My Favorite Non-English language films
by Hunley | created - 10 May 2012 | updated - 2 weeks ago | Public- Instant Watch Options
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101. La Chienne (1931)
Not Rated | 95 min | Crime, Drama
Maurice Legrand, a meek cashier married to a nagging wife, has a secret passion: he's a Sunday painter. He falls in love with Lulu, a young woman dominated by Dédé, the pimp who she works for. Dédé pushes Lulu into a relationship with him.
Director: Jean Renoir | Stars: Michel Simon, Janie Marèse, Georges Flamant, Roger Gaillard
Votes: 4,840
102. Harakiri (1962)
Not Rated | 133 min | Action, Drama, Mystery
When a ronin requesting seppuku at a feudal lord's palace is told of the brutal suicide of another ronin who previously visited, he reveals how their pasts are intertwined - and in doing so challenges the clan's integrity.
Director: Masaki Kobayashi | Stars: Tatsuya Nakadai, Akira Ishihama, Shima Iwashita, Tetsurô Tanba
Votes: 68,733
103. The White Ribbon (2009)
R | 144 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Strange events happen in a small village in the north of Germany during the years before World War I, which seem to be ritual punishment. Who is responsible?
Director: Michael Haneke | Stars: Christian Friedel, Ernst Jacobi, Leonie Benesch, Ulrich Tukur
Votes: 77,677 | Gross: $2.22M
104. A Sunday in the Country (1984)
G | 90 min | Drama
An elderly painter whose son visits with his family on the weekends, is also surprised by a visit from his still-single daughter.
Director: Bertrand Tavernier | Stars: Louis Ducreux, Michel Aumont, Sabine Azéma, Geneviève Mnich
Votes: 3,130 | Gross: $2.41M
105. Monsieur Hire (1989)
PG-13 | 81 min | Crime, Drama, Romance
A recluse is accused of murdering a young woman simply because his neighbors think he is strange.
Director: Patrice Leconte | Stars: Michel Blanc, Sandrine Bonnaire, Luc Thuillier, André Wilms
Votes: 7,137 | Gross: $1.42M
106. Life Without Principle (2011)
Not Rated | 107 min | Crime, Drama
Three people - a criminal, a bank officer and a cop - end up in a catastrophic situation in the midst of a global economical crisis and are forced to betray any morals and principles to solve their financial problems.
Director: Johnnie To | Stars: Ching Wan Lau, Richie Jen, Denise Ho, Myolie Wu
Votes: 2,741
107. The Four Days of Naples (1962)
120 min | Drama, War
The film shows the history of the Neapolitan popular revolt against the invading Germans during World War II. During the four days in Naples, the revolt turns over in just a few hours. ... See full summary »
Director: Nanni Loy | Stars: Raffaele Barbato, Charles Belmont, Regina Bianchi, Silvana Buzzanca
Votes: 1,019
108. Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears (1980)
PG | 150 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Three young provincial women come to Moscow in search of what people in all the capitals of the world are looking for - love, happiness and prosperity. Their destinies develop exactly as the character of each of the girls suggests.
Director: Vladimir Menshov | Stars: Vera Alentova, Aleksey Batalov, Irina Muravyova, Aleksandr Fatyushin
Votes: 14,296 | Gross: $2.50M
109. Mother (2009)
R | 129 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A mother desperately searches for the killer who framed her son for a girl's horrific murder.
Director: Bong Joon Ho | Stars: Kim Hye-ja, Won Bin, Jin Goo, Yun Je-mun
Votes: 71,675 | Gross: $0.55M
110. Mad Detective (2007)
Not Rated | 89 min | Action, Crime, Mystery
A rookie cop teams up with a former detective with a supernatural gift to hunt down a serial killer.
Directors: Johnnie To, Ka-Fai Wai | Stars: Ching Wan Lau, Andy On, Ka-Tung Lam, Kelly Lin
Votes: 8,132 | Gross: $0.00M
111. The Tiger of Eschnapur (1959)
101 min | Adventure, Drama, Romance
In Eschnapur, a local Maharajah and a German architect fall in-love with the same temple dancer.
