Good Foreign Films
by WingedCreature | created - 29 Nov 2012 | updated - 08 Mar 2021 | PublicA list of good foreign films excluding American and English films.
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1. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009)
R | 152 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A journalist is aided by a young female hacker in his search for the killer of a woman who has been dead for forty years.
Director: Niels Arden Oplev | Stars: Michael Nyqvist, Noomi Rapace, Ewa Fröling, Lena Endre
Votes: 223,380 | Gross: $10.10M
Swedish
2. Léon: The Professional (1994)
R | 110 min | Action, Crime, Drama
12-year-old Mathilda is reluctantly taken in by Léon, a professional assassin, after her family is murdered. An unusual relationship forms as she becomes his protégée and learns the assassin's trade.
Director: Luc Besson | Stars: Jean Reno, Gary Oldman, Natalie Portman, Danny Aiello
Votes: 1,246,481 | Gross: $19.50M
French film in English
3. Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006)
R | 147 min | Crime, Drama, Fantasy
Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, born with a superior olfactory sense, creates the world's finest perfume. His work, however, takes a dark turn as he searches for the ultimate scent.
Director: Tom Tykwer | Stars: Ben Whishaw, Dustin Hoffman, Alan Rickman, Francesc Albiol
Votes: 265,866 | Gross: $2.22M
Germany | France | Spain | USA
4. Spiral (2005–2020)
TV-PG | 52 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Follows criminal investigations in Paris from all the different points of view of those involved.
Stars: Caroline Proust, Audrey Fleurot, Thierry Godard, Philippe Duclos
Votes: 6,755
French
5. Les Dames (2010– )
TV-MA | 90 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Based on the books by Alexis Lecave, Dead Beautiful (English title) is a series of self-concluding episodes, which follows Paris-based Police Commissioner Martin and his detective team as ... See full summary »
Stars: Thierry Godard, Jean-Toussaint Bernard, Sophie-Charlotte Husson, Charley Fouquet
Votes: 258
6. In a Savage Land (1999)
Not Rated | 115 min | Adventure, Drama
Two married anthropologists go to an island off of Papua New Guinea for field research.
Director: Bill Bennett | Stars: Rufus Sewell, Martin Donovan, Maya Stange, Max Cullen
Votes: 583
"Australian" - Filmed in Australia and Papua New Guinea
7. The Orphanage (2007)
R | 105 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
A woman brings her family back to her childhood home, which used to be an orphanage for handicapped children. Before long, her son starts to communicate with an invisible new friend.
Director: J.A. Bayona | Stars: Belén Rueda, Fernando Cayo, Roger Príncep, Mabel Rivera
Votes: 163,652 | Gross: $7.16M
Spanish
8. Heavenly Creatures (1994)
R | 99 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
Two teenage girls share a unique bond; their parents, concerned that the friendship is too intense, separate them, and the girls take revenge.
Director: Peter Jackson | Stars: Melanie Lynskey, Kate Winslet, Sarah Peirse, Diana Kent
Votes: 67,425 | Gross: $3.05M
New Zealand - Based on a true story.
9. A Royal Affair (2012)
R | 137 min | Biography, Drama, History
A young queen, who is married to an insane king, falls secretly in love with her physician - and together they start a revolution that changes a nation forever.
Director: Nikolaj Arcel | Stars: Alicia Vikander, Mads Mikkelsen, Mikkel Boe Følsgaard, Trine Dyrholm
Votes: 50,905 | Gross: $1.55M
Danish, Swedish and Czech co production
10. The White Massai (2005)
131 min | Drama, Romance
A girl leaves her boyfriend to stay with a Masai man she meets on vacation in Kenya. She adapts to the tribe's customs, foods and gender roles as she integrates into her new community.
Director: Hermine Huntgeburth | Stars: Nina Hoss, Jacky Ido, Katja Flint, Antonio Prester
Votes: 4,102
A German film about a German woman living in Switzerland who goes to Africa and it changes her life. Filmed in Africa. Very good movie.
11. La Femme Nikita (1990)
R | 117 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Convicted felon Nikita isn't going to jail; she's given a new identity and trained, stylishly, as a top secret spy/assassin.
