Watch the world with Netflix. Here’s 10 of the best foreign films on Netflix you need to watch right now!
As you’ll know if you have Netflix, there’s a lot of content! So it takes a lot of browsing to find good foreign films. Plus, the other problem is the Netflix reviews. When Adam Sandler films are the highest rated films on the entire platform, you know Netflix reviews can’t be trusted. So when you think you’ve found a good foreign film to watch with 4.5 stars, you may have ended up with a cheesy comedy!
That’s where we come in, we’re here to help you find the best foreign films on Netflix. We’ll save you browsing time and make sure you end up with a gem. Here’s 10 of our favourite foreign films on Netflix UK (hopefully some of them will be available elsewhere as well).
10. Hunt for the Wilderpeople (New Zealand)
This feel good comedy from Taika Waititi is the perfect film for a family night in. It stars Sam Neill (from Jurassic Park fame) and newcomer Julian Dennison, playing a grumpy old man and a juvenile delinquent respectively. You’ll get a sense of the fun in the trailer below. For more fun from Taika Waititi check out What We Do in the Shadows.
9. The Square (Egypt)
If you’re up for a thrilling political documentary, check out The Square. It documents the Arab Spring movement from the Tahir Square in Cairo, Egypt. You’ll feel like you’re right there. Perfect if you’re up for learning a bit about contemporary history.
8. Elle (Netherlands)
Do you want to be thrilled? Then watch Elle. In the opening minutes, Michele is raped by a masked assailant. She decides not to report it. I’ve cut the trailer below, but feel free to click through to watch the full trailer if you don’t mind spoilers. Just watch it – you won’t be bored!
7. Ip Man (Hong Kong)
If you’re into martial arts films, you can’t go wrong with Ip Man. Firstly, the action is quality. Secondly, there’s actually a half decent story-line. Lastly, it’s got Donnie Yen.
6. Son of Saul (Hungary)
If you want a more gritty version of Schindler’s List, this might be just what you are after. It follows a day and a half in the life of a Hungarian member of the SonderKommando (prisoners that were forced to dispose the gas chamber victims). If you don’t like the sound of that, at least watch the trailer below to get a taster for the incredible cinematography. More analysis here.
5. Let the Right One In (Sweden)
Who said you can’t make romantic horror films? Director Tomas Alfredson obviously doesn’t see any problems in mixing genres. It’s clever and original. So check it out if you dare!
4. District 9 (South Africa)
One of my personal favourites. District 9 is another genre masher; a science fiction film shot like a documentary. It explores humanity, xenophobia, and social segregation in an alternate 1982. If you haven’t seen it, watch it. If you’ve already seen it and didn’t think much of it, trust me and watch it again. You’ll also notice the direct influence it had on Arrival.
3. Under the Shadow (Iran)
Who’s up for another psychological thriller? This beauty starts in 1980s war-torn Iran. Everyone is evacuating Tehran as Iraqi missiles start landing all across the city. All except for Shideh and her young daughter who have been left alone in a spooky tenement building as her husband is away fighting in the war. Being alone like that in the middle of a war will affect your mind!
2. The Great Beauty (Italy)
The Great Beauty is Sorrentino’s tribute to Fellini’s La Dolce Vita. So much so it feels like an update of the classic – a contemporary ode to the city of Rome. Let it’s stream of consciousness style carry you along. Perfect for a relaxed night in.
1. City of God (Brazil)
Can anyone really argue with City of God at number one? It’s entertaining, brutal, and brilliantly shot. It’s also probably the most gripping film about drug-wars in the Rio de Janeiro favelas ever made. Also, the perfect film to watch if you’ve already finished watching Narcos. (For more post-Narcos suggestions check out this list). It also has one of the worst trailers out there (you can blame the early 00s for that).
If you think we’re missing some of the best foreign films on Netflix, leave us a comment!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Cinemas were open for most of 2021 which meant two things for us:
That we could watch films on the big screen
That we also missed a lot of films on the big screen to look after an extra family member and play it safer with the quarantine
Therefore, most of the inclusions on this list are thanks to the ever improving international slates of streaming services like Mubi, Netflix, and Hoopla, as well as the accessibility of a lot of festival films this year. 2022 is looking like it will be a repeat, with streaming services continuing to diversify their international releases and festivals (see Sundance and Rotterdam) sticking to a digital only schedule to prevent the spread of the ever evolving COVID virus. However, before we get into 2022, here’s 30 of the best international films of 2021. Some names you’ll recognize, some you may not, but the good thing about pretty much all of them is that they’re mostly available to watch or have 2022 release dates.
