Minh Bui
Recommendations
Pan's Labyrinth
(El laberinto del fauno)
What happens when make-believe believes it's real?
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Mexico, Spain • 2006
- Director Guillermo del Toro
- Cast Ivana Baquero, Maribel Verdú, Sergi López, Doug Jones, Ariadna Gil, Álex Angulo
- Genre Drama, Fantasy, War
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, YouTube, Spectrum On Demand, AMC on Demand
Melancholia
Two sisters find their already strained relationship challenged as a mysterious new planet threatens to collide with Earth.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Denmark, Sweden, France • 2011
- Director Lars von Trier
- Cast Kirsten Dunst, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Kiefer Sutherland, Charlotte Rampling, John Hurt, Alexander Skarsgård
- Genre Drama, Science Fiction
- Available on Netflix, Hulu, fuboTV, Netflix basic with Ads, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, YouTube, Redbox, FlixFling, Pluto TV, Kanopy, Plex
Fallen Angels
(墮落天使)
In this bifurcated crime narrative, a disillusioned hitman attempts to escape from his violent lifestyle against the wishes of his partner.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Hong Kong • 1995
- Director Wong Kar-wai
- Cast Leon Lai, Michelle Reis, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Charlie Yeung, Karen Mok, Chan Man-Lei
- Genre Drama, Action, Romance
- Available on Criterion Channel, Max Amazon Channel, Max, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Amazon Video, YouTube
Memories of Murder
(살인의 추억)
A daring, nuanced story of the investigation around the man reported to be South Korea’s first serial killer, who was uncaught at the time of the film's release.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Korea • 2003
- Director Bong Joon-ho
- Cast Song Kang-ho, Kim Sang-kyung, Kim Roe-ha, Song Jae-ho, Park Hae-il, Go Seo-hee
- Genre Crime, Drama, Thriller
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Microsoft Store, YouTube, Vudu, Tubi TV
I Lost My Body
(J'ai perdu mon corps)
A hand escapes a lab for a journey through Paris to reunite with its body.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France • 2019
- Director Jérémy Clapin
- Cast Hakim Faris, Victoire Du Bois, Patrick d'Assumçao, Hichem Mesbah, Myriam Loucif
- Genre Animation, Drama, Fantasy
- Available on Netflix, Netflix basic with Ads
Portrait of a Lady on Fire
(Portrait de la jeune fille en feu)
Marianne, a painter, is commissioned to do the wedding portrait of Héloïse, a young woman who has just left the convent.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France • 2019
- Director Céline Sciamma
- Cast Noémie Merlant, Adèle Haenel, Luàna Bajrami, Valeria Golino, Christel Baras, Armande Boulanger
- Genre Drama, History, Romance
- Available on Hulu, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, YouTube, Kanopy
Amélie
(Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain)
A whimsical love letter to contemporary Parisian life in the form of an eccentric romantic comedy.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- France, Germany • 2001
- Director Jean-Pierre Jeunet
- Cast Audrey Tautou, Mathieu Kassovitz, Rufus, Jamel Debbouze, Claire Maurier, Isabelle Nanty
- Genre Comedy, Romance
- Available on Criterion Channel, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, YouTube, Spectrum On Demand, Freevee
Parasite
(기생충)
A poor family lies and schemes their way into the employ of a wealthy household — successfully, but with great consequences.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Korea • 2019
- Director Bong Joon-ho
- Cast Song Kang-ho, Lee Sun-kyun, Cho Yeo-jeong, Choi Woo-shik, Park So-dam, Chang Hyae-jin
- Genre Comedy, Drama, Thriller
- Available on Max Amazon Channel, Max, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, YouTube, Spectrum On Demand, AMC on Demand
La Jetée
The story of a post-nuclear war experiment with time travel, constructed almost entirely from still photos.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France • 1962
- Director Chris Marker
- Cast Jean Négroni, Hélène Chatelain, Davos Hanich, Jacques Ledoux, André Heinrich, Jacques Branchu
- Genre Romance, Science Fiction
- Available on Criterion Channel, DocAlliance Films, Apple TV, Amazon Video
Your Name.
