Spotlight: Horror without Borders
As Halloween approaches, we present this selection of recent scary movies from around the world, ranging from the unsettling to the downright terrifying, from ghost stories to body horror, about haunted houses, deadly diseases, ruthless revenge, and so much more…
Hatching
(Pahanhautoja)
A young gymnast keeps a strange secret from her overbearing mother.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Finland, Sweden • 2022
- Director Hanna Bergholm
- Cast Siiri Solalinna, Sophia Heikkilä, Jani Volanen, Reino Nordin, Oiva Ollila
- Genre Fantasy, Horror
- Available on Hulu, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, YouTube, DIRECTV
The Sadness
A virus mutates into a disease that turns ordinary people into vicious monsters.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Taiwan • 2021
- Director Robert Jabbaz
- Cast Berant Zhu, Regina Lei, Ying-Ru Chen, Tzu-Chiang Wang, Tsai Chang-Hsien, Lan Wei-Hua
- Genre Action, Horror
- Available on Microsoft Store, Shudder, Amazon Video, Vudu, AMC+ Amazon Channel, Shudder Amazon Channel
Crimes of the Future
Surgery is the new sex!
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Canada, France, Greece • 2022
- Director David Cronenberg
- Cast Viggo Mortensen, Léa Seydoux, Kristen Stewart, Scott Speedman, Welket Bungué, Don McKellar
- Genre Drama, Horror, Science Fiction
- Available on DIRECTV, Microsoft Store, Redbox, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, AMC on Demand, Vudu, Spectrum On Demand, Hulu, YouTube, Apple TV
Amulet
The inhabitants of a decaying house fear something insidious might be living alongside them.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- United Kingdom • 2020
- Director Romola Garai
- Cast Carla Juri, Alec Secăreanu, Imelda Staunton, Angeliki Papoulia, Paul O'Kelly
- Genre Horror
- Available on Hulu, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, YouTube, Redbox, DIRECTV, Kanopy
Saloum
A trio of mercenaries navigate a mysterious region of Senegal in this genre-shifting thriller.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Senegal • 2021
- Director Jean Luc Herbulot
- Cast Yann Gael, Evelyne Ily Juhen, Roger Felmont Sallah, Mentor Ba, Bruno Henry, Marielle Salmier
- Genre Action, Fantasy, Horror
- Available on DIRECTV, Microsoft Store, Shudder, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, Vudu, AMC+ Amazon Channel, YouTube, AMC+ Roku Premium Channel, Shudder Amazon Channel, Apple TV
His House
This unique film fuses haunted-house horror with the modern-day refugee crisis.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- United Kingdom • 2020
- Director Remi Weekes
- Cast Sope Dirisu, Wunmi Mosaku, Matt Smith, Malaika Wakoli-Abigaba, Javier Botet, Emily Taaffe
- Genre Drama, Horror, Thriller
- Available on No streaming locations found.
Bloody Oranges
(Oranges sanguines)
A retired couple enters a dance competition, a minister faces a scandal, and a teenage girl wants to lose her virginity.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France • 2021
- Director Jean-Christophe Meurisse
- Cast Alexandre Steiger, Christophe Paou, Lilith Grasmug, Olivier Saladin, Lorella Cravotta, Fred Blin
- Genre Comedy, Horror
- Available on Microsoft Store, Shudder, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, Vudu, VUDU Free, AMC+ Amazon Channel, Tubi TV, YouTube, Shudder Amazon Channel, Apple TV
Relic
A daughter, mother, and grandmother are haunted by a manifestation of dementia that consumes their family's home.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Australia, United States • 2020
- Director Natalie Erika James
- Cast Emily Mortimer, Bella Heathcote, Robyn Nevin, Chris Bunton, Steve Rodgers, Catherine Glavicic
- Genre Drama, Horror, Mystery, Thriller
- Available on AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+ Roku Premium Channel, AMC Plus Apple TV Channel , DIRECTV, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Amazon Video
Ghost Stories
An anthology of four short horror tales by Bollywood's premier directors.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- India • 2020
- Director Karan Johar, Zoya Akhtar, Anurag Kashyap, Dibakar Banerjee
- Cast Jhanvi Kapoor, Surekha Sikri, Vijay Varma, Sobhita Dhulipala, Sagar Arya, Zachary Braz
- Genre Bollywood, Horror
- Available on Netflix, Netflix basic with Ads
Piggy
(Cerdita)
An overweight teenager witnesses her bullies getting abducted and debates informing the police of what she saw.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Spain • 2022
- Director Carlota Pereda
- Cast Laura Galán, Adrian Grösser, Carmen Machi, Julián Valcárcel, José Pastor, Irene Ferreiro
- Genre Drama, Horror, Thriller
- Available on Microsoft Store, Redbox, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, Vudu, Spectrum On Demand, AMC+ Amazon Channel, Hulu, YouTube, Apple TV
Titane
A near-fatal car crash leaves a girl with physical and emotional trauma that shapes her future — and her fetishes.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France, Belgium • 2021
- Director Julia Ducournau
- Cast Vincent Lindon, Agathe Rousselle, Garance Marillier, Laïs Salameh, Mara Cissé, Marin Judas
- Genre Drama, Horror, Thriller
- Available on Hulu, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Microsoft Store, Redbox, AMC on Demand, DIRECTV, Kanopy
Speak No Evil
(Gæsterne)
While visiting a Dutch family they met on holiday, a Danish family is met with a a series of bizarre and grotesque events.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Denmark, Netherlands • 2022
- Director Christian Tafdrup
- Cast Morten Burian, Sidsel Siem Koch, Fedja van Huêt, Karina Smulders, Liva Forsberg, Marius Damslev
- Genre Horror, Mystery
- Available on DIRECTV, Microsoft Store, Shudder, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, Vudu, Spectrum On Demand, AMC+ Amazon Channel, YouTube, AMC+ Roku Premium Channel, Shudder Amazon Channel, Apple TV
Spotlight: No Place Like Home
Home is where the heart is and this week’s Spotlight features films with homes, and the idea of home, at their emotional center. More than simple sets, these homes offer insight into the innermost lives of their inhabitants as they confront questions of isolation and togetherness, exclusion and belonging.