Director: Fritz Lang | Stars: Debra Paget, Paul Hubschmid, Walther Reyer, Claus Holm
Votes: 3,221
112. The Indian Tomb (1959)
102 min | Adventure, Drama, Romance
A German architect runs away with the maharajah of Eschnapur's fiancee but is caught and thrown in the dungeon, while his relatives arrive from Europe looking for him and the maharajah's brother is scheming to usurp the throne.
Director: Fritz Lang | Stars: Debra Paget, Paul Hubschmid, Walther Reyer, Claus Holm
Votes: 2,942
113. Big Deal on Madonna Street (1958)
Not Rated | 106 min | Comedy, Crime
A motley quintet of inept small-time thieves attempt the burglary of a local pawnshop in this Italian farce.
Director: Mario Monicelli | Stars: Vittorio Gassman, Marcello Mastroianni, Renato Salvatori, Totò
Votes: 11,521
114. The Night of the Shooting Stars (1982)
R | 107 min | Drama, Fantasy, Romance
In 1944, the residents of a small Italian town under Axis control flee their homes to seek out the liberating Allied forces.
Directors: Paolo Taviani, Vittorio Taviani | Stars: Omero Antonutti, Margarita Lozano, Claudio Bigagli, Massimo Bonetti
Votes: 4,652
115. The Swindle (1997)
Not Rated | 101 min | Comedy, Crime, Thriller
Betty and Victor are a pair of scam artists. One day Betty brings in Maurice, a treasurer of a multinational company. Maurice is due to transfer 5 millions francs out of Switzerland, and Betty is convinced he plans to steal that money.
Director: Claude Chabrol | Stars: Isabelle Huppert, Michel Serrault, François Cluzet, Jean-François Balmer
Votes: 2,991 | Gross: $0.23M
116. Second Wind (1966)
Not Rated | 150 min | Crime, Drama
A gangster escapes jail and quickly makes plans to continue his criminal ways elsewhere, but a determined inspector is closing in.
Director: Jean-Pierre Melville | Stars: Lino Ventura, Paul Meurisse, Raymond Pellegrin, Christine Fabréga
Votes: 6,639
117. Thirst (1957)
Not Rated | 146 min | Drama, Musical, Romance
Vijay, a talented but indigent poet, struggles for love and recognition in this selfish world.
Director: Guru Dutt | Stars: Guru Dutt, Waheeda Rehman, Mala Sinha, Rehman Khan
Votes: 7,279
118. The Kid with a Bike (2011)
PG-13 | 87 min | Drama
Abandoned by his father, a young boy is left in a state-run youth farm. In a random act of kindness, the town hairdresser agrees to foster him on weekends.
Directors: Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne | Stars: Thomas Doret, Cécile de France, Jérémie Renier, Fabrizio Rongione
Votes: 28,647 | Gross: $1.38M
119. You, the Living (2007)
Not Rated | 95 min | Comedy, Drama, Music
You, the Living is a film about humankind, its greatness and its baseness, joy and sorrow, its self-confidence and anxiety, its desire to love and be loved.
Director: Roy Andersson | Stars: Elisabeth Helander, Jörgen Nohall, Jan Wikbladh, Björn Englund
Votes: 16,293 | Gross: $0.02M
120. The Man Without a Past (2002)
PG-13 | 97 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
M arrives in Helsinki only to be viciously attacked by thugs and pronounced dead by medics. He revives but with no memory of his past or his identity. He rebuilds his life from scratch, but the past inevitably catches up with him.
Director: Aki Kaurismäki | Stars: Markku Peltola, Kati Outinen, Annikki Tähti, Juhani Niemelä
Votes: 26,115 | Gross: $0.92M
121. Paris Frills (1945)
Approved | 111 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Philippe Clarence, a famous Parisian dressmaker, seduces his friend's fiancee. But, for the first time in his life, this is for real. The film is also a sharp picture of the fashion world.
Director: Jacques Becker | Stars: Raymond Rouleau, Micheline Presle, Jean Chevrier, Gabrielle Dorziat
Votes: 720
122. The Skin I Live In (2011)
R | 120 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
A brilliant plastic surgeon, haunted by past tragedies, creates a type of synthetic skin that withstands any kind of damage. His guinea pig: a mysterious and volatile woman who holds the key to his obsession.