(君の名は。)
High schoolers Mitsuha and Taki are complete strangers living separate lives. But one night, they suddenly switch places.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 2016
- Director Makoto Shinkai
- Cast Ryunosuke Kamiki, Mone Kamishiraishi, Masami Nagasawa, Etsuko Ichihara, Ryou Narita, Aoi Yuki
- Genre Animation, Drama, Romance
- Available on Criterion Channel, Crunchyroll, Crunchyroll Amazon Channel, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, YouTube, AMC on Demand
Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories
(深夜食堂: Tokyo Stories)
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 2016
- Creator Joji Matsuoka
- Cast Kaoru Kobayashi
- Genre Drama
- Available on Netflix, Netflix basic with Ads
The End of the F***ing World
Two social outcasts leave their boring lives behind only to have their worlds turned upside down. Maybe boring isn't so bad after all...
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- United Kingdom • 2017
- Creator Jonathan Entwistle
- Cast Alex Lawther, Jessica Barden, Naomi Ackie
- Genre Comedy, Crime, Drama
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Amazon Video, Netflix, Netflix basic with Ads
Day of the Girl Spotlight
Pan's Labyrinth
(El laberinto del fauno)
What happens when make-believe believes it's real?
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Mexico, Spain • 2006
- Director Guillermo del Toro
- Cast Ivana Baquero, Maribel Verdú, Sergi López, Doug Jones, Ariadna Gil, Álex Angulo
- Genre Drama, Fantasy, War
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, YouTube, Spectrum On Demand, AMC on Demand
The Scent of Green Papaya
(Mùi đu đủ xanh)
An orphan and a servant for a merchant family in Saigon, Mui witnesses all their darkest secrets, but never loses her childlike love for the world.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Vietnam, France • 1993
- Director Tran Anh Hung
- Cast Trần Nữ Yên Khê, Man San Lu, Thi Loc Truong, Nguyen Anh Hoa, Hoa Hoi Vuong, Ngoc Trung Tran
- Genre Drama, Romance
- Available on Kanopy, Hoopla, Metrograph, Vudu, Amazon Video, Kino Now
The Breadwinner
An enchanting story of a brave young girl who puts her life at risk to provide for her family.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Ireland, Canada, Luxembourg • 2017
- Director Nora Twomey
- Cast Saara Chaudry, Soma Bhatia, Laara Sadiq, Shaista Latif, Ali Badshah, Noorin Gulamgaus
- Genre Animation, Drama, Family, War
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, YouTube, AMC on Demand
Girlhood
(Bande de filles)
A girl with few real prospects joins a gang, reinventing herself and gaining a sense of self confidence in the process.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France • 2014
- Director Céline Sciamma
- Cast Karidja Touré, Assa Sylla, Lindsay Karamoh, Mariétou Touré, Idrissa Diabaté, Rabah Nait Oufella
- Genre Drama
- Available on Hoopla, Showtime Apple TV Channel, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Amazon Video, YouTube, Kanopy
Girl
A transgender 15-year-old girl dreams of becoming a ballerina.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Belgium, Netherlands • 2018
- Director Lukas Dhont
- Cast Victor Polster, Arieh Worthalter, Oliver Bodart, Tijmen Govaerts, Chris Thys, Nele Hardiman
- Genre Drama
- Available on Netflix, Netflix basic with Ads
The Third Wife
In 19th-century rural Vietnam, 14-year-old May becomes the third wife of wealthy landowner.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Vietnam • 2019
- Director Ash Mayfair
- Cast Nguyễn Phương Trà My, Trần Nữ Yên Khê, Lê Vũ Long, Mai Thu Hường, Như Quỳnh
- Genre Drama
- Available on Hoopla, Apple TV, Vudu, Amazon Video, Tubi TV, The Roku Channel, Kanopy, Plex,
Mustang
In a small Turkish village, five sisters struggle against the restrictions of their conservative family.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Turkey, France, Germany • 2015
- Director Deniz Gamze Ergüven
- Cast Güneş Nezihe Şensoy, Doğa Zeynep Doğuşlu, Elit İşcan, Tuğba Sunguroğlu, Ilayda Akdoğan, Nihal Koldaş
- Genre Drama
- Available on MUBI, Fandor Amazon Channel, Cohen Media Amazon Channel, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, Kino Now, Tubi TV, Cineverse, Kanopy
I Am Not a Witch
An 8-year-old girl is convicted of witchcraft and brought to a penal colony where witches do hard labor.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- United Kingdom, France, Germany • 2017
- Director Rungano Nyoni