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
(Mujeres al Borde de un Ataque de Nervios)
Spanish icon of cinema Pedro Almodovar's jaunty feminist masterpiece.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Spain • 1988
- Director Pedro Almodóvar
- Cast Carmen Maura, Antonio Banderas, Julieta Serrano, María Barranco, Rossy de Palma, Kiti Mánver
- Genre Comedy, Drama
- Available on Freevee, Amazon Video, AMC on Demand, Apple TV
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 Cohen Media Amazon Channel, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, Kino Now, Tubi TV, Kanopy
Dogtooth
(Κυνόδοντας)
A teenager confined to a family compound with her siblings concocts an escape plan.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Greece • 2009
- Director Yorgos Lanthimos
- Cast Christos Stergioglou, Michele Valley, Angeliki Papoulia, Hristos Passalis, Mary Tsoni, Anna Kalaitzidou
- Genre Drama
- Available on Criterion Channel, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, Hoopla, Vudu, Alamo on Demand, Kino Now, Kanopy, Plex, Tubi TV, YouTube, Pluto TV, Apple TV
Our Little Sister
(海街diary)
A father's secret.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 2015
- Director Hirokazu Kore-eda
- Cast Haruka Ayase, Masami Nagasawa, Kaho, Suzu Hirose, Ryo Kase, Ryohei Suzuki
- Genre Drama, Comedy
- Available on Apple TV, Vudu, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, Spectrum On Demand, Google Play Movies, YouTube, DIRECTV
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 Netflix, Apple TV, Vudu, Microsoft Store, Redbox, AMC on Demand, DIRECTV, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, YouTube
Aquarius
Sometimes staying put is the greatest challenge.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Brazil, France • 2016
- Director Kleber Mendonça Filho
- Cast Sônia Braga, Maeve Jinkings, Irandhir Santos, Humberto Carrão, Fernando Teixeira, Zoraide Coleto
- Genre Drama
- Available on Apple TV, Vudu, Amazon Video, Kino Now, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Kanopy
Roma
A meditative portrait of a domestic worker's journey through adversity in turbulent 1970s Mexico City.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Mexico, United States • 2018
- Director Alfonso Cuarón
- Cast Yalitza Aparicio, Marina de Tavira, Diego Cortina Autrey, Carlos Peralta, Marco Graf, Daniela Demesa
- Genre Drama
- Available on Netflix, Netflix basic with Ads
Pain and Glory
(Dolor y gloria)
Aging film director Salvador Mallo turns to drugs to manage his chronic pain, triggering memories of childhood in rural Spain.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Spain • 2019
- Director Pedro Almodóvar
- Cast Antonio Banderas, Asier Etxeandia, Leonardo Sbaraglia, Nora Navas, Julieta Serrano, Penélope Cruz
- Genre Drama
- Available on Starz, Starz Roku Premium Channel, Starz Amazon Channel, Apple TV, Vudu, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, Redbox, AMC on Demand, Google Play Movies, YouTube, DIRECTV
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 Hulu, Apple TV, Vudu, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, Redbox, AMC on Demand, Spectrum On Demand, Google Play Movies, YouTube, FlixFling, DIRECTV, Alamo on Demand, Kanopy
Mon Oncle
(Mon oncle)
Mr Hulot takes a precious, playful ... and purely premeditated look at modern times...
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France, Italy • 1958
- Director Jacques Tati
- Cast Jacques Tati, Jean-Pierre Zola, Adrienne Servantie, Lucien Frégis, Betty Schneider, Jean-François Martial
- Genre Comedy
- Available on HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, Amazon Video, Apple TV, HBO Max
The Father
An elderly man refuses to accept assistance from his daughter, even as his grip on reality starts to slip.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- United Kingdom • 2020
- Director Florian Zeller
- Cast Anthony Hopkins, Olivia Colman, Mark Gatiss, Olivia Williams, Imogen Poots, Rufus Sewell
- Genre Drama
- Available on Apple TV, Vudu, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, Redbox, AMC on Demand, Spectrum On Demand, DIRECTV, Google Play Movies, YouTube
The Handmaiden
(아가씨)
Her heart may not be the only thing stolen.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Korea • 2016
- Director Park Chan-wook
- Cast Kim Min-hee, Kim Tae-ri, Ha Jung-woo, Cho Jin-woong, Kim Hae-sook, Moon So-ri
- Genre Drama, Romance, Thriller
- Available on Amazon Prime Video, FilmBox+, Vudu
Spotlight: Autumn Tales
With the fall equinox well behind us, we head deep into autumn with the films in this week’s Spotlight. From pensive family dramas to stories of rebellion and revolution, these 12 films share warm color palettes, images of falling leaves and crisp autumn skies, and themes of transformation.
