
























© NL Beeld
0 / 25 Fotos
Denmark: 'The Hunt' (2012)
- Mads Mikkelsen plays a lonely kindergarten teacher who becomes a public target after one of his students wrongfully accuses him of committing a lewd act in front of her.
© NL Beeld
1 / 25 Fotos
Mexico: 'Los Olvidados' (1950)
- Also called 'The Young and the Damned,' this masterpiece from Luis Buñuel, the surrealist known for his scandalous collaboration with Salvador Dali, follows a group of juvenile delinquents in the slums of Mexico City.
© NL Beeld
2 / 25 Fotos
South Africa: 'District 9' (2009)
- This mind-bending South African sci-fi film tells the story following an alien landing, when a human bureaucrat tasked with relocating the extraterrestrials starts turning into one of them.
© NL Beeld
3 / 25 Fotos
Argentina: 'The Secret in Their Eyes' (2009)
- This crime drama directed, co-written, produced, and edited by Juan José Campanella, based on the novel by Eduardo Sacheritop, tells a winding tale across two different time periods. The BBC also named it one of the 21st century's 100 best films.
© NL Beeld
4 / 25 Fotos
Hong Kong: 'In the Mood for Love' (2000)
- One of Wong Kar-wai's most seminal works, this romantic drama follows a man and a woman whose spouses have an affair together and who slowly develop an affair of their own.
© NL Beeld
5 / 25 Fotos
Brazil: 'City of God' (2002)
- One of the most internationally acclaimed films to ever come out of Brazil, this story is equally tender and gruesome. It explores the collision of childhood with the brutal realities of gang warfare, and it continues to be essential for any film lover.
© NL Beeld
6 / 25 Fotos
Germany: 'The Lives of Others' (2006)
- This Oscar-winning film is set in Cold War-era East Germany and follows a Stasi agent who makes a critical error by growing sympathy for the playwright on whom he's spying.
© NL Beeld
7 / 25 Fotos
France: 'The Intouchables' (2011)
- This famed French buddy drama stars Omar Sy, whom most know now from 'Lupin,' and François Cluzet. They play a street smart immigrant and a quadriplegic French nobleman, respectively, that form an unexpected friendship.
© Getty Images
8 / 25 Fotos
United Kingdom: 'The Prestige' (2006)
- Christopher Nolan's psychological thriller film, based on Christopher Priest's 1995 novel of the same name, follows two rival magicians in London at the end of the 19th century.
© NL Beeld
9 / 25 Fotos
South Korea: 'Parasite' (2019)
- Bong Joon-ho's film about a poor family that scams its way into the home of a wealthy one made history at the Oscars as the first-ever non-English language film to win Best Picture. It also earned Best Director, Best International Feature, and Best Original Screenplay.
© NL Beeld
10 / 25 Fotos
Colombia: 'Embrace of the Serpent' (2015)
- Ciro Guerra's adventure tale takes place in the early 1900s and tells the story of a young shaman in the Colombian Amazon who helps an ill German explorer and his local guide search for a rare plant amid his disappearing world.
© Getty Images
11 / 25 Fotos
Italy: 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly' (1966)
- This Italian epic spaghetti Western is one of Sergio Leone's most celebrated, and it stars Clint Eastwood as "the Good," Lee Van Cleef as "the Bad," and Eli Wallach as "the Ugly."
© NL Beeld
12 / 25 Fotos
Australia: 'Hacksaw Ridge' (2016)
- Directed by Mel Gibson, this film tells the true story of Pfc. Desmond T. Doss (played by Andrew Garfield), who won the Congressional Medal of Honor despite refusing to bear arms during WWII on religious grounds. He risked his life and saved 75 without firing a single shot.
© NL Beeld
13 / 25 Fotos
USA: 'The Shawshank Redemption' (1994)
- Frank Darabont's film adaptation of Stephen King's novel earned an average rating of 9.3 on IMDb, making it the top-rated film produced on the North American continent.
© NL Beeld
14 / 25 Fotos
Belgium: 'Mr. Nobody' (2009)
- Jared Leto stars as the last mortal human in this sci-fi drama set in in 2092, which will surely tie your mind in knots.
© NL Beeld
15 / 25 Fotos
Japan: 'Spirited Away' (2001)
- One of Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli's most internationally celebrated films, this animated masterpiece follows a girl who enters a spectacular spirit world that will exceed all your expectations, from the music to the wildly imaginative characters.
© NL Beeld
16 / 25 Fotos
Switzerland: 'Three Colors: Red' (1994)
- This romantic mystery, co-written, produced and directed by Polish filmmaker Krzysztof Kieślowski, is the last of his Three Colors trilogy and explores the strange bond between a part-time model and a retired judge.