Director: Pedro Almodóvar | Stars: Antonio Banderas, Elena Anaya, Jan Cornet, Marisa Paredes
Votes: 165,954 | Gross: $3.19M
123. Phoenix (II) (2014)
PG-13 | 98 min | Drama, History, Music
After surviving Auschwitz, a former cabaret singer has her disfigured face reconstructed and returns to her war-ravaged hometown to seek out her gentile husband, who may or may not have betrayed her to the Nazis.
Director: Christian Petzold | Stars: Nina Hoss, Ronald Zehrfeld, Nina Kunzendorf, Trystan Pütter
Votes: 20,671
124. Drug War (2012)
R | 107 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A drug cartel boss who is arrested in a raid is coerced into betraying his former accomplices as part of an undercover operation.
Director: Johnnie To | Stars: Louis Koo, Honglei Sun, Yi Huang, Michelle Ye
Votes: 10,864 | Gross: $0.13M
125. Argentina, 1985 (2022)
R | 140 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
A team of lawyers takes on the heads of Argentina's bloody military dictatorship during the 1980s in a battle against odds and a race against time.
Director: Santiago Mitre | Stars: Ricardo Darín, Gina Mastronicola, Francisco Bertín, Santiago Armas Estevarena
Votes: 31,195
126. The Quiet Girl (2022)
PG-13 | 95 min | Drama
In rural Ireland, a quiet, neglected girl is sent away from her dysfunctional family to live with relatives for the summer where she blossoms and learns what it is to be loved.
Director: Colm Bairéad | Stars: Carrie Crowley, Andrew Bennett, Catherine Clinch, Michael Patric
Votes: 22,187
127. Youth of the Beast (1963)
Not Rated | 92 min | Action, Crime, Mystery
A violent thug plays opposing yakuza bosses against each other.
Director: Seijun Suzuki | Stars: Jô Shishido, Misako Watanabe, Tamio Kawaji, Minako Katsuki
Votes: 3,919
128. The Garden of the Finzi-Continis (1970)
R | 94 min | Drama, History, War
The story of the Finzi-Continis, a noble family of Ferrara, during the Jewish persecution in Italy's 1930s.
Director: Vittorio De Sica | Stars: Dominique Sanda, Lino Capolicchio, Helmut Berger, Fabio Testi
Votes: 7,677 | Gross: $0.60M
129. Everything Goes Wrong (1960)
71 min | Action, Crime, Drama
The young rebel Jiro has to deal with an environment of crime and prostitution, and the impact of its choices on personal relationships: one with his mother, with the lover of the latter and with a girl in love with him.
Director: Seijun Suzuki | Stars: Tamio Kawaji, Yoshiko Nezu, Sayuri Yoshinaga, Shinako Nakagawa
Votes: 584
130. Jenny Lamour (1947)
Not Rated | 106 min | Crime, Drama
A flirtatious wife runs off to meet an older man and the husband closes in with intend to murder him, but finds the deed already done.
Director: Henri-Georges Clouzot | Stars: Louis Jouvet, Simone Renant, Bernard Blier, Suzy Delair
Votes: 6,414 | Gross: $0.03M
131. Where Do We Go Now? (2011)
PG-13 | 110 min | Comedy, Drama
A group of Lebanese women try to ease religious tensions between Christians and Muslims in their village.
Director: Nadine Labaki | Stars: Claude Baz Moussawbaa, Nadine Labaki, Yvonne Maalouf, Layla Hakim
Votes: 13,508 | Gross: $0.53M
132. Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles (2005)
PG | 107 min | Drama
A Japanese father travels to China's Yunnan province in the place of his ailing son to film a folk-opera singer.
Director: Yimou Zhang | Stars: Ken Takakura, Kiichi Nakai, Shinobu Terajima, Ken Nakamoto
Votes: 5,629 | Gross: $0.25M
133. The Story of Qiu Ju (1992)
PG | 100 min | Comedy, Drama
A peasant woman seeks justice after the headman of her village has kicked her husband in the groin.
Director: Yimou Zhang | Stars: Gong Li, Peiqi Liu, Liuchun Yang, Kesheng Lei
Votes: 6,663 | Gross: $1.89M
134. Devils on the Doorstep (2000)
139 min | Comedy, Drama, War
Villagers in World War II China are unsure what to do with the two enemy prisoners who have been left in their care.