Maurice
After his lover rejects him, a young man trapped by Edwardian society tries to accept his sexuality.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- United Kingdom • 1987
- Director James Ivory
- Cast James Wilby, Hugh Grant, Rupert Graves, Denholm Elliott, Simon Callow, Billie Whitelaw
- Genre Drama, Romance
- Available on Microsoft Store, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, Vudu, Cohen Media Amazon Channel, Kino Now, Kanopy, Tubi TV, YouTube, Apple TV
The Tree of Wooden Clogs
(L'albero degli zoccoli)
When the family of man was still--- a family.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Italy • 1978
- Director Ermanno Olmi
- Cast Luigi Ornaghi, Francesca Moriggi, Omar Brignoli, Antonio Ferrari, Teresa Brescianini, Giuseppe Brignoli
- Genre Drama, History
- Available on Criterion Channel, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, Vudu, YouTube, Apple TV
Late August, Early September
(Fin août, début septembre)
After struggling writer Adrien reveals to his friends that he is dying, they are prompted to reassess the trajectories of their lives.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France • 1999
- Director Olivier Assayas
- Cast Mathieu Amalric, Virginie Ledoyen, François Cluzet, Jeanne Balibar, Alex Descas, Arsinée Khanjian
- Genre Drama, Romance
- Available on HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, HBO Max
November
In a medieval Estonian village, a group of peasants use magic and folk wisdom to survive the winter.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Estonia, Netherlands, Poland • 2017
- Director Rainer Sarnet
- Cast Rea Lest, Jörgen Liik, Arvo Kukumägi, Katariina Unt, Taavi Eelmaa, Heino Kalm
- Genre Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Romance
- Available on Apple TV, Vudu, Microsoft Store, Spamflix, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Kanopy
The Wild Pear Tree
(Ahlat Ağacı)
A son returns home to only to be met with his father's debt.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Turkey, Macedonia, France • 2018
- Director Nuri Bilge Ceylan
- Cast Aydın Doğu Demirkol, Murat Cemcir, Bennu Yıldırımlar, Hazar Ergüçlü, Serkan Keskin, Tamer Levent
- Genre Drama
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, YouTube, Kanopy
An Autumn Afternoon
(秋刀魚の味)
An aging widower arranges a marriage for his only daughter.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 1962
- Director Yasujirō Ozu
- Cast Chishū Ryū, Shima Iwashita, Keiji Sada, Mariko Okada, Teruo Yoshida, Noriko Maki
- Genre Drama
- Available on HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, Amazon Video, Apple TV, HBO Max
October (Ten Days that Shook the World)
(Октябрь)
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Soviet Union • 1928
- Director Sergei Eisenstein, Grigori Aleksandrov
- Cast Vladimir Popov, Vasili Nikandrov, Layaschenko, Boris Livanov, Mikholyev, Chibisov
- Genre Drama, History
- Available on Film Movement Plus, Amazon Video, The Film Detective, Kanopy, IndieFlix, Pantaflix
The Duke of Burgundy
Tell me when to stop...
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- United Kingdom, Hungary • 2014
- Director Peter Strickland
- Cast Sidse Babett Knudsen, Chiara D'Anna, Eugenia Caruso, Zita Kraszkó, Monica Swinn, Eszter Tompa
- Genre Drama, Mystery, Romance
- Available on DIRECTV, Microsoft Store, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, AMC+ Amazon Channel, Kanopy, Tubi TV, YouTube, Pluto TV, AMC+ Roku Premium Channel, Apple TV
Autumn Sonata
(Höstsonaten)
Time can't heal all wounds.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- West Germany, United Kingdom • 1978
- Director Ingmar Bergman
- Cast Ingrid Bergman, Liv Ullmann, Lena Nyman, Halvar Björk, Marianne Aminoff, Arne Bang-Hansen
- Genre Drama
- Available on HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, Google Play Movies, Vudu, YouTube, Apple TV, HBO Max
The Double Life of Véronique
(La double vie de Véronique)
Each of us is matched somewhere in the world by our exact double, someone who shares our thoughts and dreams.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France, Poland, Norway • 1991
- Director Krzysztof Kieślowski
- Cast Irène Jacob, Halina Gryglaszewska, Philippe Volter, Guillaume de Tonquédec, Kalina Jędrusik, Aleksander Bardini
- Genre Drama, Thriller
- Available on Criterion Channel, Amazon Video, Apple TV
I Vitelloni
(I vitelloni)
Five young men dream of success as they drift lazily through life in a small Italian village.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Italy, France • 1953
- Director Federico Fellini
- Cast Franco Interlenghi, Alberto Sordi, Franco Fabrizi, Leopoldo Trieste, Riccardo Fellini, Leonora Ruffo
- Genre Comedy, Drama
- Available on HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, Amazon Video, Apple TV, HBO Max
Petite Maman
(Petite maman)
A young girl ventures into the woods around her grandmother's house and forms a friendship with a lonely local girl.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France • 2021
- Director Céline Sciamma
- Cast Joséphine Sanz, Gabrielle Sanz, Nina Meurisse, Stéphane Varupenne, Margot Abascal
- Genre Drama, Family, Fantasy
- Available on Microsoft Store, Redbox, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, Vudu, Spectrum On Demand, Kanopy, Hulu, YouTube, Apple TV
Spotlight: World Teachers' Day
With school back in session and in celebration of World Teachers' Day (October 5th), we present this Spotlight on films about those entrusted with the responsibility of education, the powerful impact they can have, and the struggles and rewards involved in their work.
