For the average American moviegoer, the American film industry will be the only one that they ever experience. Due to the prevalence of the Hollywood industry both domestically and abroad, most of these films can easily fill up the entirety of a cinephile's time. However, there is a whole other world for one to experience.
This other world is international cinema. With the advent of the internet and streaming, international films have exploded in popularity in recent years. From cheap knock-offs of popular Hollywood films such as The Man Who Saves the World to award-winning masterpieces such as Parasite, there is no shortage of foreign films to explore. Here are the best international movies of the last 25 years.
10
'Pan's Labyrinth' (2006)
Directed by Guillermo del Toro
Image via Estudios Picasso
Pan's Labyrinth is a dark fantasy film first released in 2006. Directed by Guillermo del Toro, who also directed Pacific Rim and CrimsonPeak, the plot follows a young girl named Ofelia, played by Ivana Baquero, who also appeared in Another Me and The NewDaughter, who, while living with her stepfather Captain Vidal, played by Sergi López, who also appeared in Happy as Lazzaro and TheMan Who Killed Don Quixote, comes across the titular labyrinth that she must now navigate.
Pan's Labyrinth has very creative creature designs throughout for the mythical inhabitants of the labyrinth. For example, the Pale Man, played by Doug Jones of Hellboy and What We Do in the Shadows fame, is covered in washed out, emaciated skin that draws attention to his featureless face and clawed, spindly hands. This striking design employs the uncanny valley in order to present something that is almost human but also clearly is not, thereby characterizing the labyrinth as a place that is both somewhat familiar to Ofelia while also being a very dangerous place for her to be.
Pan's Labyrinth
Release Date
January 19, 2007
Runtime
118 minutes
Budget
$19 Million
Studio(s)
Warner Bros. Pictures
Distributor(s)
Warner Bros. Pictures
9
'Godzilla Minus One' (2023)
Directed by Takashi Yamazaki
Image via Toho
Godzilla Minus One is an epic kaiju film first released in 2023. It serves as the thirty seventh entry in the Godzilla franchise. Directed by Takashi Yamazaki, who also directed Lupin III: The First and Always - Sunset on Third Street, the story follows a kamikaze pilot named Koichi, played by Ryunosuke Kamiki of Spirited Away and Howl’s Moving Castle fame, as he deals with PTSD following his return to Japan, only for his life to once again be thrown into disarray with the emergence of Godzilla.
Godzilla Minus One has very effective visual effects. For instance, whenever Godzilla is about to fire his atomic breath, the spikes on his back shift down like a cartridge loading into a gun as a loud droning sound is heard. This helps to illuminate Godzilla's menace, as the deliberate pacing of his atomic breath allows the tension to build to its fullest extent by making the audience wait for this inevitable attack. In addition, his physical prowess is also enhanced by the scenes of Godzilla swimming, as these show the majority of his body above water, emphasizing his massive size.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is a wuxia martial arts film first released in 2000. It is an adaptation of the Chinese novel of the same name by Wang Dulu, who also wrote Crane Startles Kunlun and Precious Sword, Golden Hairpin. Directed by Ang Lee, who also directed Brokeback Mountain and Life of Pi, the plot follows two warriors named Li Mu Bai, played by Chow Yun-fat of Hard Boiled and The Killer fame, and Yu Shu Lien, played by Michelle Yeoh of Everything Everywhere All at Once and Sunshine fame, as they hunt down a thief.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon has a very effective style. For example, during each fight scene, the characters are made to like they are flying, providing a kind of mystical wonder to the combat throughout. This helps to evoke the ancient influence on the story by depicting the characters performing impossible, larger than life acts throughout, solidifying their legendary status through these fight scenes. This also lets the filmmakers be more creative than they would be able to otherwise, like when Lien spins her way to the floor above.
Release Date
December 8, 2000
Runtime
120 Minutes
Writers
Wang Hui-ling
, James Schamus
, Tsai Kuo-jung
Budget
$17 Million
Studio(s)
Columbia Pictures Film Production Asia
, Good Machine International
, Edko Films
, Zoom Hunt Productions
Distributor(s)
Sony Pictures Classics
7
'Werckmeister Harmonies' (2000)
Directed by Béla Tarr
Werckmeister Harmonies is a drama film first released in 2000. It is based on the 1989 book The Melancholy of Resistance by LászlóKrasznahorkai, who also wrote Satantango and War and War. Directed by Béla Tarr, who also directed The Turin Horse and TheOutsider, the plot follows a young man named János, played by Lars Rudolph, who also appeared in Run Lola Run and The Edge ofHeaven, as his life in communist Hungary is upended by the arrival of a mysterious circus that brings with it a wave of increased violence.
