In a world dominated by Hollywood blockbusters, many films from beyond the English-speaking lands fly under the radar. From the most comforting and heartwarming films to awe-inspiring and thrilling movies are being made in different parts of the world. They fail to reach a widespread audience because of accessibility issues and because people are not welcoming to the idea of foreign-media consumption. With the boom of K-pop and Korean dramas, Korean media does not fall into the unwelcome category of things. However, many countries have made exceptional films.
Why Watch Non-English Movies?
When Hollywood as an entertainment industry churns out gems left, right, and center; American audiences are not very likely to tap into the international cinematic landscape. Frequently, foreign language cinema is passed up for pretentious people’s activity. This perception leads to many cinematic gems being undiscovered. As South Korean director Bong Joon Ho rightfully said in his acceptance speech at the 77th Golden Globe Awards when his film, Parasite, won Best Foreign Language Film (via Chicago Tribune)-
Once you overcome the 1-inch-tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films.
The small inconvenience of reading subtitles can help diversify anyone’s cinematic palette. This article lists films that bring the viewer soul-stirring comfort and cinematic joy. Here are 30 non-English films that can uplift your spirits and even change your perspective on life.
1. Amélie
One of the most popular French films, Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s Amélie is the tale of a 23-year-old Parisian waitress who has grappled with loneliness all her life. To cope with this she has developed an eccentric and mischievous personality. Upon discovering a box of memorabilia in her apartment, she resolves to track down its owner. The reaction she gets inspires her to make others happy.
Amelie plans out elaborate schemes to affect lives around her, eventually finding love and friendship.
The film’s melancholic score and vibrant color palette are the perfect setup for a film that brings unparalleled joy. Amélie is the kind of film that can make one fall in love with the world again.
Watch Amélie on Max.
2. The Intouchables
Inspired by a true story, The Intouchables is a French film that chronicles the story of friendship between Philippe and Driss. Philippe is a quadriplegic aristocrat. Driss applies for a job at Philippe’s with no intentions of getting hired. However, Philippe’s search for a live-in caregiver comes to an end with Driss.
The pair strike a heartwarming friendship. Driss learns the extent of Philippe’s disability and takes care of every aspect of his life. The pair grow a close bond. How the friends navigate different challenges of life, including going separate ways is what the film follows.
The film was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
Stream The Intouchables on Hoopla.
3. Cinema Paradiso
Written and directed by Giuseppe Tornatore, Cinema Paradiso is a 1988 coming-of-age drama, set in a small Sicilian town. A phone call from his mother sends Salvatore Di Vita, a famous filmmaker down the memory lane to the days of his childhood. The film centers on the friendship between a young Salvatore and the town’s movie theatre’s aging projectionist Alfredo.
Getting off to an uneasy start, Salvatore eventually forms a friendship with Alfredo and watches movies from the projection room. Alfredo teaches Salvatore how to operate the film projector. Salvatore’s love for films and his bond with Alfredo grow deeper over time. With the latter advising him on all walks of life, Alfredo urges Salvatore to eventually leave his hometown to know and follow his dreams. Insisting on never coming back.
Cinema Paradiso is a joint Italian-French production film. This wholesome tale of friendship, nostalgia, and following dreams won a Golden Globe and an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.
Watch Cinema Paradiso on Prime Video.
4. Life is Beautiful
A wholesome movie about the holocaust is hard to imagine but Life is Beautiful is just that. Famed Italian actor Roberto Benigni co-wrote and directed the film. He also played the lead character, Guido Orefice, an Italian Jewish bookshop owner. Guido married Dora and had a son named Giosuè. The family is seized and brought to a concentration camp on Giosuè’s birthday, where Guido uses creative tactics to keep his son safe.
Guido presents the troubled situation as a game and makes Giosuè do everything to protect himself to win the final prize. The film is the perfect portrayal of the lengths a man can go to, to protect his family. The film won three Academy Awards out of the seven nominations it earned. Also won many other accolades including the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival, a SAG Award, and many more.
Life is Beautiful is available to rent on Amazon.