Mr. Bachmann and His Class
(Herr Bachmann und seine Klasse)
This inspiring documentary explores the close bond between a German school teacher and his students.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Germany • 2021
- Director Maria Speth
- Cast Dieter Bachmann, Aynur Bal, Önder Cavdar
- Genre Documentary
- Available on MUBI Amazon Channel, MUBI
The Kindergarten Teacher
(Haganenet)
A kindergartner's gift for poetry makes him an object of fascination for his teacher.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Israel, France • 2014
- Director Nadav Lapid
- Cast Sarit Larry, Avi Shnaidman, Lior Raz, Gilad ben David, Ester Rada
- Genre Drama
- Available on Google Play Movies, Vudu, VUDU Free, Kino Now, Kanopy, Tubi TV, YouTube, Apple TV
Miss Kiet's Children
(De kinderen van Juf Kiet)
Through her tenderness and insistence, a teacher inspires a classroom of refugee children, teaching them to solve problems and respect each other.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Netherlands • 2016
- Director Petra Lataster-Czisch
- Cast
- Genre Documentary
- Available on Amazon Video, OVID, Apple TV
The Class
(Entre les murs)
Based on his real life, a teacher must deal with the challenging dynamics of his multicultural classroom.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France • 2008
- Director Laurent Cantet
- Cast François Bégaudeau, Franck Keïta, Louise Grinberg, Rabah Nait Oufella, Esmeralda Ouertani, Rachel Regulier
- Genre Drama
- Available on Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, Vudu, YouTube, Apple TV
Bad Education
(La mala educación)
A filmmaker must confront uncomfortable memories when he receives a script from an old friend.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Spain • 2004
- Director Pedro Almodóvar
- Cast Gael García Bernal, Fele Martínez, Daniel Giménez Cacho, Lluís Homar, Francisco Maestre, Francisco Boira
- Genre Crime, Drama, Romance, Thriller, Mystery
- Available on Microsoft Store, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, AMC on Demand, Vudu, YouTube, Apple TV
House of Hummingbird
(벌새)
Seoul, 1994. Fourteen-year-old Eunhee struggles to navigate the treacherous waters of adolescence, until the arrival of a sympathetic new teacher.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Korea • 2019
- Director Kim Bo-ra
- Cast Park Ji-hu, Kim Sae-byuk, Jeong In-gi, Lee Seung-yeon, Park Soo-yeon, Son Sang-yeon
- Genre Drama
- Available on No streaming locations found.
The Wave
(Die Welle)
A high school teacher's unorthodox lesson on autocracy spirals out of control and causes students to turn against one another.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Germany, France • 2008
- Director Dennis Gansel
- Cast Jürgen Vogel, Frederick Lau, Max Riemelt, Jennifer Ulrich, Christiane Paul, Elyas M'Barek
- Genre Drama, Thriller
- Available on Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, Tubi TV, YouTube, The Roku Channel, Apple TV
The Teacher
(Učiteľka)
The strange story of Mrs. Drazdechova --- a teacher who blackmails her students' parents.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Slovakia, Czech Republic • 2016
- Director Jan Hřebejk
- Cast Zuzana Mauréry, Csongor Kassai, Zuzana Konečná, Tamara Fischer, Martin Havelka
- Genre Drama, Comedy
- Available on Film Movement Plus, Apple TV, Amazon Video, Vudu, Tubi TV, Freevee, Kanopy, Plex
Another Round
(Druk)
It is time to sweep off the dust of everyday life.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Denmark, Sweden, Netherlands • 2020
- Director Thomas Vinterberg
- Cast Mads Mikkelsen, Thomas Bo Larsen, Lars Ranthe, Magnus Millang, Maria Bonnevie, Susse Wold
- Genre Comedy, Drama
- Available on Hulu, Viaplay, Hoopla, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Amazon Video, YouTube, Redbox, Spectrum On Demand, Microsoft Store, The Roku Channel, Kanopy
Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom
(ལུང་ནག་ན)
A teacher in search of inspiration travels to the most remote school in the world.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Bhutan, China • 2019
- Director Pawo Choyning Dorji
- Cast Sherab Dorji, Ugyen Norbu Lhendup, Keldon Lhamo Gurung, Pem Zam, Chimi Dem
- Genre Drama
- Available on Netflix, Hoopla, Netflix basic with Ads, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, YouTube, DIRECTV, Amazon Video, Kanopy
Monsieur Lazhar
An elementary school class is left reeling after their teacher dies by suicide—until the substitute arrives…
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Canada • 2011
- Director Philippe Falardeau
- Cast Mohamed Fellag, Émilien Néron, Danielle Proulx, Sophie Nélisse, Marie-Ève Beauregard, Denise Lamontagne
- Genre Comedy, Drama
- Available on Sundance Now, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, Crackle, Hoopla, Vudu, Spectrum On Demand, AMC+ Amazon Channel, Kanopy, Plex, Tubi TV, YouTube, Fandor Amazon Channel, Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video
Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn
(Babardeala cu bucluc sau porno balamuc)
A secondary school teacher must face the wrath of her community when her sex tape spreads online.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Romania, Croatia, Czech Republic • 2021
- Director Radu Jude
- Cast Katia Pascariu, Claudia Ieremia, Olimpia Malai, Nicodim Ungureanu, Alexandru Potocean, Andi Vasluianu
- Genre Comedy, Drama
- Available on DIRECTV, Microsoft Store, Vudu, Hulu, Apple TV
Spotlight: Short Films: Lasting Impact
These films may be small, but their influence and legacy are undeniable. Often under-watched and overlooked in favor of feature-length films, many short films have a powerful impact. Let’s take a look at some fantastic short films that address social issues like war, sexuality, and feminism head-on.
Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You're a Girl)
The story of young Afghan girls learning to read, write and skateboard in Kabul.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- United Kingdom • 2019
- Director Carol Dysinger
- Cast
- Genre Documentary
- Available on Microsoft Store, Amazon Video, Hoopla, Vudu, Kanopy, Apple TV
Talking Heads
(Gadające głowy)
Acclaimed director Krzysztof Kieślowski poses a few simple questions to people of all ages across Poland.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Poland • 1980
- Director Krzysztof Kieślowski
- Cast
- Genre Documentary
- Available on Criterion Channel
Neighbours
Two neighbors come to blows over a flower that straddles the property line.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Canada • 1952
- Director Norman McLaren
- Cast Grant Munro, Jean Paul Ladouceur
- Genre Animation, Comedy
- Available on OVID, Filmzie, Kanopy
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, Amazon Video, Apple TV
The White Helmets
To save a life is to save all of humanity.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- United Kingdom • 2016
- Director Orlando von Einsiedel
- Cast Khalid Farah, Mohammed Farah, Abu Omar, Raed Saleh
- Genre Documentary, War
- Available on Netflix, Netflix basic with Ads
Song of Love
(Un chant d'amour)
Two prisoners in complete isolation, separated by the thick brick walls, and desperately in need of human contact, devise a most unusual kind of communication.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France • 1950
- Director Jean Genet
- Cast Lucien Sénémaud, Bravo, André Reybaz, Jean Genet, Java, Coco Le Martiniquais
- Genre Romance, Fantasy
- Available on Kanopy, MUBI
Reluctantly Queer
The troubled life of a queer Ghanaian man struggling to keep a relationship with his mother.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Ghana, United States • 2016
- Director Akosua Adoma Owusu
- Cast Kwame Edwin Otu
- Genre
- Available on No streaming locations found.
Wasp
A short film about a singer mother and her four children.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- United Kingdom • 2003
- Director Andrea Arnold
- Cast Natalie Press, Danny Dyer, Jodie Mitchell, Molly Griffiths, Kaitlyn Raynor, Danny Daley
- Genre Drama
- Available on Criterion Channel
Night and Fog
(Nuit et brouillard)
Filmmaker Alain Resnais documents the atrocities behind the walls of Hitler's concentration camps.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France • 1955
- Director Alain Resnais
- Cast Michel Bouquet, Reinhard Heydrich, Heinrich Himmler, Adolf Hitler, Julius Streicher
- Genre Documentary, History, War
- Available on HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, Amazon Video, Apple TV, HBO Max
Marguerite
An elderly woman develops a connection with her home nurse and is encouraged to confront her long-repressed feelings.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Canada • 2017
- Director Marianne Farley
- Cast Béatrice Picard, Sandrine Bisson
- Genre Drama
- Available on Apple TV
Sitara: Let Girls Dream
(Sitara - Let Girls Dream)
A young girl longs to be a pilot against her families wishes.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Pakistan, United States • 2019
- Director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy
- Cast
- Genre Animation, Drama
- Available on Netflix basic with Ads, Netflix
The House Is Black
(خانه سیاه است)
A look at life and suffering in a leper colony with a focus on the beauty of creation.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Iran • 1963
- Director Forugh Farrokhzad
- Cast Forugh Farrokhzad, Ebrahim Golestan, Hossein Mansouri
- Genre Documentary
- Available on Criterion Channel
Spotlight: San Sebastián International Film Festival
As the San Sebastián Film Festival begins, and coincides with the start of National Hispanic Heritage Month in the US, it seems like an opportune moment to celebrate some of the festival’s prize winning films from Spain, Argentina, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, and Peru.
The Spirit of the Beehive
(El espíritu de la colmena)
In the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War, the 7 year-old Ana goes to search for Frankenstein's monster after seeing the film herself.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Spain • 1973
- Director Víctor Erice
- Cast Fernando Fernán Gómez, Teresa Gimpera, Ana Torrent, Isabel Tellería, Laly Soldevila, Miguel Picazo
- Genre Drama, Fantasy
- Available on Criterion Channel
The Endless Trench
(La trinchera infinita)
The Spanish Civil War has just started, and a Republican man under constant threat from Franco’s army must hide under his house.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Spain, France, Canada • 2019
- Director Jose Mari Goenaga
- Cast Antonio de la Torre, Belén Cuesta, Vicente Vergara, José Manuel Poga, Emilio Palacios, Adrián Fernández
- Genre Drama, History, Thriller
- Available on Netflix, Netflix basic with Ads
Alanis
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Argentina • 2017
- Director Anahí Berneri
- Cast Sofía Gala Castiglione, Dante Della Paolera, Dana Basso, Silvina Sabater, Carlos Vuletich, Estela Garelli
- Genre Drama
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Amazon Video, YouTube, Tubi TV, VUDU Free, Kanopy
Magical Girl
The father of a terminally ill girl is determined to grant his daughter her last wish, a very expensive anime costume.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Spain, France • 2014
- Director Carlos Vermut
- Cast Bárbara Lennie, José Sacristán, Luis Bermejo, Lucía Pollán, Israel Elejalde, Elisabet Gelabert
- Genre Drama, Thriller
- Available on Apple TV, Kanopy
Smoke & Mirrors
(El hombre de las mil caras)
The incredible true story of the man who fooled an entire country
