12 Best Foreign Films From Different Countries to Watch

Some of the best foreign films of recent years are Parasite from South Korea, Roma from Mexico, A Separation from Iran, The Hunt from Denmark, Drive My Car from Japan and I’m Still Here from Brazil. Each won major awards such as the Oscar, the Palme d’Or or a BAFTA, and each tells a story rooted in its own country.

For Indian viewers, foreign language cinema has become easier to find thanks to streaming and subtitles. This list, updated in October 2026, covers 12 films from 10 countries, with the year, director and the main awards each one won. We have also corrected some details from the earlier version.

Quick list

Film	Country	Year	Director
Parasite	South Korea	2019	Bong Joon Ho
Roma	Mexico	2018	Alfonso Cuarón
A Separation	Iran	2011	Asghar Farhadi
The Hunt	Denmark	2012	Thomas Vinterberg
Drive My Car	Japan	2021	Ryusuke Hamaguchi
I’m Still Here	Brazil	2024	Walter Salles

1. Parasite (South Korea, 2019)

Bong Joon Ho’s dark comedy thriller follows a poor family that slowly works its way into the household of a rich family. It won the Palme d’Or at Cannes and four Oscars, including Best Picture, the first time a non-English film won the top prize.

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2. Roma (Mexico, 2018)

Alfonso Cuarón’s black and white film is based on his childhood in Mexico City in the early 1970s and centres on a domestic worker. It won the Golden Lion at Venice and three Oscars, including Best Foreign Language Film, the first for Mexico, and Best Director for Cuarón.

3. A Separation (Iran, 2011)

Asghar Farhadi’s drama begins with a couple seeking a divorce and turns into a moral puzzle involving their families and a caregiver. It won the Golden Bear at Berlin and became the first Iranian film to win the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.

4. The Hunt (Denmark, 2012)

Mads Mikkelsen plays a kindergarten teacher in a small town whose life falls apart after a false accusation. Directed by Thomas Vinterberg, it won Mikkelsen the Best Actor award at Cannes and earned an Oscar nomination.

5. Blue Is the Warmest Colour (France, 2013)

Abdellatif Kechiche’s three-hour drama, adapted from Jul Maroh’s 2010 graphic novel, follows a young woman’s first serious relationship. At Cannes in 2013 the jury gave the Palme d’Or to the director and to lead actors Léa Seydoux and Adèle Exarchopoulos. It contains adult content.

6. Incendies (Canada, 2010)

Denis Villeneuve’s drama, adapted from a play by Wajdi Mouawad, follows twins who travel to the Middle East to uncover their mother’s past. It was nominated for the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film and helped launch Villeneuve’s career, which later included Arrival and the Dune films.

7. 13 Assassins (Japan, 2010)

Takashi Miike’s samurai action film is a remake of Eiichi Kudo’s 1963 film. A group of 13 warriors plans to kill a cruel lord. It premiered in competition at the Venice Film Festival and won four Japan Academy Prizes from ten nominations.

8. The Skin I Live In (Spain, 2011)

Pedro Almodóvar’s thriller stars Antonio Banderas as a plastic surgeon with a disturbing secret. Based on Thierry Jonquet’s novel Tarantula, it won the BAFTA for Best Film Not in the English Language and was nominated for a Golden Globe.

9. The Handmaiden (South Korea, 2016)

Park Chan-wook moved Sarah Waters’s novel Fingersmith to 1930s Korea under Japanese rule. A con man and a young maid plot against a Japanese heiress, but the plan does not go as expected. It competed at Cannes and won the BAFTA for Best Film Not in the English Language.

10. The Raid (Indonesia, 2011)

Directed by Gareth Evans and starring Iko Uwais, this action film follows a police team trapped inside a high-rise controlled by a crime lord. Its fight scenes use the Indonesian martial art pencak silat. A sequel, The Raid 2, followed in 2014.

11. Drive My Car (Japan, 2021)

Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s drama, based on a Haruki Murakami short story, follows a theatre director coping with grief while working on a production of Uncle Vanya. It won the Oscar for Best International Feature Film and was also nominated for Best Picture.

12. I’m Still Here (Brazil, 2024)

Walter Salles’s film tells the true story of Eunice Paiva, whose husband, former congressman Rubens Paiva, was taken away by Brazil’s military government in the 1970s. Fernanda Torres won a Golden Globe for the lead role, and the film won Best International Feature at the 2025 Oscars.

How to watch foreign films

Most of these films are available with English subtitles on major streaming services or to rent, though availability in India changes often. Start with Parasite or The Raid if you are new to subtitled films, then move to slower dramas such as A Separation and Drive My Car. For more film lists, visit our entertainment section, and for pop culture explainers see our infotainment section.

Further reading: Incendies.

Frequently asked questions

Sources: Blue Is the Warmest Colour (Wikipedia), The Handmaiden (Wikipedia), I’m Still Here (Wikipedia).