5. Chungking Express
Chungking Express is a 1994 film by Hong Kong filmmaker Wong Kar-wai. It revolves around not one but two romantic comedy storylines, told sequentially. First is the story of Cop 223 He Zhi Wu, who is not letting go of his breakup with a woman named May. And his run-in with a secretive drug smuggler.
The second story follows Cop 663 who is struggling after his break up with a flight attendant. Buffet owner Faye has fallen for the officer. And goes above and beyond to make him cheer up. The cop fails to notice her efforts. And is almost too late to realize her feelings toward him.
The film garnered a lot of praise, especially for its cinematography, direction, and the cast’s performances. It is considered one of the finest works of Wong Kar-wai and also of the 20th century. It is guaranteed to uplift anyone’s spirits with its entertaining storyline and endearing ending.
Stream Chungking Express on Max.
6. Us and Them
A 2018 romantic drama from Rene Liu in her directorial debut, Us and Them chronicles the lives of Lin Jianqing and Fang Xiaoxiao, in a present “Us” and past “them” manner. The story of two people who fall in love and face the challenges of dreams, feelings, and finances. Navigating life together until they don’t. Most of the film is shown in a flashback. Unconventionally, the scenes of the past are in color but the scenes of the present are in black and white.
Jianqing and Xiaoxiao meet on a train back to their hometown during the Chunyun period. Discovering they both live in Beijing and are trying to make it in life; the two strike a friendship. Eventually falling in love. The story does a little back-forth with the past and present. and As the film progresses, their relationship is seen going through tests of time and hardships of life.
Watch Us and Them on Netflix.
7. The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared
The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared is a 2013 Swedish comedy film bound to leave the viewers in stitches. Based on a Jonas Jonasson novel of the same name, the story centers around Allan Karlsson. An old man with a love for explosives, Allan is moved to a retirement home after exploding a fox with dynamite. On his centenary birthday, he climbs out the window of his room to travel as far as he can. An encounter at the bus stop causes him to get involved with some gangsters. Thus, he embarks on an adventurous run.
The story of Allan’s youth and how his life intersected with significant historical events, runs parallelly in the film. The film is critically acclaimed and the third highest-grossing Swedish film of all time.
The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared can be streamed on Hoopla.
8. A Man Called Ove
Another gem of Swedish cinema is A Man Called Ove. The film follows the titular character who is depressed and fails at his multiple attempts to kill himself. He is grumpy and ill-treats the neighbors by enforcing his self-made rules for the neighborhood. Ove leads a desolate life.
However, things change when a new family moves across. Parvaneh, his new neighbor prevents Ove’s attempts at suicide on multiple occasions. And helps him live a better life. Ove’s past, and how he became who he is are also explored in the film. The film embodies the human spirit of helping others. Through Parvaneh’s kindness, Ove gets another chance at life and happiness.
Watch A Man Called Ove on Prime Video.
9. The Way He Looks
The Way He Looks is a Brazilian coming-of-age romantic drama by Daniel Ribeiro. The story follows Leonardo, a blind school student trying to navigate life on his terms. Leonardo is regularly accompanied by his best friend, Giovanna, on the walk home from school. A new student Gabriel joins the school altering the best friends’ lives drastically. Giovanna starts fancying Gabriel. However, things take a turn when Leonardo and Gabriel are paired up for a school project and start spending time together.
The film is a sweet and heartwarming exploration of how love, friendships, and dreams evolve with age.
The Way He Looks can be watched on Kanopy.
10. Instructions Not Included
Instructions Not Included is a 2013 Spanish-English film about a casanova who ends up being a rather unconventional but great father. Co-written, directed, and starred in by Eugenio Derbez, the film has Valentín Bravo at its center. A native of the Mexican city of Acapulco, Valentín Bravo sleeps around with every tourist he can find.
His life is permanently altered when one of his older flings Julie, returns with their lovechild and leaves her on his doorstep. In an attempt to save his young daughter, Maggie from falling in the pool, Valentín realizes his love for his daughter. They live happily for six years. Until a custody battle and a terminal ailment plague their lovely bond.
The film leaves a cozily bittersweet ache in the viewers’ hearts. Truly a movie that would make one curl into a ball and cry but cathartically. The film was remade in French by Hugo Gelin as Two Is a Family.
