The 10 Best International Movies of the Last 30 Years, Ranked
The American film industry is, needless to say, the biggest and most influential in the history of the art form. However, those willing to look farther and get past the subtitle barrier will be open to a limitless world of exceptional non-Hollywood movies. The past three decades in particular have seen the release of some incredible films outside the U.S.
From Africa to Asia to Latin America, the best international movies since 1995 are among the greatest films from their respective countries. It’s proof that appreciation for foreign cinema has grown tremendously as the digital world has become more accessible, and a testament to the power of cinema to ignore borders in its conquest of audiences’ hearts.
10
‘Moolaadé’ (2003)
Directed by Ousmane Sembène
Arguably the best African movie of the past three decades, Moolaadé is a co-production between several countries, but directed by Senegalese filmmaker Ousmane Sembène, the father of African cinema. Its story follows a woman sheltering a group of girls from suffering genital mutilation, which starts a conflict that tears her village apart.
It’s a vibrantly sincere and poignant drama, as well as both a celebration of African women and a critique of the struggles that they still face well into the 21st century. Complex, richly layered, and with surprising dashes of humor, it’s as thrilling as a film with such a relatively simple and down-to-Earth premise can get.
9
‘La Haine’ (1995)
Directed by Mathieu Kassovitz
Raw, lively, and incredibly hard-hitting, the French masterpiece La Haine was already a pretty decent success when it came out, but it has garnered a surprising cult following in recent years. Shot in gorgeous black-and-white and with some incredible performances by the likes of Vincent Cassel, it’s an uncompromising look at social division in 1990s Paris.
La Haine is the kind of French film that everyone should watch at least once in their lives. Brilliantly structured and written, hugely powerful, and socially and politically nuanced, it’s an exquisite cinematic achievement that earned Mathieu Kassovitz the Best Director award at the Cannes Film Festival. He’s never made a film this relevant again, but one masterwork is already far more than many directors get in their whole careers.
- Release Date
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February 23, 1996
- Runtime
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98 Minutes
- Director
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Mathieu Kassovitz
- Writers
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Mathieu Kassovitz
8
‘Parasite’ (2019)
Directed by Bong Joon-ho
The first—and, so far, only—foreign film that has won the Best Picture award at the Oscars, nothing less than the biggest awards in the entire film industry, Parasite is a South Korean film whose importance cannot be understated. One of the country’s many must-see films, it’s a genre-juggling extravaganza that truly has no equal.
Part thriller, part satire, and part social drama, Parasite may not be particularly subtle in its messaging or symbolism, but that on-the-nose quality is counterbalanced by the brilliant writing, directing, performances, and production values. It’s the work of a master in full control of his craft; and, indeed, although he has also made many other excellent films throughout the last 30 years, Bong Joon-ho has never been better than in Parasite.
- Release Date
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November 8, 2019
- Runtime
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132 minutes
- Director
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Bong Joon Ho
- Writers
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Jin Won Han, Bong Joon Ho
7
‘City of God’ (2002)
Directed by Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund
Brazilian cinema is full of gems—some relatively hidden, others with decent mainstream acclaim. City of God is among the latter, and deservedly so. A brilliant social drama as well as a gut-wrenching coming-of-age, it’s perhaps it’s country’s greatest movie ever. It’s not for the faint of heart, but it’s oh so worth it.
It’s certainly full of shock and disturbingly raw social critiques, but it’s also layered with such powerful emotion and such effective character arcs that it never feels exploitative or gratuitous. There’s a reason why most people consider it the gold standard of modern Brazilian cinema: it’s just that good, from beginning to end.
6
‘Y Tu Mamá También’ (2001)
Directed by Alfonso Cuarón
One of those Mexican masterpieces that everyone should see at least once, Alfonso Cuarón‘s Y Tu Mamá También is much more than just a roadtrip sex comedy (although it’s definitely that, too). It’s a surprisingly complex coming-of-age tale; an unexpectedly heartbreaking character drama; and a movie where, if one pays close enough attention, one realizes that the main character isn’t any of the three leads, but Mexico itself.
Y Tu Mamá is a portrait of a broken and divided country at the turn of the century, but it finds plenty of moments and symbols to make itself universally relatable and instantly enchanting. The performances are amazing, the writing is flawless, and the ending should be able to get at least one devastated tear out of even the coldest of hearts.