Director: Luc Besson | Stars: Anne Parillaud, Marc Duret, Patrick Fontana, Alain Lathière
Votes: 76,455 | Gross: $5.02M
French
12. Amélie (2001)
R | 122 min | Comedy, Romance
Despite being caught in her imaginative world, Amelie, a young waitress, decides to help people find happiness. Her quest to spread joy leads her on a journey where she finds true love.
Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet | Stars: Audrey Tautou, Mathieu Kassovitz, Rufus, Lorella Cravotta
Votes: 794,474 | Gross: $33.23M
French
13. The Countess (2009)
Not Rated | 98 min | Biography, Drama, History
A 17th century Hungarian countess embarks on a murderous undertaking, with the belief that bathing in the blood of virgins will preserve her beauty.
Director: Julie Delpy | Stars: Julie Delpy, Daniel Brühl, William Hurt, Anamaria Marinca
Votes: 8,661
14. The City of Lost Children (1995)
R | 112 min | Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
A scientist in a surrealist society kidnaps children to steal their dreams, hoping that they slow his aging process.
Directors: Marc Caro, Jean-Pierre Jeunet | Stars: Ron Perlman, Daniel Emilfork, Judith Vittet, Dominique Pinon
Votes: 71,687 | Gross: $1.51M
French
15. Murderous Intent (2006)
PG-13 | 110 min | Crime, Horror, Mystery
A forensic psychologist (Collette) is tasked with determining whether or not a minor should face murder charges for killing his schoolmate.
Director: Gregory Read | Stars: Eddie Redmayne, Tom Sturridge, Toni Collette, Richard Roxburgh
Votes: 5,511
Australian/UK co-production
16. Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
R | 120 min | Crime, Drama, Romance
A teenager from the slums of Mumbai becomes a contestant on the show 'Kaun Banega Crorepati?' When interrogated under suspicion of cheating, he revisits his past, revealing how he had all the answers.
Directors: Danny Boyle, Loveleen Tandan | Stars: Dev Patel, Freida Pinto, Saurabh Shukla, Anil Kapoor
Votes: 878,047 | Gross: $141.32M
British/Indian Film
17. The Monk (2011)
R | 101 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Madrid, in the seventeenth century. Abandoned at the doorstep of a monastery, Ambrosio has been brought up by the Capucin Friars. After becoming a friar himself, he becomes an unrivaled ... See full summary »
Director: Dominik Moll | Stars: Vincent Cassel, Sergi López, Jordi Dauder, Joséphine Japy
Votes: 4,129 | Gross: $0.01M
Spain | France
based on "The Monk: A Romance" a Gothic novel by Matthew Gregory Lewis, published in 1796
18. Belladonna (2008)
Not Rated | 93 min | Drama, Romance
Luke, a GP is about to get married to vivacious Katherine. On the surface everything is perfect, but as the wedding preparations intensify Luke is plagued by nightmares that throw him into ... See full summary »
Director: Annika Glac | Stars: Indiana Avent, Hannes Berger, Anne Cordiner, Katie Jean Harding
Votes: 96
Australian film about reincarnation
19. Kenny (2006)
PG-13 | 99 min | Comedy
This hilarious mockumentary film follows the numerous misadventures of a porta-john worker through both his personal and professional life, including an oddly glamorous excursion to the Pumper and Cleaner Expo in Nashville, TN.
Director: Clayton Jacobson | Stars: Shane Jacobson, Travis Golland, Chris Davis, Alf Scerri
Votes: 7,283
Australian
20. Mad Love (2001)
R | 115 min | Biography, Drama, History
The love story that transformed Juana, Queen of Spain, into Juana "the Mad". A story of passions, lies and jealousy with a political motive behind.
Director: Vicente Aranda | Stars: Pilar López de Ayala, Daniele Liotti, Rosana Pastor, Giuliano Gemma
Votes: 4,056 | Gross: $0.28M
Spanish
21. All the Rivers Run (1983–1990)
400 min | Adventure, Drama, Romance
Orphaned after a shipwreck off the Victorian coast of Australia, the beautiful and spirited Philadelphia Gordon finds both love and adventure aboard a paddle-steamer on the Murray River.
Stars: Sigrid Thornton, John Waters, Darius Perkins, John Alansu
Votes: 712
Australian
22. Sirens (1994)
R | 98 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
When a painting is termed blasphemous, a young minister and his wife visit the artist... and the three sexually playful models living with him.