Instructions Not Included is available to watch on Prime Video.
11. Sweet Bean
Sweet Bean is a Japanese film that reflects how elderly individuals, with their traditional knowledge of things and wisdom for life, impact those around them. Directed and written by Naomi Kawase, the film is bound to leave one feeling cozy and touched. Set in the outskirts of Tokyo, the film sees Sentaro, a middle-aged dorayaki shop owner, reluctantly hire a kitchen assistant, Tokue. Tokue is a woman in her late seventies, whose red bean paste- convinced Sentaro to hire her despite his better judgment.
With Tokue’s special paste, the business turns brisk. And Sentaro rediscovers his passion for his work. However, as Tokue begins to occasionally serve customers, they stop coming. Sentaro then discovers Tokue’s secret.
Sweet Bean is available to stream on Hoopla.
12. Our Little Sister
Another dose of Japanese warmth is Our Little Sister. An adaptation of the manga series Umimachi Diary, the family drama manages to capture family dynamics and the special bond of sisterhood perfectly. Sachi Kōda, Yoshino Kōda, and Chika Kōda are three children of divorce who live with their grandparents. After receiving the news of their estranged father’s death, the girls invite Asano to come and live with them.
The film shows how the young girl flourishes in the loving and nurturing environment of her newfound home.
Our Little Sister is available to rent on Apple TV.
13. Sunny
Set in an all-girls high school in Seoul; Sunny is a fun, heartwarming, and nostalgic tale of friendship, life, and loss. Na-mi, an affluent and lonely housewife is sent back to her high school days upon seeing a familiar name.
The flashback reveals eight girls, Na-mi, Ha Chun-Hwa, Kim Jang-mi, Hwang Jin-hee, Seo Geum-ok, Ryu Bok-hee, and Jung Su-ji form a friend group. They call it Sunny and have the time of their lives; sharing experiences and adventures. Back in the present, Na-mi discovers something and makes it her mission to reunite the friend group.
Sunny is available to stream on Tubi TV.
14. Miss Granny
Another one on the list of sweet non-English films is the Korean fantasy drama Miss Granny. A stubborn, cantankerous, and grumpy elderly woman leaves his son’s house and roams on the street. After getting her picture taken at a mysterious photo booth, the 74-year-old widow Oh Mal-soon, finds herself to be transformed into a 20-year-old woman. Upon discovering her transformed appearance, she decides to live out all her dreams she couldn’t in her youth, giving her a second chance at the life she wanted to live.
Miss Granny is available to stream on Netflix.
15. Good Bye, Lenin!
A German tragicomedy, which follows a family residing in East Germany. Set in the period from October 1989 to some days after German reunification in October 1990, the film has the fatherless Kerner family at its center. After falling into a coma for eight months, Christiane Kerner, played by Katrin Sass, the mother and a member of the Socialist Unity Party misses out on the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Upon the doctor’s advice to prevent her from any more shocks, her son Alex Kerner, played by Daniel Bruhl and the rest of the family go above and beyond to create an almost-alternate reality. For Christiane’s sake, they pretend that the drastic changes to the political state of Germany have not happened. However, as this pretense grows in scale with time, a deeply hidden family secret emerges.
Good Bye Lenin! is available to rent on Apple TV.
16. Like Father, Like Son
A successful architect, Ryōta Nonomiya, neglectful of his wife Midori and son Keita, discovers that his biological son was mistakenly switched with someone else’s at birth. They meet with Keita’s biological parents Yukari and Yūdai Saiki, who were raising Ryōta’s biological son Ryūsei.
The two couples, who differ greatly in wealth, values, and background must decide on how to move forward with this bizarre and unexpected twist of fate. In doing so, they have to risk affecting the kids’ happiness and emotional development.
Like Father, Like Son is available to stream on AMC+.
17. The Artist and the Model
The Artist and the Model is a French-Spanish film set in the 1943, occupied France. A renowned painter-sculptor, worn down from life finds inspiration to resume his work in a young Spanish woman of incandescent beauty.
After his wife Lea discovers the young and gorgeous Mercè, Marc Cros offers Mercè a modeling job. However, as it turns out, the girl is an escapee from a prison camp. And helps Spanish resistance fighters cross the border.