Werckmeister Harmonies expertly employs sweeping long takes in order to convey its story. For example, when János walks through the city streets following the riot, the camera follows him through a burning city with each of the rioters simply standing there. This provides a sense of nuance by allowing the audience to take in the gravity of the situation now that the dust has settled after the chaos has ended, which also aids in this nuance by allowing the audience to come to their own conclusions about these events.
Release Date
February 1, 2001
Director
Béla Tarr
Cast
Lars Rudolph
, Peter Fitz
, Hanna Schygulla
, Alfréd Járai
, Gyula Pauer
, János Derzsi
, Mihály Kormos
, Putyi Horváth
, Éva Almássy Albert
, Péter Dobai
, László feLugossy
, Barna Mihók
, Sandor Bese
, Enikő Börcsök
, Irén Szajki
, György Barkó
, Lajos Dobák
, András Fekete
, Gyuri Dósa Kiss
, Józsi Mihályfi
, Kati Lázár
, Viktor Lois
, Béla Máriáss
, Mátyás Dráfi
, József Ropog
Runtime
139 minutes
Character(s)
János Valuska
, György Eszter
, Tünde Eszter
, Lajos Harrer
, Mr. Hagelmayer
, Man In The Broad-Cloth Coat
, Factotum
, Porter
, Aunt Piri
, Chief Constable
, Housepainter
, Coachman
, The Prince
, Uncredited
, Mrs. Harrer
, Mr. Nadabán
, Mr. Volent
, Mr. Árgyelán
, Sorter
, Loader
, Mr. Mádai
, Man In The Fur-Cap
, The Man Beside Him
Producers
Joachim von Vietinghoff
, Paul Saadoun
, Franz Goëss
6
'Another Round' (2020)
Directed by Thomas Vinterberg
Image via Nordisk Film Distribution
Another Round is a dark comedy drama film first released in 2020. Directed by Thomas Vinterberg, who also directed The Celebration and The Hunt, the story follows a group of teachers, played by Mads Mikkelsen of Casino Royale and Hannibal fame, Thomas Bo Larsen of Flickering Lights and The Wave fame, Magnus Millang of The Commune and Kursk fame, and Lars Ranthe of Adam’sApples and Brothers fame, respectively, that come together to conduct an experiment to see if they can stay drunk all day.
Another Round has a very insightful perspective on alcohol consumption. For instance, when the experiment begins, they agree to keep the alcohol content low and limit their consumption. However, when the results appear positive, they increase the content and quit moderating their intake, only to crash. This progression provides a realistic depiction of alcoholism by showing both the early highs and inevitable lows, while also providing a sympathetic portrayal of those struggling with alcoholism by showing how much the emotional state of each of the teachers had improved during the early stages of the experiment.
Another Round
Release Date
December 18, 2020
Director
Thomas Vinterberg
CastMads Mikkelsen
, Thomas Bo Larsen
, Lars Ranthe
, Magnus Millang
, Maria Bonnevie
, Susse Wold
Runtime
117 Minutes
Main Genre
Drama
Writers
Tobias Lindholm
, Thomas Vinterberg
5
'RRR' (2022)
Directed by S. S. Rajamouli
Image via Netflix
RRR is an epic historical drama action film first released in 2022. Directed by S. S. Rajamouli, who also directed Eega and Bāhubali: The Beginning, the plot follows the Indian revolutionaries Alluri Sitarama Raju, played by Ram Charan, who also appeared in Magadheera and Rangasthalam, and Komaram Bheem, played by N.T. Rama Rao Jr., who also appeared in Devara: Part 1 and Janatha Garage, in their fight againt the British occupation of India.
RRR excels in terms of sheer spectacle. For example, many of the locations are large and the set pieces are intricate, such as the British desert base, which stands out among the vast sands of the desert. In addition, there is a scene in which Indian protesters beat at the fence, collapsing it, along with a burning effigy of a British soldier. This level of intricacy shows the high amount of care that went into every shot, as by making each shot count like this, the final result is a finely crafted and large-scale story of rebellion and humanity that provides an endless amount of visual joy.
RRR
Release Date
March 24, 2022
Director
S.S. Rajamouli
Cast
S.S. Rajamouli
, Ram Charan
, N.T. Rama Rao Jr.
, Ajay Devgn
, Alia Bhatt
, Ray Stevenson
Runtime
185 Minutes
Writers
S.S. Rajamouli
, Vijayendra Prasad
4
'Roma' (2018)
Directed by Alfonso Cuarón
Roma is a drama film first released in 2018. Directed by Alfonso Cuarón, who also directed Children of Men and Harry Potter and thePrisoner of Azkaban, the story follows a housekeeper named Cleo, played by Yalitza Aparicio, who also appeared in The GreatSeduction and Presencias, as she works for an upper middle class family in Mexico City in the 1970s.