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Spain • 2016
- Director Alberto Rodríguez Librero
- Cast Jose Coronado, Marta Etura, Eduard Fernández, Itziar Atienza, Christian Stamm, Craig Stevenson
- Genre History, Thriller
- Available on Apple TV, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Bad Hair
(Pelo malo)
A nine-year old boy’s obsession with straightening his hair elicits a tidal wave of homophobic panic in his hard-working mother.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Venezuela, Peru, Argentina • 2013
- Director Mariana Rondón
- Cast Beto Benitez, Samantha Castillo, Samuel Lange Zambrano, Nelly Ramos, María Emilia Sulbarán
- Genre Drama
- Available on Kanopy
Blancanieves
Based on Snow White, this adaptation centers on a female bullfighter.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Spain, Belgium, France • 2012
- Director Pablo Berger
- Cast Maribel Verdú, Macarena García, Daniel Giménez Cacho, Ángela Molina, Inma Cuesta, Sofía Oria
- Genre Drama, Fantasy
- Available on Microsoft Store, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, Vudu, Cohen Media Amazon Channel, Kanopy, Tubi TV, YouTube, Apple TV
Marshland
(La isla mínima)
Two detectives must join together to solve a series of murders in the South of Spain.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Spain • 2014
- Director Alberto Rodríguez Librero
- Cast Raúl Arévalo, Javier Gutiérrez, Antonio de la Torre, Nerea Barros, Salva Reina, Jesús Castro
- Genre Thriller
- Available on Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, Filmzie, Kanopy, Tubi TV, YouTube
The King of Havana
(El Rey de La Habana)
Three young people struggle to get by on the streets of Havana in the late 90s.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Spain, Dominican Republic • 2015
- Director Agustí Villaronga
- Cast Maykol David, Yordanka Ariosa, Héctor Medina, Jazz Vilá, Chanel Terrero, Ileana Wilson
- Genre Drama
- Available on Apple TV, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Mondays in the Sun
(Los lunes al sol)
A group of former shipbuilders in a coastal town struggle with unemployment after the closure of their shipyard.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Spain, France, Italy • 2002
- Director Fernando León de Aranoa
- Cast Javier Bardem, Luis Tosar, Nieve de Medina, Enrique Villén, Celso Bugallo, José Ángel Egido
- Genre Comedy, Drama
- Available on Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, Vudu, YouTube, Apple TV
Rojo
When everyone becomes silent, no one is innocent.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Argentina, Brazil, France • 2018
- Director Benjamín Naishtat
- Cast Darío Grandinetti, Andrea Frigerio, Alfredo Castro, Laura Grandinetti, Claudio Martínez Bel
- Genre Drama, Mystery, Thriller
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Amazon Video, YouTube, Tubi TV
The Artist and the Model
(El artista y la modelo)
An aging artist finds new inspiration when he takes in a Spanish refugee and makes her his model.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Spain, France • 2012
- Director Fernando Trueba
- Cast Jean Rochefort, Aida Folch, Claudia Cardinale, Götz Otto, Chus Lampreave, Christian Sinniger
- Genre Drama
- Available on Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, Vudu, Cohen Media Amazon Channel, Kino Now, Kanopy, YouTube, Apple TV
Spotlight: Memories
Memories materialize on film. From a conversation between a mother and a daughter to a tragic love affair in the aftermath of war, cinema condenses both small moments and grand narratives in time. Under the camera’s gaze, the personal merges with the political through the power of memory.
After Life
(ワンダフルライフ)
What is the one memory you would take with you?
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 1998
- Director Hirokazu Kore-eda
- Cast Arata Iura, Erika Oda, Susumu Terajima, Takashi Naitō, Kei Tani, Kyōko Kagawa
- Genre Fantasy, Drama
- Available on Criterion Channel
Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives
(ลุงบุญมีระลึกชาติ)
Contemplating the reasons for his illness, Boonmee treks through the jungle with his family to a mysterious hilltop cave.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Thailand, United Kingdom, France • 2010
- Director Apichatpong Weerasethakul
- Cast Sakda Kaewbuadee, Jenjira Pongpas, Thanapat Saisaymar, Natthakarn Aphaiwonk, Geerasak Kulhong, Wallapa Mongkolprasert, Kanokporn Tongaram
- Genre Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
- Available on Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, Vudu, Alamo on Demand, YouTube, Fandor Amazon Channel, Apple TV
Time Regained
(Le Temps Retrouvé)
For Marcel Proust, to live is to remember and to capture memories is to create a great work of art.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France, Italy, Portugal • 1999
- Director Raúl Ruiz
- Cast Catherine Deneuve, Emmanuelle Béart, Vincent Pérez, John Malkovich, Pascal Greggory, Marcello Mazzarella
- Genre Drama
- Available on No streaming locations found.
Mirror
(Зеркало)
The thoughts, emotions, and memories of 40 year-old Alexei, reflecting on his life experiences in three different time periods.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Soviet Union • 1975
- Director Andrei Tarkovsky
- Cast Margarita Terekhova, Ignat Daniltsev, Larisa Tarkovskaya, Alla Demidova, Anatoliy Solonitsyn, Nikolay Grinko
- Genre Drama, History
- Available on Freevee, Criterion Channel, Vudu
My Memories of Old Beijing
(城南旧事)
A woman recalls her childhood and the troubled times of China in the 1930s.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- China • 1983
- Director Wu Yigong
- Cast Shen Jie, Zhang Feng Yi, Zheng Zhenyao, Zhang Min, Yan Xiang, Yan Qin
- Genre Drama
- Available on No streaming locations found.