Despite the heavy political elements to it, the film is simple and sweet. It talks about how strongly and in how much capacity beauty can move a person.
Watch The Artist and the Model on Tubi TV.
18. Women on the Verge of A Nervous Breakdown
Women on the Verge of A Nervous Breakdown is a 1988 Spanish black comedy. In the film, four women are at the edge of things with how their lives are going. An actress named Pepa is not doing well as her boyfriend Iván left her without any reason or explanation. Her friend Candela has somehow gotten romantically involved with a terrorist. Definition of organized chaos, the film has blends of family drama, terrorist activities, murderous and suicidal women, cheating spouses, and terrific fun amidst massive hysteria.
It is considered as the filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar’s finest work. The film earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film. It is the perfect film for a cozy night in with family, bound to leave everyone in stitches.
Women on the Verge of A Nervous Breakdown is available to rent on Apple TV.
19. The Worst Person in the World
Even though rom-coms don’t hit the way they used to, some films emerge as a reminder of how special romantic comedies are, and how wonderful they can make you feel. Joachim Trier’s The Worst Person in the World is one such film.
This Norwegian romantic-comedy follows Julie, a woman living in Oslo in her late 20s, navigating career changes and a not-really-romantic but established relationship with Aksel Willman. A man fifteen years her senior. Her life changes when she crashes a wedding reception.
Surrounding the themes of love, purpose, illness, and life goals, The Worst Person in the World is a must-watch.
The Worst Person in the World is available to stream on Hulu.
20. After the Storm
After the Storm is a melancholic expression of complicated familial relationships. And the nuances that affect those relationships. Ryota, a one-time prize-winner for his only novel is finding it hard to let go of his laurels. Spending away all his earnings on gambling, Ryota has a hard time supporting himself and paying child support for his son Shingo.
In desperate need of money and being misled by his sister, Ryota even tries to steal from his mother. In a typhoon, the whole family gets stuck at a house, where Ryota manages to build a connection with his son. Hence the film is named After the Storm.
Watch After the Storm on Hoopla.
21. 3 idiots
3 Idiots is a tale of friendship, ambition, and following one’s passion. It starts with with two friends, Farhan and Raju looking for their long-lost college friend Rancho. As Farhan reminisces about his golden past, the film goes into a flashback, revealing everything the trio got up to in their college days.
The film is on the themes of love, friendship, challenging authority, and following dreams, and especially giving the utmost importance to learning what one truly enjoys. The film also sees the friends make efforts to reconcile Rancho with his college girlfriend Piya.
The film has romance, drama, comedy, and a little grief. A full package, that will certainly affect moods positively.
3 Idiots is available to rent on Apple TV.
22. English Vinglish
English Vinglish follows Shashi Godbole, a Marathi homemaker from Pune, who has a home-run business selling ‘laddoos’, a sweet treat. Mocked relentlessly by her husband and kids for her poor English-speaking skills, Shashi decides to put an end to humiliation by achieving fluency in the language.
Traveling to New York for her niece’s wedding, Shashi enrolls in a four-week English class. Learning English, and interacting with people of different nationalities and from different walks of life, gives Shashi self-confidence. However, a conflict arises when a classmate develops feelings for Shashi.
A tale of a woman rediscovering her sense of self, and earning her family’s respect presented in a lighthearted way will surely enhance any dull day.
Stream English Vinglish on Kanopy.
23. Yomeddine
An Egyptian tale of friendship and attempting to discover a sense of belonging, Yomeddine, literally Judgement Day follows a rather unlikely duo of friends on their road trip down south of Egypt, where they experience varied adventures.
Beshay, an Egyptian leper resides in a leper colony with his donkey Harby. After he loses his wife to death, Beshay decides to find out about his birth family in Qena. Significantly farther in his journey, Beshay discovers his young friend Obama hiding in his donkey cart. Reluctantly, Beshay takes Obama along.
The pair travel, and meet different kinds of people. The film is heartwarmingly sweet and leaves one smiling.
Yomeddine is available to stream on Kanopy.
