Parasite broke new ground for international movies when it was a huge success domestically, but there are other must-see foreign films that rival the South Korean hit. Director Bong Joon Ho’s unique vision of class strife is a mix of suspense, horror, and comedy, and it captured the imaginations of viewers all around the globe.

Especially in the United States, foreign films have always been relegated to art houses, but Parasite perfectly captured the zeitgeist of the time and was rewarded handsomely. It was the first foreign film to ever win Best Picture at the Oscars, and is generally regarded as one of the best movies of the 21st century thus far.

However, Parasite isn’t the only non-English-language movie that’s worth watching, and any film catalog isn’t complete without a well-rounded slice of international cinema. Often offering a completely different view from the Hollywood mainstream, international movies are a diverse bunch, and usually reflect aspects of the individual cultures that spawn them.

The Cranes Are Flying (1957)

On the other side of the iron curtain, Soviet filmmakers were churning out excellent films like Mikhail Kalatozov’s The Cranes are Flying. Kalatozov uses his camera to explore the inner world of Veronika, who is madly in love with her beau, who is off fighting in WWII. There is a dour beauty to every frame, as the war closes in.

The epic romance hearkens back to the love stories of old, yet there is also an exaggerated dreamlike quality to the execution. The Cranes are Flying is a philosophical musing on the search for happiness, and it is the sort of message that is universal and timeless. Like Parasite, it uses the language of cinema itself to make a statement.

Ashes And Diamonds (1958)

Generally regarded as the crown jewel of Polish cinema, Ashes and Diamonds is a war movie unlike any other. Set in the days immediately following the end of the European portion of WWII, Andrzej Wajda’s epic explores the complicated moral challenges that Poland faced as it struggled to form its post-war idenтιтy.

Ashes and Diamond has elements of political thrillers and war dramas, and tells its story on multiple scales. On the one hand, it’s the story of one man’s moral dilemma, while on the other, it’s a larger tale of post-war politics. Despite being lumped in with other high-concept foreign films, Ashes and Diamonds is an unrelenting thrill ride.

Playtime (1967)

French filmmaker Jacques Tati had been delivering charming films for years when he finally directed Playtime, and it’s undeniably his magnum opus work. Tati also stars as his mostly-silent character, Mr. Hulot, who spends the film bumbling his way through Paris as he struggles to fit in with the hustle and bustle of the modern world.

Through the use of hilarious physical comedy, Tati skewers the dehumanizing and rigid elements of modern life, from bland workplaces to isolating social situations. Playtime never stops moving, and is a frenetic romp that leaves no humorous stone unturned. Like all of Tati’s work, there is a charming nostalgia and subtle beauty in the simplest of details.

8 1/2 (1963)

Italian cinema exploded in the post-WWII years, and Federico Fellini took the lead as one of the country’s prominent artistic voices. 8 1/2 is Fellini’s most auto-biographical film, and is an unusual example of the movie about making movies sub-genre. It incorporates Fellini’s surrealist ideas, while staying emotionally grounded as well.

Marcello Mastroianni stars as the story’s Fellini surrogate, and his performance perfectly reflects the film’s unusual tone. Many foreign films are derided for being too inaccessible and “avant-garde”, but 8 1/2 is an excellent introduction to the more unorthodox side of filmmaking. It introduces elements of dream-like storytelling, without sacrificing any of its humanity.

Seven Samurai (1954)

Perhaps more than any other nation, the cinema of Japan has had widespread appeal in the West. This is due in large part to filmmakers like Akira Kurosawa, and movies like Seven Samurai, which has an epic scale to rival even the biggest Hollywood production. The three-and-a-half-hour spectacle is a tale of redemption and revenge, and is worth every second.

Partially inspired by the structure of American westerns, Seven Samurai would ironically inspire quite a few movies on its own. It’s the purest example of Kurosawa’s deft handling of characters, and his ability to control the pace of a film for maximum impact. There are a lot of gems in the samurai genre, but Seven Samurai is the definitive movie.

City Of God (2002)

International cinema gives the world a chance to see other countries through a universal window, and City of God is Brazil’s towering achievement. Directors Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund sH๏τ on-location in some of Rio de Janeiro’s poorest neighborhoods to weave a tale that is familiar and yet unique to the Brazilian locale.

Vibrant and colorful pH๏τography often clashes with the dour story being told onscreen, and City of God relishes the art of cinema. Much of what’s shown feels so real because the largely non-professional cast is acting on instinct, which lends it natural emotion. American crime dramas often feel very repeтιтive, but there’s never been another movie like City of God.

Memories Of Murder (2003)

Parasite isn’t Bong Joon Ho’s only masterpiece, and Memories of Murder proves he was a master of cinema nearly 20 years before his 2019 Oscar-winner. The South Korean cop drama is partially inspired by a real-life serial killing case, but mostly spends the bulk of its running time examining the detectives and the inepтιтude within the system.

Memories of Murder is a specific dissection of South Korean culture, but it still manages to have widespread appeal. Many of the movie’s darker moments are universally human, and it has aged surprisingly well. Like Parasite, there is a chilling horror just beneath the surface, and it sticks with the viewer long after the credits roll.

Tokyo Story (1953)

Though genre films are usually what international audiences know about Japanese cinema, the charming dramas of Yasujirō Ozu deserve attention. Known for his slice-of-life portraits, Ozu’s career hit its peak with Tokyo Story, a tale of generational division and the treatment of the elderly in Japanese society. It’s based on the equally devastating American film, Make Way for Tomorrow.

The brilliance of the film is its simplicity, and it stands in stark contrast to the movie it was inspired by. Instead of the maudlin drama of the 1937 classic, Tokyo Story is slow-moving and pensive. It’s a story that anyone from anywhere can understand, but Ozu filters the tale through Japanese culture, which imparts a one-of-a-kind flavor.

Wild Strawberries (1957)

Ingmar Bergman is perhaps the most famous international filmmaker of all time, and his dozens of movies add up to an impressive filmography of brilliant cinema. However, Wild Strawberries can be considered his ultimate work because it encapsulates everything that makes Bergman great. It’s poetic and philosophical, and especially sentimental about the past.

Subtle uses of dreamy imagery add touches of flare, but Wild Strawberries never goes too far into surrealist territory. Bergman’s brilliant screenplay does a lot with a little, and his ensemble cast is both hilarious and tragic too. It’s an especially impressive feat when considering he made his other classic, The Seventh Seal, in the same year.

Come And See (1985)

Some nations are over-represented in international cinema, while places like Belarus can often be summed up with their one great film achievement. Come and See is an earth-shattering war drama, and it has only gotten more impactful as the years wear on. It was a modest hit when it initially premiered, but largely disappeared for decades.

Bouncing from unflinching realism to an almost surreal tone, Come and See challenges the viewer in ways that few other films have ever dared. One young boy becomes the conduit for all the hate and evil of war, and no one who sees the movie is the same afterward. Parasite might have been shocking, but Come and See makes it look like a day in the park.