Director: John Duigan | Stars: Hugh Grant, Tara Fitzgerald, Sam Neill, Elle Macpherson
Votes: 11,528 | Gross: $7.77M
Australian
23. The Dish (2000)
PG-13 | 101 min | Comedy, Drama, History
A remote Australian community, populated by quirky characters, plays a key role in the first Apollo moon landing.
Director: Rob Sitch | Stars: Sam Neill, Billy Mitchell, Roz Hammond, Christopher-Robin Street
Votes: 17,105 | Gross: $2.25M
Australian
24. The Secret of Roan Inish (1994)
PG | 103 min | Drama, Family, Fantasy
Young Fiona lives with her grandparents in a small fishing village where she takes an active role to unravel the mysterious secrets.
Director: John Sayles | Stars: Jeni Courtney, Eileen Colgan, Mick Lally, Pat Slowey
Votes: 9,874 | Gross: $6.10M
Irish
25. Wilfred (2007–2010)
25 min | Comedy, Drama
A depressed man is the only one who can see his girlfriend's dog as a full-grown man in a dog suit.
Stars: Jason Gann, Adam Zwar, Cindy Waddingham, Kim Gyngell
Votes: 3,147
Australian series:
One man, one woman and a bong smoking dog who thinks he's human. Adam can hardly believe his luck when he is invited home by Sarah. But his joy is quickly turned on his head when he meets Wilfred, Sarah's cantankerous canine, who is determined to make him feel as uncomfortable as possible. When Adam and Sarah start a serious, live-in relationship, Wilfred turns up the torment meter in his quest to drive Adam out of the house.
26. Forbrydelsen (2007–2012)
TV-MA | 57 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Police detective Sarah Lund investigates difficult cases with personal and political consequences.
Stars: Sofie Gråbøl, Morten Suurballe, Lars Mikkelsen, Bjarne Henriksen
Votes: 30,210
Danish
Each series is a different story. The first series is ok - a bit slow and drawn out but the second series is really good. I would almost recommend going straight for the second series.
27. Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries (2012–2015)
TV-PG | 60 min | Crime, Drama, History
A female sleuth sashays through the back lanes and jazz clubs of Melbourne in the late 1920s, fighting injustice with her pearl-handled pistol and her dagger-sharp wit.
Stars: Essie Davis, Nathan Page, Hugo Johnstone-Burt, Ashleigh Cummings
Votes: 17,727
Australian
28. Dialogue avec mon jardinier (2007)
109 min | Comedy, Drama
A successful artist, weary of Parisian life and on the verge of divorce, returns to the country to live in his childhood house. He needs someone to make a real vegetable garden again out of... See full summary »
Director: Jean Becker | Stars: Daniel Auteuil, Jean-Pierre Darroussin, Fanny Cottençon, Alexia Barlier
Votes: 3,768
French
29. Into the White (I) (2012)
R | 104 min | Action, Biography, Drama
World War II: After an aerial battle over Norway, British and German airmen find themselves stranded in the wilderness. Finding shelter in the same cabin, they realize the only way to survive the winter is to set aside the rules of war.
Director: Petter Næss | Stars: Florian Lukas, David Kross, Lachlan Nieboer, Stig Henrik Hoff
Votes: 22,369
Country:Norway | Sweden
Language:English | Norwegian | German
I am not a lover of war films but this is not a "fighting" war film. This mostly takes place is a cabin in Norway and is sort of like The Breakfast Club meets a war film.
30. Belle de Jour (1967)
R | 100 min | Drama, Romance
A frigid young housewife decides to spend her midweek afternoons as a prostitute.
Director: Luis Buñuel | Stars: Catherine Deneuve, Jean Sorel, Michel Piccoli, Geneviève Page
Votes: 49,079 | Gross: $0.03M
French - similar to "Secret Diary of a Call Girl".
31. My Brilliant Career (1979)
G | 100 min | Biography, Drama, Romance
A proud young woman in early 20th century Australia must choose between marriage and independence.
Director: Gillian Armstrong | Stars: Judy Davis, Sam Neill, Wendy Hughes, Robert Grubb
Votes: 4,802
Australian
32. Top of the Lake (2013–2017)
TV-MA | 750 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Obsessed with the disappearance of a 12-year-old pregnant girl near a freezing lake in New Zealand, a brave detective will find herself up against small-town secrets and a side of herself that was meticulously kept at bay.