30 Best International Films of 2021
(In a fairly flexible order)
30. Tote Abuelo (Mexico)
In her debut feature, Maria returns to her ancestral home in Chiapas to reconnect with her estranged grandfather. The slow pace of the documentary matches both the slow straw-hat making process, as well as Maria’s patient questioning that slowly unlocks her grandfather’s stories. Tote Abuelo is a humble, heart-warming documentary that depicts the passing of family history (positive and negative) from one member to another.
29. 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.
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, since the onset of the pandemic, 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.
If you’re a secret fan of love triangles but actually an art-house film snob, Paris 13th District is for you. You have your art-house credentials, with Jacques Audiard directing and Celine Sciamma writing, as well as a smooth black and white film. But you also have a light, free-flowing script with lots of sex that doesn’t slow down, making it an easy watch for anyone wanting to tune out.
In the city of Zinder, Niger, in the heart of the Sahel, young people form gangs to deal with the lack of work and prospects. These groups called “Palais” come from the Kara Kara district, historically home to lepers and outcasts. Zinder-born director and activist Aicha Macky returns to her hometown to tell the story of this disenfranchised youth. It’s an intimate tribute to the youth of her country which offers a hopeful portrayal of those marked by the neighborhood they were born into.
In Hive, a struggling widow starts making Ajvar to get by. Setting an example for self sufficiency, the town’s widows flock to her to share their grief and start healing. However their independence faces backlash from the patriarchy. This drama features an inspirational story about a group of entrepreneurial women fighting the odds to overcome the patriarchy and the trauma from the Kosovo war.
Bendskins fits Wanuri Kahui’s ‘Afro-Bubblegum’ movement perfectly. The three stories of motorbike taxi drivers in Cameroon are fun, frivolous, and fierce. They depict ‘normal’ modern African experiences instead of the typical stories of poverty, disease, or war. It also features a bunch of homages to some of the most iconic African films such as Touki Bouki and Quartier Mozart. So if you’re looking for an easy-going dramedy set in Yaounde, check out Bendskins.
23. 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. It’s no surprise it’s on the Academy Award’s Best Documentary shortlist.
If you’re looking for a provocative transcendental film that captures a mother’s existential crisis you’ve come to the right place. Beginning uses slow pacing and a classic film look to shock Yana’s humble existence within a Jehovah’s Witness community in rural Georgia to the core. As her peace is shockingly disrupted, she’s forced to reevaluate her life as a mother as part of her remote community.
A Mexican biologist living in New York returns to his hometown after the death of his grandmother. Unlike the urban jungle of New York, his hometown in Michoacán is surrounded by the Monarch Butterflies he studies. His isolation abroad forces him to contemplate his new identity, displayed on screen in vivid magical scenes and memories. Son of Monarchs is a brilliant character study of a lonely scientist abroad conveyed through his symbolic relationship with butterflies.
If you’re looking for a satire of Liam Neeson’s Taken franchise, look no further than Riders of Justice. It features Mads Mikkelsen as a soldier that returns home to console his daughter after his wife dies in a train crash. He gets embroiled in a revenge plot with a bunch of misfits that convince him the crash was planned. It humorously explores the one-dimensional male-leads in the slew of 21st Century revenge movies with the help of a group of nerds.
19. 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; the huge efforts of the construction teams and the locals caught in-between.
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.
In a collection of stylized vignettes, Roy Andersson captures the banal endlessness of humanity. The scenes vary from the everyday, such as a woman waiting at a train station thinking she’s been forgotten, to the brutally unforgiving, such as a man about to face a firing squad. It bundles historical scenes with others that could fit in our lives. In just under 80 minutes, these vignettes capture the absurdity of life.
16. Just Don’T Think I’ll Scream (France)
This is what happens when you lock a filmmaker in a room with a bunch of films and not much else. Just Don’t Think I’ll Scream is the documentary diary of Frank Beauvais, who moved to the country in search of love, but instead became lost in a kind of mid-life crisis. He documented his experiences in a voice-over supported by an incredible puzzle of images from the 4-5 films he watched per day during the 6 months he was alone for.
15. Days (Taiwan)
Slow film isn’t for everyone, but Tsai Ming-Liang’s Days is a great film to meditatively watch. It forces you to watch an excessive amount of dead time as characters go about their chores (you’ll never flash wash a salad again) and literally stare into the horizon. The reward for your patience is an erotic ending with a memorable musical conclusion.
14. Azor (Argentina)
Azor is Heart of Darkness style journey into the underworld of Swiss Banking in Argentina. Instead of a physical jungle, Yvan has to navigate the corrupt upper echelons of Argentinian society to find his missing colleague. Azor is one of the best written films of 2021, interpreted brilliantly by debut filmmaker Andreas Fontana.