Three Colors: Blue
(Trois couleurs : Bleu)
Julie distances herself from everywhere and everyone after her husband and daughter are killed in a car accident.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France, Poland, Switzerland • 1993
- Director Krzysztof Kieślowski
- Cast Juliette Binoche, Benoît Régent, Florence Pernel, Charlotte Véry, Hélène Vincent, Philippe Volter
- Genre Drama
- Available on HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, Amazon Video, Apple TV, HBO Max
Hiroshima Mon Amour
(Hiroshima mon amour)
The story of a young French actress and her affair with a Japanese man while on assignment in Hiroshima.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France, Japan • 1959
- Director Alain Resnais
- Cast Emmanuelle Riva, Eiji Okada, Stella Dassas, Pierre Barbaud, Bernard Fresson
- Genre Drama, History, Romance
- Available on Criterion Channel, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, Vudu, YouTube, Apple TV
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, Amazon Video, Apple TV
Reminiscences of a Journey to Lithuania
Jonas Mekas takes a trip back to Semeniškiai, the village of his birth.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- United Kingdom, West Germany • 1972
- Director Jonas Mekas
- Cast Pola Chapelle, Peter Kubelka, Adolfas Mekas, Jonas Mekas, Hollis Melton, Annette Michelson
- Genre Documentary
- Available on Amazon Video, Fandor Amazon Channel
Muriel, or the Time of Return
(Muriel, ou le Temps d'un retour)
A middle-aged widow reunites with an old flame, and both grow increasingly haunted by their own past.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France, Italy • 1963
- Director Alain Resnais
- Cast Delphine Seyrig, Jean-Pierre Kérien, Jean-Baptiste Thiérrée, Nita Klein, Claude Sainval, Laurence Badie
- Genre Drama
- Available on Criterion Channel, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, Vudu, YouTube, Apple TV
Wild Strawberries
(Smultronstället)
A retired doctor reflects on his life during a long road trip to receive an honorary degree.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Sweden • 1957
- Director Ingmar Bergman
- Cast Victor Sjöström, Bibi Andersson, Ingrid Thulin, Gunnar Björnstrand, Jullan Kindahl, Gunnar Sjöberg
- Genre Drama
- Available on HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, Amazon Video, Kanopy, Apple TV, HBO Max
No Home Movie
Conversations between Chantal Akerman and her mother, chatting and sharing memories both in person and through Skype.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Belgium, France • 2015
- Director Chantal Akerman
- Cast Chantal Akerman, Natalia Akerman, Sylvaine Akerman
- Genre Documentary
- Available on OVID, Amazon Video, Kanopy
Spotlight: Sound Bath
While what we hear in a film may not always get the same attention as what we see, thoughtful sound design can bring life, authenticity, and dimension to moving images. The following films feature primarily diegetic sound designs and limited dialogue, resulting in immersive soundscapes that enhance the films' visuals and sweep the viewer away on waves of auditory texture.
Jeanne Dielman, 23, Quai du Commerce 1080 Bruxelles
A lonely widowed housewife cares for her apartment and teenage son, and uses sex work to make ends meet.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Belgium, France • 1975
- Director Chantal Akerman
- Cast Delphine Seyrig, Jan Decorte, Henri Storck, Jacques Doniol-Valcroze, Yves Bical
- Genre Drama
- Available on HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, Amazon Video, Vudu, Apple TV, HBO Max
Roma
A meditative portrait of a domestic worker's journey through adversity in turbulent 1970s Mexico City.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Mexico, United States • 2018
- Director Alfonso Cuarón
- Cast Yalitza Aparicio, Marina de Tavira, Diego Cortina Autrey, Carlos Peralta, Marco Graf, Daniela Demesa
- Genre Drama
- Available on Netflix, Netflix basic with Ads
2001: A Space Odyssey
Humanity finds a mysterious monolith buried beneath the lunar surface and sets off to find its origins.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- United Kingdom, United States • 1968
- Director Stanley Kubrick
- Cast Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood, William Sylvester, Douglas Rain, Daniel Richter, Leonard Rossiter
- Genre Adventure, Mystery, Science Fiction
- Available on TCM, Microsoft Store, HBO Max Amazon Channel, Redbox, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, AMC on Demand, Vudu, Spectrum On Demand, YouTube, Apple TV, HBO Max
Dreams
(夢)
A collection of magical tales based upon the actual dreams of director Akira Kurosawa.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan, United States • 1990
- Director Akira Kurosawa
- Cast Akira Terao, Mitsuko Baisho, Toshie Negishi, Mieko Harada, Mitsunori Isaki, Toshihiko Nakano
- Genre Drama, Fantasy
- Available on Microsoft Store, Redbox, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, Hoopla, Vudu, YouTube, Apple TV
Beau Travail
(Beau travail)
Maybe freedom begins with remorse.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France • 2000
- Director Claire Denis
- Cast Denis Lavant, Michel Subor, Grégoire Colin, Nicolas Duvauchelle, Richard Courcet, Adiatou Massudi
- Genre Drama
- Available on HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, Vudu, YouTube, Apple TV, HBO Max
Acasă, My Home
(Acasă)
When their home is turned into a public park, a family living in nature is forced to relocate to the city.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Romania, Germany • 2020
- Director Radu Ciorniciuc
- Cast
- Genre Documentary
- Available on Hoopla, Klassiki, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Amazon Video, YouTube, Kino Now, Kanopy
La Ciénaga
The self-pitying lives of a bored bourgeois family set during the summer in a small provincial town in Argentina.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Argentina, France, Spain • 2001
- Director Lucrecia Martel
- Cast Mercedes Morán, Graciela Borges, Martín Adjemián, Leonora Balcarce, Silvia Baylé, Sofia Bertolotto
- Genre Comedy, Drama
- Available on HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, Amazon Video, Apple TV, HBO Max
Gunda
An intimate look at the life of a sow and her companions.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Norway, United States • 2021
- Director Viktor Kossakovsky
- Cast
- Genre Documentary
- Available on Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, Vudu, Kanopy, Hulu, Apple TV
My Neighbor Totoro
(となりのトトロ)
Sisters and spirits come together in this magical tale.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 1988
- Director Hayao Miyazaki
- Cast Noriko Hidaka, Hitoshi Takagi, Chika Sakamoto, Shigesato Itoi, Sumi Shimamoto, Tanie Kitabayashi
- Genre Animation, Family, Fantasy
- Available on Microsoft Store, HBO Max Amazon Channel, Redbox, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, Vudu, YouTube, Apple TV, HBO Max
Stranger by the Lake
(L'Inconnu du Lac)
Franck falls in love with Michel, an attractive, potent, and lethally dangerous man.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France • 2013
- Director Alain Guiraudie
- Cast Pierre Deladonchamps, Christophe Paou, Patrick d'Assumçao, Jérôme Chappatte, Mathieu Vervisch, Gilbert Traina
- Genre Drama, Thriller
- Available on Amazon Video, Vudu, Kanopy
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, Alamo on Demand, Kanopy
Goodbye, Dragon Inn
(不散)
A historic and regal theater in Taipei is screening its final film, the 1967 wuxia classic "Dragon Inn."
