic entertainment. For all of this and more (every explosion is worth two of those in James Bond movies), The Killer is must see.

Mole Agent (Chile)

Documentary, Actual Spy

This Documentary is the wild card on this list as it features no action scenes, no attractive actors, and no suave comedy. Instead the spy in Mole Agent is a pensioner sent undercover into a retirement home to track the treatment of the other retirees. Mole Agent shows that you’re never too old for a new assignment even if you might not be able to pull it off like James Bond could.

The Bloodettes (Cameroon)

Stylish Action, Conspiracy, Evil Villain

Like James Bond movies, The Bloodettes has some stylish action and evil villains with grand conspiracies. But that’s where the similarities end. Firstly, the two agents in this film are women. Secondly, it looks and sounds like a nightclub with neon lighting and a thumping soundtrack. Plus, there’s also vampires. The Bloodettes is one of the most original films I’ve seen from Africa. It’s Cameroon in the future.

Read our full review here.

Castle of Cagliostro (Japan)

Technology, Evil Villain, Villain's Lair

You may be familiar with some of Hayao Miyazaki’s Studio Ghibli animations. But maybe you missed his very first directorial feature, Castle of Cagliostro. Set within an animated whimsical Italy, Castle of Cagliostro follows a thief that stumbles on an evil villain and his castle lair – complete with secret doors and some fantastic machines (a consistent motif in Miyazaki’s work) – to rescue the princess imprisoned there. The villain and his castle are just like Scaramanga’s island hideout in Man with the Golden Gun and breaking into the villain’s castle is just as fun as the breakout.

Ashakara (Togo)

Conspiracy, Evil Villain, Technology

In Ashakara, a French multinational sends a spy to Togo to steal the recipe for a magical cure that has been used for years by a rural medicine doctor. The spy takes a metal case with remote video-calling technology (very futuristic for 1991 when this movie was made) to stay in touch with his ‘evil villain’ boss whilst he treks through the country. The Togolese are no pushovers though as the medicine doctors fight back against the French imperialist intentions and the money-greedy capitalists.

Read our full review here.

Enter the Dragon (Hong Kong)

Stylish Action, Evil Villain, Villain's Lair, One Liners, In Disguise

Enter the Dragon is a perfect gateway to Bruce Lee movies, it has his iconic martial arts moves plus a James Bond-esque plot with a few Blaxploitation themes thrown in. In the film Lee is sent undercover to an island to compete at a martial arts competition hosted by a suspected Hong Kong crime lord. Like James Bond movies, he and the ‘evil villain’ engage in mind games leading up to the film’s climax. The ‘evil villain,’ secret hideout, undercover identity, and stylish action, make this a perfect alternative to the early James Bond movies.

If you think we’ve missed a film from the list, please get in touch on Twitter or by email to share some more spy movies from around the world.