© NL Beeld
17 / 25 Fotos
New Zealand: 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' (2003)
- This entry from the world-famous film franchise is the top-rated film produced in New Zealand, not to mention it won 11 Oscars!
© NL Beeld
18 / 25 Fotos
Ireland: 'Song of the Sea' (2014)
- This animated fantasy film follows two siblings who find themselves enwrapped in Celtic folklore. It was widely praised for its beautiful animation and enchanting story by both children and adults alike.
© NL Beeld
19 / 25 Fotos
Chile: 'Machuca' (2004)
- This film written and directed by Andrés Wood is set during the September 1973 military coup in Chile, but seen through the eyes of two young boys from different social classes.
© NL Beeld
20 / 25 Fotos
Sweden: 'Autumn Sonata' (1978)
- Ingmar Bergman's film stars Ingrid Bergman as a classical pianist who, despite her rocky relationship with her daughter, goes to visit her in Sweden, where they reopen the wounds of the past.
© NL Beeld
21 / 25 Fotos
Spain: 'Klaus' (2019)
- This English-language Spanish animated Christmas film, which sees Sergio Pablos in his directorial debut, was popular amongst both kids and adults for its hilarious story about a terrible postman sent out to a freezing town where Santa is hiding out.
© NL Beeld
22 / 25 Fotos
China: 'To Live' (1994)
- Also titled 'Lifetimes' in some English versions, this Chinese drama film directed by Zhang Yimou and based on Yu Hua's book tells an epic tale of a single family whose struggles stretch from the 1940s to the recent past.
© NL Beeld
23 / 25 Fotos
Canada: 'Incendies' (2010)
- This Canadian drama directed by Denis Villeneuve tells the story of a dying Middle Eastern woman living in Montreal who leaves separate letters to her twin children to be read after she dies. Sources: (Rave Reviews) See also: The 30 best thrillers of all time
© Getty Images
24 / 25 Fotos
© NL Beeld
0 / 25 Fotos
Denmark: 'The Hunt' (2012)
- Mads Mikkelsen plays a lonely kindergarten teacher who becomes a public target after one of his students wrongfully accuses him of committing a lewd act in front of her.
© NL Beeld
1 / 25 Fotos
Mexico: 'Los Olvidados' (1950)
- Also called 'The Young and the Damned,' this masterpiece from Luis Buñuel, the surrealist known for his scandalous collaboration with Salvador Dali, follows a group of juvenile delinquents in the slums of Mexico City.
© NL Beeld
2 / 25 Fotos
South Africa: 'District 9' (2009)
- This mind-bending South African sci-fi film tells the story following an alien landing, when a human bureaucrat tasked with relocating the extraterrestrials starts turning into one of them.
© NL Beeld
3 / 25 Fotos
Argentina: 'The Secret in Their Eyes' (2009)
- This crime drama directed, co-written, produced, and edited by Juan José Campanella, based on the novel by Eduardo Sacheritop, tells a winding tale across two different time periods. The BBC also named it one of the 21st century's 100 best films.
© NL Beeld
4 / 25 Fotos
Hong Kong: 'In the Mood for Love' (2000)
- One of Wong Kar-wai's most seminal works, this romantic drama follows a man and a woman whose spouses have an affair together and who slowly develop an affair of their own.
© NL Beeld
5 / 25 Fotos
Brazil: 'City of God' (2002)
- One of the most internationally acclaimed films to ever come out of Brazil, this story is equally tender and gruesome. It explores the collision of childhood with the brutal realities of gang warfare, and it continues to be essential for any film lover.
© NL Beeld
6 / 25 Fotos
Germany: 'The Lives of Others' (2006)
- This Oscar-winning film is set in Cold War-era East Germany and follows a Stasi agent who makes a critical error by growing sympathy for the playwright on whom he's spying.
© NL Beeld
7 / 25 Fotos
France: 'The Intouchables' (2011)
- This famed French buddy drama stars Omar Sy, whom most know now from 'Lupin,' and François Cluzet. They play a street smart immigrant and a quadriplegic French nobleman, respectively, that form an unexpected friendship.
© Getty Images
8 / 25 Fotos
United Kingdom: 'The Prestige' (2006)
- Christopher Nolan's psychological thriller film, based on Christopher Priest's 1995 novel of the same name, follows two rival magicians in London at the end of the 19th century.
© NL Beeld
9 / 25 Fotos
South Korea: 'Parasite' (2019)
- Bong Joon-ho's film about a poor family that scams its way into the home of a wealthy one made history at the Oscars as the first-ever non-English language film to win Best Picture. It also earned Best Director, Best International Feature, and Best Original Screenplay.