Stars: Elisabeth Moss, David Wenham, Peter Mullan, Thomas M. Wright
Votes: 37,732
Takes place in New Zealand
A strange and good mini-series.
Top of the Lake was co-produced by BBC Two in the UK, UKTV in Australia/NZ, and Sundance Channel in the United States.
33. Stranded (II) (2006)
52 min | Drama
Members of a group of female friends start to mysteriously disappear on a remote Caribbean island.
Director: Stuart McDonald | Stars: Emma Lung, Emily Browning, Robert Morgan, David Hoflin
Votes: 400
Australian
34. South Solitary (2010)
Not Rated | 121 min | Drama, Romance
Set in 1928, Meredith is a 35 year-old unmarried woman who arrives at a remote lighthouse island with her uncle, the new head keeper.
Director: Shirley Barrett | Stars: Miranda Otto, Marton Csokas, Essie Davis, Rohan Nichol
Votes: 487
Australian
35. Tell No One (2006)
Not Rated | 131 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
An accidental discovery near a doctor's estate stirs up some painful memories eight years after his wife's hideous murder, and now, things are bound to take a turn for the unexpected. Does the good doctor know more than he's letting on?
Director: Guillaume Canet | Stars: François Cluzet, Marie-Josée Croze, André Dussollier, Kristin Scott Thomas
Votes: 57,998 | Gross: $6.18M
French
36. 3 Idiots (2009)
PG-13 | 170 min | Comedy, Drama
Two friends are searching for their long lost companion. They revisit their college days and recall the memories of their friend who inspired them to think differently, even as the rest of the world called them "idiots".
Director: Rajkumar Hirani | Stars: Aamir Khan, Madhavan, Mona Singh, Sharman Joshi
Votes: 434,757 | Gross: $6.53M
Indian
37. Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. (2003)
Not Rated | 156 min | Comedy, Drama
A gangster sets out to fulfill his father's dream of becoming a doctor.
Director: Rajkumar Hirani | Stars: Sanjay Dutt, Arshad Warsi, Gracy Singh, Boman Irani
Votes: 88,373
Indian
38. Jean de Florette (1986)
PG | 120 min | Comedy, Drama
A greedy landowner and his backward nephew conspire to block the only water source for an adjoining property in order to bankrupt the owner and force him to sell.
Director: Claude Berri | Stars: Yves Montand, Gérard Depardieu, Daniel Auteuil, Elisabeth Depardieu
Votes: 27,552 | Gross: $4.94M
39. Manon of the Spring (1986)
PG | 113 min | Drama
A beautiful but shy shepherdess plots vengeance on the men whose greedy conspiracy to acquire her father's land caused his death years earlier.
Director: Claude Berri | Stars: Yves Montand, Emmanuelle Béart, Daniel Auteuil, Hippolyte Girardot
Votes: 23,960 | Gross: $3.94M
40. The Artist and the Model (2012)
Unrated | 105 min | Drama
In 1943, a sculptor is inspired by a young woman who has escaped from a refugee camp.
Director: Fernando Trueba | Stars: Jean Rochefort, Aida Folch, Claudia Cardinale, Chus Lampreave
Votes: 1,873 | Gross: $0.11M
41. Das Boot (1985)
TV-MA | 293 min | Drama, War
A World War II German U-Boat crew have a terrifying patrol mission in the early days of the war.
Stars: Jürgen Prochnow, Herbert Grönemeyer, Klaus Wennemann, Hubertus Bengsch
Votes: 33,436
42. O sabor das margaridas (2018–2020)
TV-MA | 70 min | Drama, Thriller
While investigating the disappearance of a teenage girl in a tight-knit Galician town, a Civil Guard officer uncovers secrets linked to a loss of her own.
Stars: María Mera, Carlos Villarino, Manuel Cortés, Sara Sanz
Votes: 4,018
43. A Place to Call Home (2013–2018)
Not Rated | 60 min | Drama
Sarah Adams returns to Australia post World War II to start anew. She begins working in a hospital, much to the dismay of Elizabeth Bligh, a wealthy matriarch.
Stars: Marta Dusseldorp, Noni Hazlehurst, Brett Climo, Craig Hall
Votes: 6,290
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