Director: Wen Jiang | Stars: Wen Jiang, Kenya Sawada, Hongbo Jiang, Teruyuki Kagawa
Votes: 8,618 | Gross: $0.02M
135. Yesterday (I) (2004)
R | 90 min | Drama
After falling ill, Yesterday learns that she is HIV positive. With her husband in denial and young daughter to tend to, Yesterday's one goal is to live long enough to see her child go to school.
Director: Darrell Roodt | Stars: Leleti Khumalo, Lihle Mvelase, Pepi Khambule, Harriet Lenabe
Votes: 2,482
136. The Bridge (1959)
Not Rated | 103 min | Drama, History, War
In 1945, Germany is being overrun, and nobody is left to fight but teenagers.
Director: Bernhard Wicki | Stars: Volker Bohnet, Fritz Wepper, Michael Hinz, Frank Glaubrecht
Votes: 8,658
137. Revanche (2008)
Not Rated | 121 min | Crime, Drama, Romance
Ex-con Alex plans to flee to the South with his girl after a robbery. But something terrible happens and revenge seems inevitable.
Director: Götz Spielmann | Stars: Johannes Krisch, Irina Potapenko, Andreas Lust, Ursula Strauss
Votes: 15,961
138. The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum (1975)
R | 106 min | Crime, Drama
A young woman's life is scrutinized by police and tabloid press after she spends the night with a suspected terrorist.
Directors: Volker Schlöndorff, Margarethe von Trotta | Stars: Angela Winkler, Mario Adorf, Dieter Laser, Jürgen Prochnow
Votes: 4,896
139. Marriage Italian Style (1964)
Not Rated | 102 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Wealthy businessman Domenico and penniless prostitute Filumena share a large part of their lives in post-WWII Italy.
Director: Vittorio De Sica | Stars: Sophia Loren, Marcello Mastroianni, Aldo Puglisi, Tecla Scarano
Votes: 11,038
140. Repast (1951)
97 min | Drama
Michiyo lives in a small home in Osaka and is not happy with her marriage; all she does is cook and clean for her husband.
Director: Mikio Naruse | Stars: Ken Uehara, Setsuko Hara, Yukiko Shimazaki, Yôko Sugi
Votes: 1,815
141. Lorna's Silence (2008)
R | 105 min | Drama
Lorna, a young Albanian woman living in Belgium, has her sights set on opening a snack bar with her lover Sokol. In order to do so, she has become involved in a scam conducted by Fabio, a gangster.
Directors: Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne | Stars: Arta Dobroshi, Jérémie Renier, Fabrizio Rongione, Alban Ukaj
Votes: 9,172 | Gross: $0.34M
142. El cochecito (1960)
PG | 85 min | Comedy, Drama
Seventy-something Don Anselmo, a retired minister, becomes obsessed with owning a motorized wheelchair and fakes infirmity to get it.
Director: Marco Ferreri | Stars: José Isbert, Pedro Porcel, José Luis López Vázquez, María Luisa Ponte
Votes: 1,576
143. Center Stage (1991)
126 min | Biography, Drama, Romance
Biopic of 1930s Chinese actress Lingyu Ruan.
Director: Stanley Kwan | Stars: Maggie Cheung, Han Chin, Tony Ka Fai Leung, Carina Lau
Votes: 2,724
144. Camp de Thiaroye (1988)
157 min | Drama, War
In this semi-autobiographical film, black soldiers help to defend France, but are detained in prison camp before being repatriated home.
Directors: Ousmane Sembene, Thierno Faty Sow | Stars: Sidiki Bakaba, Hamed Camara, Ismaila Cissé, Ababacar Sy Cissé
Votes: 644
145. Swept Away (1974)
R | 114 min | Adventure, Comedy, Drama
A trip into the Mediterranean sea becomes a trip into the discovery of how society's frameworks of the rich and poor are delicate and temporary.
Director: Lina Wertmüller | Stars: Giancarlo Giannini, Mariangela Melato, Riccardo Salvino, Isa Danieli
Votes: 6,785
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