6 Foreign Films You Should See Immediately

If you’re the type of person who will proudly exclaim that you “don’t want to read a film,” when someone suggests watching something not in the English language you should probably stop reading now. For the rest of you, I’ve assembled a list of foreign films that really deserve your time.

In no particular order, here are 6 foreign films that are essential for any film fan.

La Haine

Country of origin/language: France/French

Year: 1995

Available on Netflix UK: No

A scathing social commentary on racism and class divides in suburban Paris, La Haine (Hate) follows the actions of three immigrant youths against a backdrop of riots and civil unrest in the French capital. A young Vincent Cassel plays the lead character Vinz, a young Jewish male living in a housing project, disillusioned with the establishment and harbouring fantasies of killing a police officer to earn respect amongst his peers. The film takes place over the course of 24 hours, in which Vinz and his friends, Hubert (Hubert Kounde) and Sayid (Sayid Taghmaoui) wander the streets of Paris, and are subjected to animosity and racism by policemen and civilians alike. Making use of stock footage of actual riots that occurred throughout the 1980s and 90s in France, the film has something of a documentary feel, and is shot in gritty monochrome that perfectly sets a bleak tone. Skillfully directed by Mathieu Kassovitz – also known for playing the love interest in the bizarre but charming Amelie – La Haine is a tragic, socially engaged masterpiece.

 

REC

Country of origin/language: Spain/Spanish

Year: 2008

Available on Netflix UK: No

The ‘found footage’ style of horror filmmaking has become so generic in recent years (thanks, Paranormal Activity) that it’s become all too easy to simply pass up on films that utilise it. Trust me, though, REC is by far the greatest ‘found footage’ horror movie ever made. Filmed through the lens of cameraman Pablo (Pablo Rosso), REC focuses on journalist Angela (Manuela Velasco) who shadows firefighters at a Barcelona fire station for the television series While You’re Sleeping. What appears to be a routine call-out requesting aid for an elderly woman trapped in her apartment soon turns ugly when she bites open a policeman’s jugular. Shortly after, the government quarantine the building, leaving the firefighters, policemen, journalists and confused residents trapped in the building; to make matters worse it turns out the elderly woman’s violent insanity is infectious. The handheld shooting style is used to great effect to help build uncomfortable amounts of suspense, and absolutely terrifying jump-scares. REC is one of the scariest horror films in recent memory.

 

Headhunters

Country of origin/language: Norway/Norwegian

Year: 2011

Available on Netflix UK: Yes

I’m not sure why, but films about art thieves usually manage to be effortlessly cool. Even those that don’t actually have a brilliant plot (see: Danny Boyle’s Trance) manage to exude an air of unique suaveness. Headhunters, though, has the lot; complex story, great action sequences, and suspense that culminate to create a fantastic thriller. Moving along at a blistering pace, Headhunters is the story of Roger Brown (Askel Hennie), a successful headhunter who moonlights as an art thief. After becoming jealous of his wife’s attraction to Clas Greve – played by Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, famous for portraying Jaime Lannister in HBO’s Game of Thrones – Roger plots to steal a famous painting from his house. What follows is a brutal and deadly game of cat and mouse, as Greve – a former military man who specialised in tracking people – hunts Roger to the death, killing all who stand in his way. Fans the kingslayer are definitely going to want to check this one out; seeing Coster-Waldau in action with modern day weapons is an absolute delight.

 

The Raid

Country of origin/language: Indonesia/Indonesian

Year: 2011

Available on Netflix UK: Yes

The plot of super-violent Indonesian action flick The Raid is wonderfully simple: a SWAT team descends upon a mob-run tower block in Jakarta, fighting their way through each bad-guy filled floor to take out the crime boss hiding in its penthouse. You may have to suspend your disbelief at times (not least when guns are tossed aside so the protagonist can take out swathes of bad guys with martial arts) but if you roll with it, it’s one of the most enjoyable action movies of the last decade. Its characters and plot are flimsy at best, but to nitpick these details would be to miss the point; this film unashamedly boasts wall-to-wall action, and executes it exquisitely. The shootouts are masterfully suspenseful, but the martial arts scenes are the real draw, choreographed and filmed superbly. Helmed by Welsh-born director Gareth Evans, the film’s critical and box office success allowed for a sequel, 2014’s The Raid 2.

 

Oldboy

Country of Origin/Language: South Korea/Korean

Year: 2003

Available on Netflix UK: Yes

Forget the Spike Lee remake, the South Korean original is the real deal, a tale of revenge, violence, and live octopus ingestion. Oh Dae-su (Choi Min-sik), a drunkard and recent father, is imprisoned for 15 years in a bedsit with only a television for entertainment, only to be released seemingly without reason. Later, his captor Lee Woo-jin (Yoo Ji-tae) approaches him and makes a deal; if Dae-su can discover the reason he was imprisoned within 5 days, Woo-jin will kill himself. What follows is an uncompromising, violent, frantic search for answers as the plot gradually becomes more and more disturbing; the ending is brilliantly crafted and will leave you feeling deeply uneasy in more ways than one. The violence is brutal at times, but fans of martial arts movies should check out Oldboy simply for a fight scene in which Dae-su dispatches with a corridor full of henchmen, filmed entirely in one shot. The film won the Grand Prix at Cannes in 2004, despite the best efforts of Quentin Tarantino – President of the Jury – to award the film the more prestigious Palme d’Or, which ultimately went to Fahrenheit 9/11.

 

City of God

Country of origin/language: Brazil/Portuguese

Year: 2002

Available on Netflix UK: Yes

Quite simply, a contender for the greatest gangster film of all time. City of God is set in the eponymous favela in Rio de Janeiro, a lawless sprawl of makeshift housing where organised crime is so rife, the police are afraid to go there. The film explores the favela through numerous viewpoints, showing us characters who desire to escape, and those that are desire to become part of the gangs that rule it, handing themselves an early death sentence. Spanning 20 years, the film follows a number of children growing up together who take very different life paths, each dealing with the routine brutality of the favela in their own ways. Rocket (Alexandre Rodrigues/Luis Otavio) emerges as the tale’s protagonist, a non-violent teenager who fantasises about turning his passion for photography into a career so he can escape the slum where most people are dead before their 30th birthday. City of God is a cruel, unflinching insight into one of the most dangerous places on Earth.