- Cast Maggie Mulubwa, Henry B.J. Phiri, Gloria Huwiler, Nellie Munamonga, Dyna Mufuni
- Genre Drama
- Available on Hoopla, AMC+ Amazon Channel, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Amazon Video, YouTube, Tubi TV, Pluto TV, Freevee, Kanopy, Plex,
A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night
A lonely vampire preys on the depraved residents of Bad City — but finds love in another tortured soul.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Iran, United States • 2014
- Director Ana Lily Amirpour
- Cast Sheila Vand, Arash Marandi, Marshall Manesh, Mozhan Marnò, Dominic Rains, Rome Shadanloo
- Genre Horror, Romance, Western
- Available on Hoopla, Metrograph, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Amazon Video, YouTube, Kino Now, Kanopy
Blue Is the Warmest Color
(La Vie d'Adèle - Chapitres 1 et 2)
Adèle's life changes completely when she meets Emma, a young woman with blue hair.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France, Belgium, Spain • 2013
- Director Abdellatif Kechiche
- Cast Adèle Exarchopoulos, Léa Seydoux, Salim Kechiouche, Aurélien Recoing, Catherine Salée, Benjamin Siksou
- Genre Drama, Romance
- Available on MUBI, AMC+, AMC+ Amazon Channel, IFC Films Unlimited Apple TV Channel, Apple TV, Vudu, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, The Roku Channel, Kanopy
Persepolis
The downfall of the Iranian Shah is just the start of Marjane Satrapi's struggle for freedom and belonging.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France, United States • 2007
- Director Marjane Satrapi
- Cast Chiara Mastroianni, Danielle Darrieux, Catherine Deneuve, Simon Abkarian, Gabrielle Lopes Benites, François Jerosme
- Genre Animation, Drama
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, YouTube, Spectrum On Demand
Spirited Away
(千と千尋の神隠し)
A ten-year-old girl must save her parents from hostile spirits.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 2001
- Director Hayao Miyazaki
- Cast Rumi Hiiragi, Miyu Irino, Mari Natsuki, Bunta Sugawara, Yumi Tamai, Ryunosuke Kamiki
- Genre Animation, Family, Fantasy
- Available on Max Amazon Channel, Max, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, YouTube
Chance Encounters Spotlight
Chungking Express
(重慶森林)
Two tales of love and loss told in sequence.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Hong Kong • 1994
- Director Wong Kar-wai
- Cast Brigitte Lin, Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Faye Wong, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Valerie Chow, Piggy Chan
- Genre Comedy, Drama, Romance
- Available on Criterion Channel, Max Amazon Channel, Max, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Amazon Video, YouTube
In the Mood for Love
(花樣年華)
Longing and loneliness collide in this understated romance.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Hong Kong, China • 2000
- Director Wong Kar-wai
- Cast Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Maggie Cheung, Rebecca Pan, Kelly Lai Chen, Siu Ping-Lam, Mama Hung
- Genre Drama, Romance
- Available on Criterion Channel, Max Amazon Channel, Max, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Amazon Video, YouTube
Weekend
A one night stand turned 48-hour love story.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- United Kingdom • 2011
- Director Andrew Haigh
- Cast Tom Cullen, Chris New, Jonathan Race, Laura Freeman, Loreto Murray, Kieran Hardcastle
- Genre Drama, Romance
- Available on MUBI, MUBI Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, AMC+, AMC+ Amazon Channel, IFC Films Unlimited Apple TV Channel, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, YouTube, Pluto TV, Kanopy
Lola
A chance encounter with Lola has Roland falling in love, but she may not return his feelings.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Italy, France • 1961
- Director Jacques Demy
- Cast Anouk Aimée, Marc Michel, Jacques Harden, Alan Scott, Elina Labourdette, Margo Lion
- Genre Drama, Romance
- Available on Criterion Channel
Brief Encounter
After a chance meeting, two married people begin a passionate, but doomed, romantic affair.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- United Kingdom • 1945
- Director David Lean
- Cast Celia Johnson, Trevor Howard, Stanley Holloway, Joyce Carey, Cyril Raymond, Everley Gregg
- Genre Drama, Romance
- Available on Criterion Channel, FlixFling, Max Amazon Channel, Max, Apple TV, Amazon Video, The Roku Channel, Freevee, Shout! Factory TV, Plex
Call Me by Your Name
Is it better to speak or die?