13. El Planeta (spain)
Spanish language films are a gold mine for deadpan humor and El Planeta is no different. It follows a mother-daughter double team grifting their way through life in a contemporary Spain with apparently little opportunity (even the successful people have made it abroad). Watch for the muted laughs, kooky clothing, and to see a triple-threat debut director.
12. Preparations to be Together for an Unknown Period of Time (Hungary)
After setting a date with a Hungarian neurosurgeon in Budapest, Marta flies home after twenty years in the United States to meet him. She goes all in on their relationship but is met with confusion as the ‘love of her life’ ghosts her; both standing her up at her date and claiming that they’ve never met. The film converts Marta’s uneasiness into images as she, the other characters, and the audience all question her memory and what is real.
11. Faya Dayi (Ethiopia)
Faya Dayi is a trip of an Ethiopian documentary. It’s a fully immersive sensory experience into the highlands of Harar, Ethiopia with the help of Khat. The style accentuates our senses, making us feel like we’re there, but dulls our understanding of the plot (which is left vague). Instead of a linear, easy to follow narrative, we’re given a handful of strands to grasp at, until we give up trying to follow them and surrender to the meditative, poetic style. Watch this film in a dark room with a good sound system or headphones and drift along with it.
In All Hands on Deck, Felix persuades a friend to road-trip with him from Paris to the sunny South of France to surprise his dream girl who he shared a great date with a week earlier. The summer-time vibes set the foundation for the warm dramedy, which is taken to even warmer heights with the buddy-movie tropes, karaoke, and laid-back comedy. It’s a film that goes with the flow and will make you happy – a perfect movie to feel the summer whatever time of year.
9. Ascension (China)
No film can avoid a point of view, but Ascension avoids obvious political bias by observationally shooting a wide range of images of Chinese society without commentary. From workers toiling away in factories to influencers planning their next social media post, Ascension captures a selective cross-section that illuminates the growing class divides in China and the widening distance between the country and Communism.
8.What Do We See When We Look At The Sky (Georgia)
What Do We See When We Look at the Sky is an enchanting summer romance along the quirky lines of La Flor, Whistler, and Amelie. After a chance encounter in the Georgian town of Kutaisi, pharmacist Lisa and footballer Giorgi set a plan for a date by the riverfront. However, as their appearance is magically transformed the next day, they lose both their job skills and their ability to recognize each other. As with true love, even with the change, they’re never far from each other in their wandering. If you’re looking for a slow dreamy romance by the river front, try this one.
7. The New Girl (Argentina)
The New Girl is an engaging coming of age story, as well as a worker protest movie like Made in Bangladesh and Salt of the Earth. 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. It packs a lot into its relatively short run time (only 79 minute).
Paolo Sorrentino has a gift at making Italian city life look amazing and full of mad stories. This time, instead of Rome (see The Great Beauty), he dives into his own memories growing up in Napoli. The spontaneity and life of The Hand of God channels the spirit of Fellini whilst the richness colors and expansive shots of the city show Sorrentino’s mark. It’s a beautifully shot, lightly tragic, autobiography set in 1980’s Napoli.
5. Wheel of Fortune & Fantasy/Drive My Car (Japan)
Ryusuke Hamaguchi had not one, but two of the best films of 2021. Wheel of Fortune & Fantasy had the more intriguing stories (split into three parts), but Drive My Car had the benefit of time to fully build out another brilliant Haruki Murakami film adaptation (also see Burning). Both films are film drama at its best – you just get to pick if you’d rather short stories imbued with unlikely coincidences or a long brooding drama to fully immerse yourself in.
4. 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 searing critique of disaster capitalism (see Naomi Klein’s Shock Doctrine) and the U.S. stranglehold on Puerto Rico and its ineffectual politicians.
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.
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.
The Disciple is our favorite film of 2021. It follows a struggling Indian classical musician in training with an aging guru from a rare 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.
HONORABLE MENTIONS FOR BEST INTERNATIONAL FILMS OF 2021:
I’m Your Man (Germany), Nayattu (India), A Cop Movie (Mexico), Aurora (Costa Rica), Identifying Features (Mexico), Liborio (Dominican Republic), State Funeral (Ukraine), The Last Shelter (Mali), The Woman Who Ran (South Korea), Hit the Road (Iran)
If you think we’ve missed a film from a list that you think is one of the best international films of 2021, please get in touch on Twitter or by email.
You must be logged in to post a comment.