International Movie Musicals
While some movie musicals are still marketed in a way that downplays or downright conceals their genre, critical darling Emilia Perez has garnered ten Golden Globe nominations and is already shortlisted for six Academy Awards. In celebration of the movie musical, the following list features some of our favorites from around the world.
Changing Partners
Through four gender-bending variations, this film showcases the downfall of Alex and Chris’s love story.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Philippines • 2017
- Director Dan Villegas
- Cast Agot Isidro, Jojit Lorenzo, Sandino Martin, Anna Luna, Nicco Manalo
- Genre Music, Romance
- Available on Apple TV, Amazon Video
Office
(華麗上班族)
A takedown of capitalist corruption and greed that's savvily packaged as a song-and-dance extravaganza.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- China, Hong Kong • 2015
- Director Johnnie To
- Cast Chow Yun-Fat, Sylvia Chang, Eason Chan, Tang Wei, Wang Ziyi, Lang Yueting
- Genre Music, Drama
- Available on Fandor, OVID, Apple TV, Fandango At Home, Tubi TV, AsianCrush, Cineverse
Tokyo Tribe
(TOKYO TRIBE)
In dystopian Japan, a war breaks out between the warring gangs that dominate the streets of Tokyo.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 2014
- Director Sion Sono
- Cast Ryohei Suzuki, Young Dais, Nana Seino, Ryuta Sato, Shota Sometani, Denden
- Genre Action, Crime, Drama, Music, Science Fiction
- Available on Apple TV, Amazon Video, Hoopla
Where Do We Go Now?
(Et maintenant on va où ?)
The women of a Middle Eastern village must quell rising tensions between their Christian and Muslim men.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- France, Lebanon, Egypt • 2011
- Director Nadine Labaki
- Cast Claude Msawbaa, Leyla Hakim, Nadine Labaki, Yvonne Maalouf, Antoinette Noufaily, Julian Farhat
- Genre Comedy, Drama
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, YouTube
Hipsters
(Стиляги)
Hot Jazz meets Cold War in this Soviet-era forbidden love story!
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Russia • 2008
- Director Valery Todorovsky
- Cast Anton Shagin, Oksana Akinshina, Maksim Matveev, Igor Voynarovskiy, Ekaterina Vilkova
- Genre Drama, Romance
- Available on Kanopy
Once
Two aspiring musicians collaborate, finding love along the way.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Ireland • 2007
- Director John Carney
- Cast Glen Hansard, Markéta Irglová, Hugh Walsh, Gerard Hendrick, Alaistair Foley, Geoff Minogue
- Genre Drama, Music, Romance
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, YouTube
The Saddest Music in the World
In Depression-era Winnipeg, a legless beer baroness hosts a contest for the saddest music in the world, offering a grand prize of $25,000.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Canada • 2003
- Director Guy Maddin
- Cast Isabella Rossellini, Mark McKinney, Maria de Medeiros, David Fox, Ross McMillan, Louis Negin
- Genre Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Music
- Available on AMC+, AMC+ Amazon Channel, IFC Films Unlimited Apple TV Channel, Fandango At Home
Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham
(कभी ख़ुशी कभी ग़म)
When Rahul marries a poor woman, his father disowns him and Rahul moves to London to build a new life.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- India • 2001
- Director Karan Johar
- Cast Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Hrithik Roshan, Kareena Kapoor Khan
- Genre Comedy, Drama
- Available on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix basic with Ads, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Dancer in the Dark
A Czech immigrant on the verge of blindness, uses her love of musicals to escape her life's troubles.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Denmark, Germany, Netherlands • 2000
- Director Lars Von Trier
- Cast Björk, Catherine Deneuve, David Morse, Peter Stormare, Joel Grey, Cara Seymour
- Genre Drama
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, YouTube, Tubi TV, The Roku Channel, Plex, Plex Channel
Black Cat, White Cat
(Crna mačka, beli mačor)
After a failed business deal, a small time hustler forces his teenage son into an arranged marriage.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Yugoslavia, France, Germany • 1998
- Director Emir Kusturica
- Cast Bajram Severdzhan, Srđan Todorović, Zabit Memedov, Florijan Ajdini, Branka Katić, Ljubica Adzovic
- Genre Comedy, Romance
- Available on Klassiki
Dil Se..
(दिल से..)
When journalist Amar falls for a mysterious woman on an assignment, she does not reciprocate his feelings.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- India • 1998
- Director Mani Ratnam
- Cast Shah Rukh Khan, Manisha Koirala, Preity Zinta, Mita Vasisht, Arundhati Rao, Raghuvir Yadav
- Genre Drama, Romance
- Available on Netflix, aha, Netflix basic with Ads, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, YouTube
Oliver!
An orphan meets a pickpocket on the streets of London and joins a gang who are trained to steal for their master.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- United Kingdom • 1968
- Director Carol Reed
- Cast Ron Moody, Shani Wallis, Oliver Reed, Harry Secombe, Joseph O'Conor, Peggy Mount
- Genre Drama, Family, Music
- Available on Paramount Plus, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel, Paramount Plus Apple TV Channel , Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, YouTube
The Umbrellas of Cherbourg
(Les parapluies de Cherbourg)
A film for all the young lovers of the world.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France, West Germany • 1964
- Director Jacques Demy
- Cast Catherine Deneuve, Nino Castelnuovo, Anne Vernon, Mireille Perrey, Marc Michel, Ellen Farner
- Genre Drama, Romance
- Available on Criterion Channel, Max Amazon Channel, Max, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, YouTube, Kanopy
Black Orpheus
(Orfeu Negro)
A retelling of the Greek legend of Orpheus and Eurydice that introduced Bossa Nova to the world.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Brazil, France, Italy • 1959
- Director Marcel Camus
- Cast Breno Mello, Marpessa Dawn, Marcel Camus, Fausto Guerzoni, Lourdes de Oliveira, Léa Garcia
- Genre Drama, Fantasy, Music, Romance
- Available on Criterion Channel, Max Amazon Channel, Max, Apple TV, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, Kanopy
Mother India
In this Bollywood classic, a poverty-stricken woman rises above her circumstances to be there for her children and for herself.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- India • 1957
- Director Mehboob Khan
- Cast Nargis, Sunil Dutt, Rajendra Kumar, Raaj Kumar, Kanhaiyalal, Kumkum
- Genre Drama
- Available on Eros Now Select Apple TV Channel, Amazon Video
Le Million
(Le million)
Chase the jacket! Follow the money!
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France • 1931
- Director René Clair
- Cast René Lefèvre, Annabella, Jean-Louis Allibert, Paul Ollivier, Vanda Gréville, Constantin Siroesco
- Genre Comedy, Music
- Available on Criterion Channel