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Taiwan • 2003
- Director Tsai Ming-liang
- Cast Lee Kang-sheng, Chen Shiang-Chyi, Kiyonobu Mitamura, Miao Tien, Shih Chun, Chen Chao-jung
- Genre Drama
- Available on Metrograph
Spotlight: Golden Lions and Hidden Gems
With the Venice Film Festival starting this week, let's look back at some of the lower-profile winners of the top prize. Over time, the Golden Lion has launched some films into the annals of film history, while others have fallen into obscurity. This list showcases those under-seen films honored by the festival.
Before the Rain
(Пред дождот)
Three interconnected stories of love under the threat of civil war in Macedonia and London.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- United Kingdom, France, North Macedonia • 1994
- Director Milcho Manchevski
- Cast Katrin Cartlidge, Rade Šerbedžija, Grégoire Colin, Labina Mitevska, Phyllida Law, Silvija Stojanovska
- Genre Drama, War
- Available on Criterion Channel
Hands over the City
(Le mani sulla città)
Corruption. Passion. Outrage.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Italy, France • 1963
- Director Francesco Rosi
- Cast Rod Steiger, Salvo Randone, Guido Alberti, Marcello Cannavale, Dante Di Pinto, Alberto Conocchia
- Genre Drama
- Available on Criterion Channel
Family Diary
(Cronaca familiare)
Two brothers from practically different worlds.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Italy • 1962
- Director Valerio Zurlini
- Cast Marcello Mastroianni, Jacques Perrin, Salvo Randone, Valeria Ciangottini, Sylvie, Marco Guglielmi
- Genre Drama
- Available on Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, Vudu, YouTube, Apple TV
Manon
A World War II French freedom fighter falls under a devious woman's spell.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France • 1949
- Director Henri-Georges Clouzot
- Cast Serge Reggiani, Michel Auclair, Cécile Aubry, Andrex, Raymond Souplex, André Valmy
- Genre Adventure, Drama, Thriller
- Available on Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, ARROW, YouTube, Apple TV, MUBI Amazon Channel, MUBI
Marianne and Juliane
(Die bleierne Zeit)
Two sisters, one a journalist and one a terrorist, fight for women’s civil rights in very different ways.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- West Germany • 1981
- Director Margarethe von Trotta
- Cast Jutta Lampe, Barbara Sukowa, Julia Biedermann, Ina Robinski, Rüdiger Vogler, Doris Schade
- Genre Drama
- Available on Kanopy
Lebanon
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Israel, France, Germany • 2009
- Director Samuel Maoz
- Cast Oshri Cohen, Michael Moshonov, Yoav Donat, Itay Tiran, Zohar Strauss
- Genre Drama, War
- Available on Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, Vudu, YouTube, Apple TV
The Story of Qiu Ju
(秋菊打官司)
When her husband is injured by a village elder, a peasant woman travels far and wide seeking justice.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- China, Hong Kong • 1992
- Director Zhang Yimou
- Cast Gong Li, Peiqi Liu, Liuchun Yang, Lei Kesheng, Ge Zhijun
- Genre Comedy, Drama
- Available on FilmBox+
The Woman Who Left
(Ang Babaeng Humayo)
There'll be no comfort for the wicked.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Philippines • 2017
- Director Lav Diaz
- Cast Charo Santos-Concio, John Lloyd Cruz, Michael De Mesa, Nonie Buencamino, Shamaine Buencamino
- Genre Drama
- Available on Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, Vudu, Kino Now, Kanopy, Metrograph, YouTube, Apple TV
Not One Less
(一个都不能少)
A 13 year-old substitute teacher in the Chinese countryside goes looking for one of her lost pupils in the city.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- China • 1999
- Director Zhang Yimou
- Cast Wei Minzhi, Zhang Huike, Tian Zhenda, Gao Enman, Sun Zhimei, Feng Yuying
- Genre Drama
- Available on Amazon Video, Vudu, Apple TV
General Della Rovere
(Il generale Della Rovere)
He's only pretending to be a hero... right?
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Italy, France • 1959
- Director Roberto Rossellini
- Cast Vittorio De Sica, Hannes Messemer, Vittorio Caprioli, Nando Angelini, Herbert Fischer
- Genre War, Drama
- Available on Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, Kino Now, Kanopy, YouTube, Apple TV
From Afar
(Desde allá)
A wealthy, middle-aged man gets involved with a young, reckless gang member.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Venezuela, Mexico • 2016
- Director Lorenzo Vigas
- Cast Alfredo Castro, Luis Silva, Jericó Montilla, Catherina Cardozo, Marcos Moreno
- Genre Drama
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Amazon Video, YouTube, Kanopy
The Rickshaw Man
(無法松の一生)
A poor but optimistic rickshaw driver becomes a surrogate father to the young son of a widow.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 1958
- Director Hiroshi Inagaki
- Cast Toshiro Mifune, Hideko Takamine, Hiroshi Akutagawa, Chōko Iida, Chishū Ryū, Haruo Tanaka
- Genre Drama
- Available on Criterion Channel