24. The Way Home
Sang-woo, a spoiled city brat is forced to live with his mute grandmother as his mother is looking for a new job in Seoul. Having a hard time adjusting to a rural environment with no amenities of his city house, the seven-year-old radically misbehaves and gives a hard time to his grandmother.
As time passes, Sang-woo learns the humble and hardworking natiure of rural life. He sees how hard his grandmother works to support herself, and despite his ill-manners, to make him happy. Sang-woo’s personality and temperament are deeply affected by this experience.
The film is a sweet and perfect representation of the vast ocean of kindness that is a grandmother’s heart. You would want to call your grandmothers after watching this.
Watch The Way Home Hoopla.
25. Klown
Directed by Mikkel Nørgaard, Klown is a Danish black comedy that just doesn’t miss. It follows two friends, who go on a canoeing trip and get into hilarious situations. Things get interesting when the soon-to-be-father Frank decides to bring his womanizer friend Casper on the canoe trip to discover himself in the role of a father.
However, things head south as the pair makes the worst decisions, landing themselves in increasingly awkward and embarrassing situations. An epic box-office hit in Denmark, the film received an outpouring of love from international audiences. The uncomfortable humor, and the outrageous punchlines contributed greatly to the film’s popularity. An American adaptation of the film is reportedly in the works. (via comingsoon.net)
Klown is available to stream on Kanopy.
26. Babette’s Feast
Babette’s Feast is a 1987 Danish drama; based on the eponymous short story by Isak Dinesen. It centers two puritanical sisters reside in a small town, continuing their pastor father’s legacy after his demise.
One day arriving at their doorstep is Babette Hersant, a French refugee who asks to work for the sisters. For fourteen years, Babette cooks for the sisters. Babette wins a lottery and decides to cook a massive feast for the whole town; which brings the dwindling congregation closer to one another.
Babette’s Feast became the first Danish film to win an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
Babette’s Feast is available to stream on Max.
27. Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears
Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears is a 1980 Russian romantic drama that ended up winning the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Set in Soviet-era Moscow, the film chronicles the lives of three young women who move to Moscow to pursue their dreams.
Katerina works at a factory during the day and studies at night to get into a college, she falls for an engineer named Gosha. Lyudmilla is a cynic, has given up on love, and looks at the practical side of things. And Antonina, a textile worker of gentle spirit dates her co-worker Nikolay. Many events occur and the film eventually jumps forward to twenty years later, showing what the girls managed to make of themselves.
Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears is available on YouTube with subtitles.
28. Sidewalls
Sidewalls is a Spanish language Argentine romantic-comedy drama set in Buenos Aires. The film revolves around Martín and Mariana, two lonely, kindred souls navigating their lives in the sprawling metropolis of the Argentine capital. They cross paths several times, living in the same neighborhood, and frequenting the same stores. Yet, never bump into each other. Until they do.
The film is an ode to the architectural brilliance of Buenos Aires. and a reflection of urban loneliness which hinders the development of human connections.
Sidewalls is available to stream on AMC+.
29. A Funny Man
Directed by Martin Zandvliet, this semi-biographical Danish film is about one of Denmark’s most popular and loved comedians and entertainers Dirch Passer. It tells the tale of one of the country’s funniest men who brought joy and laughter to many but struggled to find happiness for himself.
Dirch, while being largely celebrated as a performer, had a troubled personal life. And suffered from many mental health issues. One of the most poignant pieces of cinema, the movie is thought-provoking: Is what meets the eye actually the truth?
A Funny Man is available to stream on Kanopy.
30. As It Is in Heaven
As It Is in Heaven is a Swedish film about Daniel Daréus, a world-renowned conductor whose aspiration is to make music that opens people’s hearts. However, a heart ailment causes him to travel back to his hometown in the North of Sweden and lead a solitary life.
However, his plans do not fare well as he is urged to train the church choir.
Upon learning about the the complicated lives of his choir members, he tries to open their hearts with his music. This in turn helps him pursue his passion with a newfound enthusiasm, making the choir reach heights.
As It Is in Heaven is available to stream on Hoopla.
These films can transport one beyond the constraints of culture and language, and serve as reminders that all human emotions are universal.
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