- Release Date
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June 8, 2001
- Runtime
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106 Minutes
- Director
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Alfonso Cuarón
- Writers
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Alfonso Cuarón, Carlos Cuarón
5
‘The Zone of Interest’ (2023)
Directed by Jonathan Glazer
A24 has distributed plenty of films that one could call perfect, but few installments in their catalogue have come as remarkably close to true perfection as The Zone of Interest. In the strictest sense, it’s a pretty boring movie, but that’s by design. In his pursuit of making a film that perfectly portrays the concept of the banality of evil, Jonathan Glazer has made a masterpiece that’s unbelievably disturbing precisely because it doesn’t explicitly show any of the horrors of the Holocaust, in spite of being set right in the Auschwitz camp’s backyard.
Demands patience and rewards it with some of the most thought-provoking filmmaking of the decade so far.
Zone of Interest demands patience and rewards it with some of the most thought-provoking filmmaking of the decade so far. Slow, thoughtful, methodical, and even with some bits of perfectly-calculated surrealism, it’s proof of the extents which foreign cinema’s power can reach when placed in the hands of a talented director.
4
‘Spirited Away’ (2001)
Directed by Hayao Miyazaki
Hayao Miyazaki, master of anime filmmaking, poster boy of Studio Ghibli, and nothing short of one of the greatest movie directors in Japan’s history, has made plenty of excellent films throughout his illustrious career. Typically, though, people agree on one as his very best: Spirited Away, the first foreign movie to ever win the Best Animated Feature Oscar.
Highly imaginative and atmospheric beyond what words can describe, Spirited Away is animated fantasy at its most creative and absolutely unforgettable. It’s one of the highest-rated Japanese movies on IMDb, thanks to its stunning visuals, hauntingly beautiful score, and family-friendly yet delectably mature and complex narrative.
3
‘Oldboy’ (2003)
Directed by Park Chan-wook
Saying that the South Korean masterpiece by Park Chan-wook, Oldboy, is disturbing, is the understatement of the century. It’s certainly not an easy action thriller to stomach, but those able to get through the whole thing will be treated to what may just be the greatest revenge movie ever made.
Even still, Oldboy isn’t just disturbing for the sake of being disturbing. It’s a highly effective study of the destructive effects of hatred and vengeance, and its traumatizing elements (the final plot twist being chief among them) are nicely balanced with some showstopping action sequences and even a pitch-black sense of humor.
2
‘In the Mood for Love’ (2000)
Directed by Wong Kar-wai
Wong Kar-wai is the master of Hong Kong cinema, one of the most acclaimed national film industries from Asia. The question of what his best movie is tends to garner several different answers—but the question of what his best post-1995 movie is usually results in just one: In the Mood for Love, one of the best and most unique romance dramas of all time.
In the Mood is one of the best international movies of the 2000s, anchored by a pair of powerhouse performances by the legendary Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung. Visually lavish, tonally somber, and a perfect showcase of Wong’s signature style, it’s a devastatingly poignant examination of themes like longing, secrets, and romantic love seen from a perspective that the genre doesn’t usually see it from.
- Release Date
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March 9, 2001
- Runtime
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98 Minutes
- Director
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Kar-Wai Wong
- Writers
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Kar-Wai Wong
1
‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ (2006)
Directed by Guillermo del Toro
Arguably the master of the dark fantasy genre, the Mexican auteur Guillermo del Toro has made plenty of magnificent movies, but his best is undeniably the Mexican-Spanish co-production Pan’s Labyrinth. Set during Spain’s Falangist period, it’s the kind of critique of fascism and authoritarianism that del Toro’s fans have come to expect from him, but told through the best fantasy tale that the director has ever told.
The visuals? Pristine. The performances? Beyond reproach. The writing? Intricate, layered, and emotionally stirring. The ending? Perhaps the best of del Toro’s filmography. All in all, Pan’s Labyrinth is a masterpiece, and the perfect place to start for those looking to get into modern international cinema. Hollywood is great, but opening oneself up to a whole world of new possibilities is the best decision that a movie fan can possibly make.