Roma excels in portraying the ordinary as extraordinary through its use of carefully framed extended shots. For instance, there is a scene in which Cleo is mopping the floor, and this is shot to position Cleo in the center of the frame with the corridor surrounding her and a large yard in the background. This scene subtly presents Cleo in epic proportions by placing her as the focus of such a mesmerizing area, showing the importance of her work to the family in a purely visual way, transcending words to show the audience the inherent significance of everyday occurrences that would permeate throughout. This is also shown when the children walk through an empty meadow, quietly depicting this simple trip as an amazing journey.
Parasite is a black comedy thriller film first released in 2019. Directed by Bong Joon-ho, who also directed The Host and Snowpiercer, the plot follows Ki-taek, played by Song Kang-ho, who also appeared in Broker and A Taxi Driver, as he leads his family in an attempt to take advantage of the wealthy Park family in order to improve their situation.
Parasite has lots of very effective set pieces throughout. For example, the Kim family's home is very tiny to the point that they can barely stand up and has very few items inside. On the other hand, the Park family's house is large with lots of open space and is pristine with lots of different colors throughout. This distinct contrast between the two family's houses shows the stark disparity between the Kim's impoverished lives and the Park's opulent lifestyle by providing a clear visual representation of their respective socioeconomic statuses, which also helps to explain the Kim family's motivation by depicting the Park family's lifestyle as an attractive opposite to their unfulfilling existence, and keeps it just far enough away to create tension.
Release Date
November 8, 2019
Director
Bong Joon Ho
Cast
Yeo-Jeong Jo
, Myeong-hoon Park
, Jeong-eun Lee
, Sun-kyun Lee
, Ji-so Jung
, So-dam Park
, Keun-rok Park
, Kang-ho Song
, Ji-hye Lee
, Woo-sik Choi
, Seo-joon Park
, Hye-jin Jang
Runtime
132 minutes
Main Genre
Drama
Writers
Jin Won Han
, Bong Joon Ho
Tagline
Website
Budget
$15 million
Studio(s)
Barunson E&A
Distributor(s)
CJ Entertainment
2
'Spirited Away' (2001)
Directed by Hayao Miyazaki
Spirited Away is a fantasy anime film first released in 2001. Directed by Hayao Miyazaki, who also directed Nausicaä of the Valley of theWind and The Boy and the Heron, the story follows a young girl named Chihiro, voiced by Rumi Hiiragi, who also appeared in Ponyo and From Up on Poppy Hill, as she takes a job at the bathhouse of the witch Yubaba, voiced by Mari Natsuki, who also appeared in Isleof Dogs and The Hunted, in order to save her parents.
Spirited Away has excellent animation throughout. For instance, when Chihiro's parents eat the cursed food, they slowly turn into pigs, and the animation helps convey the gradual change from human to swine, with the parents subtly gaining more pig-like qualities as they continue eating before eventually fully becoming pigs. Scenes like this show that a story filled with lots of elements of mythology such as this are best told through fluid animation, as this allows inhuman and supernatural aspects to be superimposed onto more mundane and ordinary people and places with relative ease throughout.
City of God is an epic crime film first released in 2002. It is based on both the 1997 book of the same name by author Paulo Lins and on real events. Directed by Fernando Meirelles, who also directed The Constant Gardener and The Two Popes, the story follows two children named Rocket, played by Alexandre Rodrigues, who also appeared in Forbidden to Forbid and Cafundo, and Li'l Ze, played by Leandro Firmino, who also appeared in Noah's Ark and Jules and Dolores, as they become a photographer and a drug dealer, respectively.
City of God has nearly perfect gritty realism. For example, not only were many of the actors nonprofessionals, thus providing a more authentic feel of the local area by employing and expertly directing inhabitants of said area, but it was also mainly shot on location. This shows the reality of the Brazilian underworld through this use of real locations by showing where events like the ones depicted in the movie might actually take place. This commitment to providing an honest portrayal of crime in Brazil leads to City of God being the best international movie of the last 25 years.
Release Date
February 13, 2004
Cast
Alexandre Rodrigues
, Leandro Firmino
, Matheus Nachtergaele
, Phellipe Haagensen
, Douglas Silva
, Jonathan Haagensen
, Seu Jorge
, Jefechander Suplino
Image via Sony Pictures Classics
Image via Estudios Picasso
Image via Toho
Image via Sony Pictures Classics
Image via Nordisk Film Distribution
Image via Netflix
Image via Miramax Films
English (US) ·