© NL Beeld
10 / 25 Fotos
Colombia: 'Embrace of the Serpent' (2015)
- Ciro Guerra's adventure tale takes place in the early 1900s and tells the story of a young shaman in the Colombian Amazon who helps an ill German explorer and his local guide search for a rare plant amid his disappearing world.
© Getty Images
11 / 25 Fotos
Italy: 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly' (1966)
- This Italian epic spaghetti Western is one of Sergio Leone's most celebrated, and it stars Clint Eastwood as "the Good," Lee Van Cleef as "the Bad," and Eli Wallach as "the Ugly."
© NL Beeld
12 / 25 Fotos
Australia: 'Hacksaw Ridge' (2016)
- Directed by Mel Gibson, this film tells the true story of Pfc. Desmond T. Doss (played by Andrew Garfield), who won the Congressional Medal of Honor despite refusing to bear arms during WWII on religious grounds. He risked his life and saved 75 without firing a single shot.
© NL Beeld
13 / 25 Fotos
USA: 'The Shawshank Redemption' (1994)
- Frank Darabont's film adaptation of Stephen King's novel earned an average rating of 9.3 on IMDb, making it the top-rated film produced on the North American continent.
© NL Beeld
14 / 25 Fotos
Belgium: 'Mr. Nobody' (2009)
- Jared Leto stars as the last mortal human in this sci-fi drama set in in 2092, which will surely tie your mind in knots.
© NL Beeld
15 / 25 Fotos
Japan: 'Spirited Away' (2001)
- One of Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli's most internationally celebrated films, this animated masterpiece follows a girl who enters a spectacular spirit world that will exceed all your expectations, from the music to the wildly imaginative characters.
© NL Beeld
16 / 25 Fotos
Switzerland: 'Three Colors: Red' (1994)
- This romantic mystery, co-written, produced and directed by Polish filmmaker Krzysztof Kieślowski, is the last of his Three Colors trilogy and explores the strange bond between a part-time model and a retired judge.
© NL Beeld
17 / 25 Fotos
New Zealand: 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' (2003)
- This entry from the world-famous film franchise is the top-rated film produced in New Zealand, not to mention it won 11 Oscars!
© NL Beeld
18 / 25 Fotos
Ireland: 'Song of the Sea' (2014)
- This animated fantasy film follows two siblings who find themselves enwrapped in Celtic folklore. It was widely praised for its beautiful animation and enchanting story by both children and adults alike.
© NL Beeld
19 / 25 Fotos
Chile: 'Machuca' (2004)
- This film written and directed by Andrés Wood is set during the September 1973 military coup in Chile, but seen through the eyes of two young boys from different social classes.
© NL Beeld
20 / 25 Fotos
Sweden: 'Autumn Sonata' (1978)
- Ingmar Bergman's film stars Ingrid Bergman as a classical pianist who, despite her rocky relationship with her daughter, goes to visit her in Sweden, where they reopen the wounds of the past.
© NL Beeld
21 / 25 Fotos
Spain: 'Klaus' (2019)
- This English-language Spanish animated Christmas film, which sees Sergio Pablos in his directorial debut, was popular amongst both kids and adults for its hilarious story about a terrible postman sent out to a freezing town where Santa is hiding out.
© NL Beeld
22 / 25 Fotos
China: 'To Live' (1994)
- Also titled 'Lifetimes' in some English versions, this Chinese drama film directed by Zhang Yimou and based on Yu Hua's book tells an epic tale of a single family whose struggles stretch from the 1940s to the recent past.
© NL Beeld
23 / 25 Fotos
Canada: 'Incendies' (2010)
- This Canadian drama directed by Denis Villeneuve tells the story of a dying Middle Eastern woman living in Montreal who leaves separate letters to her twin children to be read after she dies. Sources: (Rave Reviews) See also: The 30 best thrillers of all time
© Getty Images
24 / 25 Fotos
These are the top-rated films produced around the world
Adventure the globe from the comfort of your couch
© NL Beeld
Cinema reaches so far beyond the confines of Hollywood, and any cinephile limiting their movie-watching to a single language or region is missing out on a world of rich tales, intricate storytelling, and deeply nuanced adventures.
Everyone, no matter where they're from, tells stories about love, loss, fantasy, violence, laughter, mystery, and romance, but the style of storytelling can vary in entirely innovative ways. Rave Reviews compiled a list of top films produced across 227 countries and territories around the world based on IMDb ratings, using films that were shot in the country instead only if there were no qualifying films produced there. So buckle in for a ride through some of the best international features, and get ready to mark these down in your watchlist.
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