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Italy, France, Brazil • 2017
- Director Luca Guadagnino
- Cast Timothée Chalamet, Armie Hammer, Michael Stuhlbarg, Amira Casar, Esther Garrel, Victoire Du Bois
- Genre Drama, Romance
- Available on Hulu, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Microsoft Store, YouTube, Amazon Video, AMC on Demand
The Little Prince
Growing up isn't the problem... forgetting is.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France • 2015
- Director Mark Osborne
- Cast Jeff Bridges, Mackenzie Foy, Rachel McAdams, Marion Cotillard, Riley Osborne, James Franco
- Genre Adventure, Animation, Family, Fantasy
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Amazon Video, YouTube
The Day He Arrives
(북촌방향)
Aimlessly wandering around a town for three days, Sang-Joon has a series of chance encounters.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Korea • 2011
- Director Hong Sang-soo
- Cast Yu Jun-sang, Kim Sang-joong, Song Seon-mi, Kim Bo-kyung, Kim Eui-sung
- Genre Drama
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Kanopy
Lost in Translation
Everyone wants to be found.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- United States, Japan • 2003
- Director Sofia Coppola
- Cast Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansson, Giovanni Ribisi, Anna Faris, Akiko Takeshita, Fumihiro Hayashi
- Genre Comedy, Drama, Romance
- Available on Max Amazon Channel, Max, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, YouTube, Spectrum On Demand, AMC on Demand
Shoplifters
(万引き家族)
Sometimes it's better to choose your own family.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 2018
- Director Hirokazu Kore-eda
- Cast Lily Franky, Sakura Ando, Mayu Matsuoka, Jyo Kairi, Miyu Sasaki, Kirin Kiki
- Genre Crime, Drama
- Available on Hulu, Hoopla, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Amazon Video, Redbox, FlixFling, Spectrum On Demand, Tubi TV
Summer with Monika
(Sommaren med Monika)
During a summer, two teenagers in love leave their small town and get married after an unexpected pregnancy.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Sweden • 1953
- Director Ingmar Bergman
- Cast Harriet Andersson, Lars Ekborg, Dagmar Ebbesen, Åke Fridell, Naemi Briese, Åke Grönberg
- Genre Drama, Romance
- Available on Criterion Channel, TCM, Apple TV, Amazon Video, Kanopy
The Illusionist
(L'illusionniste)
When life loses its wonder, all it takes is one person who still believes in magic.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France, United Kingdom • 2010
- Director Sylvain Chomet
- Cast Jean-Claude Donda, Eilidh Rankin, Jacques Tati
- Genre Animation, Drama
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, YouTube, Spectrum On Demand, AMC on Demand
Time Travel Spotlight
La Jetée
The story of a post-nuclear war experiment with time travel, constructed almost entirely from still photos.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France • 1962
- Director Chris Marker
- Cast Jean Négroni, Hélène Chatelain, Davos Hanich, Jacques Ledoux, André Heinrich, Jacques Branchu
- Genre Romance, Science Fiction
- Available on Criterion Channel, DocAlliance Films, Apple TV, Amazon Video
Run Lola Run
(Lola rennt)
Every second of every day, you're faced with a decision that can change your life.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Germany • 1998
- Director Tom Tykwer
- Cast Franka Potente, Moritz Bleibtreu, Herbert Knaup, Nina Petri, Armin Rohde, Joachim Król
- Genre Action, Drama, Thriller
- Available on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Amazon Video, YouTube, AMC on Demand, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
Je T'Aime, Je T'Aime
(Je t'aime, je t'aime)
A malfunctioning time machine traps a man in his painful past.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France • 1968
- Director Alain Resnais
- Cast Claude Rich, Olga Georges-Picot, Anouk Ferjac, Van Doude, Claire Duhamel, Bernard Fresson
- Genre Drama, Science Fiction
- Available on Kino Now
Mirai
(未来のミライ)
A young boy meets his sister from the future.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 2018
- Director Mamoru Hosoda
- Cast Moka Kamishiraishi, Haru Kuroki, Gen Hoshino, Kumiko Aso, Mitsuo Yoshihara, Yoshiko Miyazaki
- Genre Adventure, Animation, Family, Fantasy
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, YouTube, Spectrum On Demand, AMC on Demand
Timecrimes
(Los cronocrímenes)
After accidentally traveling back in time, Hector must stop a murder before it happens.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Spain • 2007
- Director Nacho Vigalondo
- Cast Karra Elejalde, Candela Fernández, Bárbara Goenaga, Nacho Vigalondo, Juan Inciarte, Libby Brien
- Genre Science Fiction, Thriller
- Available on Hoopla, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Amazon Video, YouTube, FlixFling
Kaili Blues
(路边野餐)
In search of his brother's abandoned son, a doctor encounters a mysterious town of dreams and memories.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- China • 2016
- Director Bi Gan
- Cast Chen Yongzhong, Guo Yue, Linyan Liu, Feiyang Luo, Lixun Xie
- Genre Drama, Mystery
- Available on Hoopla, Metrograph, Apple TV, Amazon Video, Fandor
Midnight in Paris
A young couple is forced to confront the idea that a life different from their own might be better.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Spain, United States, France • 2011
- Director Woody Allen
- Cast Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Kurt Fuller, Mimi Kennedy, Michael Sheen, Nina Arianda
- Genre Comedy, Fantasy, Romance
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, YouTube, Spectrum On Demand, AMC on Demand
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
(時をかける少女)
A teenage girl finds out she can travel through time and, after some missteps, must make things right again.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 2006
- Director Mamoru Hosoda
- Cast Riisa Naka, Takuya Ishida, Mitsutaka Itakura, Ayami Kakiuchi, Mitsuki Tanimura, Yuki Sekido
- Genre Animation, Drama, Fantasy, Science Fiction
- Available on Crunchyroll, Crunchyroll Amazon Channel, Apple TV
Not the End
(Sin fin)
A man travels back in time in a desperate effort to make his depressed lover happy once again.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Spain • 2018
- Director José Esteban Alenda, César Esteban Alenda
- Cast Javier Rey, María León, Juan Carlos Sánchez, Mari Paz Sayago, Paco Ochoa, Roberto Campillo
- Genre Drama, Fantasy, Romance, Science Fiction
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, YouTube
Predestination
To save the future, he must reshape the past.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Australia, United States • 2014
- Director Michael Spierig, Peter Spierig
- Cast Ethan Hawke, Sarah Snook, Noah Taylor, Christopher Kirby, Madeleine West, Jim Knobeloch
- Genre Science Fiction, Thriller
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, YouTube, Vudu, AMC on Demand
Russian Ark
(Русский ковчег)
2000 cast members, 3 orchestras, 33 rooms, 300 years. All in one take.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Russia, Germany, Japan • 2002
- Director Aleksandr Sokurov
- Cast Sergei Dreiden, Mariya Kuznetsova, Leonid Mozgovoy, Maksim Sergeev, Vladimir Baranov, Kirill Miller
- Genre Drama, Fantasy, History, Mystery
- Available on Hoopla, Kino Now, Kanopy, Plex
About Time
A man uses his newfound time travel ability to win over the girl of his dreams.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- United Kingdom • 2013
- Director Richard Curtis
- Cast Domhnall Gleeson, Rachel McAdams, Bill Nighy, Lydia Wilson, Lindsay Duncan, Richard Cordery
- Genre Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Romance
- Available on Starz Apple TV Channel, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, YouTube, AMC on Demand