70 Best Movies to Watch In Arabic (Page 5)

Depictions of the Middle East and Africa have been around since the beginning of cinema history, while Arab filmmakers are finally beginning to gain global notoriety. Here are the best movies featuring the Arabic language to stream now.

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61. Our Boys, 2019

A unique insight into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through one case of violence that rocked public opinion in both countries: the abduction of three Israeli boys (hence the show title) and the retaliation by Israeli extremists who abducted a Palestinian boy. This case would eventually spark the 2014 Gaza war. It’s slow, it requires subtitles, and the acting is not always sharp but there might not be a piece of storytelling that reflects how those two societies perceive each other more than this American-Israeli show.

Genre: Drama, Mystery

Actor: Adam Gabay, Johnny Arbid, Lior Ashkenazi, Michael Aloni, Shadi Mar'i, Shlomi Elkabetz

Rating: TV-MA

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62. Jacir, 2023

The Syrian refugee crisis is still ongoing, so it can understandably be difficult to create a nuanced and accurate depiction. Jacir is an earnest attempt at this. Keeping it on the more personal side, the film focuses on the journey of one Syrian refugee as he gets to know members of his neighborhood, like his black co-worker Jerome and his opioid-addicted neighbor Meryl. Though occasionally bogged down by clunky dialogue, their struggles genuinely outline the same struggles faced by communities failed by their institutions. It’s only through banding together as a community that Jacir and his friends can survive.

Genre: Drama

Actor: Jonathan Stoddard, Lorraine Bracco, Luke Barnett, Mark Jeffrey Miller, Rosalyn R. Ross

Director: Waheed AlQawasmi

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63. Atlantics, 2019

A poetic and peculiar movie from Senegal about a girl who is forced to marry a wealthy businessman instead of her love interest. The latter, a poor construction worker, embarks on a risky journey across the sea to Europe. The story takes a supernatural turn thereafter, one that is unlike anything seen before in stories around immigration, but one which makes sense. Still, the excellent acting and the long takes that immerse you in what life is like in Senegal, both in and out of the margins of society, are the reasons to watch here. Atlantics' characters are believable and will capture your interest throughout the usual and unusual parts of the movie. They provide rare insight into narratives that most of us have never been exposed to.

Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Mystery, Romance

Actor: Abdou Balde, Amadou Mbow, Amina Kane, Aminata Kane, Arame Fall Faye, Babacar Sylla, Coumba Dieng, Diankou Sembene, Ibrahima Mbaye, Ibrahima Traore, Mama Sane, Mame Bineta Sane, Mariama Gassama, Mati Diop, Nicole Sougou, Traore

Director: Mati Diop

Rating: TV-14

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64. Ship of Theseus, 2012

	
Ever since the premier at the Toronto Film festival critics and viewers have been raving about this low-budget gem. A lot of people go as far as calling it a life-changing film, and rightfully so.  It tells the story of three people from different parts of the world who face new ethical problems caused by a change in their body: a blind photographer who finally gains sight; an animal rights activist whose newly diagnosed liver condition requires treatment that involves animal testing; and a man who, after having a kidney transplant, learns about the black market for organ trade. The title refers to the paradox that asks if all parts of a ship are replaced, does it stay the same ship? A beautiful intellectual exercise.Genre: Drama
Actor: Aida El-Kashef, Aida Elkashef, Aishwarya, Aishwarya Bhaskar, Aydah El-Kashef, Faraz Khan, Neeraj Kabi, Sohum Shah, Vinay Shukla, Yogesh Shah
Director: Anand Gandhi
Rating: Not Rated

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65. Tahir’s House, 2023

As the first Saudi series created by Netflix, Tahir's House often feels like it's playing it safe, as if not to step anywhere out of line. This leads to generally tepid results for the show's comedy; despite music cues and the actors' line delivery implying that what we're watching is meant to be comedic, the jokes are only mildly amusing at best. But even as the series relies too much on characters commenting on disagreements and misunderstandings (rather than making the situations funny themselves), it still provides an interesting peek into the dynamics of an ordinary Saudi family tied to a common business. There are generational, class, and gender differences aplenty here, illustrating how even the most ordinary decisions are always tied to matters of faith, culture, and money.

Genre: Comedy, Drama

Actor: Alhashmi Alfaisal, Joud Alsufyani, Mohammed Alfarra, Mohammed Bakhsh, Naeema Alhumaidi

Rating: TV-14

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66. We Are Newcastle United, 2023

If you’re expecting a story about sportsmanship, athleticism, camaraderie, and community, you won’t get a lot of that in We Are Newcastle United, a docuseries that is more interested in business than in football. It begins with the Saudi Public Investment Fund’s takeover of the club, reportedly the most expensive purchase in the football world, and firmly stays in that angle throughout the series. Never mind that Newcastle United has a formidable set of players, a loyal community of fans, and one of the most inspiring underdog journeys in football history—the documentary only touches on those rich topics. Instead, its main focus is the PIF and the technical details of their ownership. How much did they spend to secure the top players? What does the Saudi state hope to gain out of this acquisition? Is Newcastle United complicit in Saudi Arabia’s alleged breach of human rights? We Are Newcastle United has some insightful takes, but for the filmmakers to bill it as a sports feature feels like false advertising. Like the club’s owners, they put financials first before football, not the other way around.

Genre: Documentary

Actor: Alan Shearer, Amanda Staveley, Callum Wilson, Eddie Howe, Mehrdad Ghodoussi, Yasir Al Rumayyan

Director: Jack Wood

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67. The Damned Don't Cry, 2023

There's a way to get tragedy right, in a way that keeps the drama engaging even as bad things continue to happen. The Damned Don't Cry gets its approach half-right, with the lead performances by Aïcha Tebbae and Abdellah El Hajjouji remaining sturdy all throughout, and never slipping into easy histrionics. But as the cycle of misfortune continues plaguing their characters, the filmmaking itself doesn't give us anything more to latch onto, with little progression in their arcs and a frustrating lack of insight into the very promising central relationship. There's no mistaking the film's good intentions, but the message arrives in an unfortunately clunky manner.

Genre: Drama

Actor: Abdellah El Hajjouji, Aïcha Tebbae, Antoine Reinartz

Director: Fyzal Boulifa

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68. Hard Broken, 2023

Netflix is no stranger to murder mysteries, having a whole catalog of films and series in the genre from around the world. Because of this, it can be hard for lesser known, non-English titles from the streamer to get their work noticed, and we at A Good Movie to Watch try to find the best of these hidden gems. Unfortunately, Hard Broken is not one of them. The latest six-episode Lebanese series feels rushed, often containing plot points that don't make sense, with stock characters that feel so one-dimensional. With the quality of other murder mysteries on the platform, it’s strange that Netflix decided to produce this series.

Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery

Actor: Elie Mitri, Muhanned Al Hamdi, Rasha Bilal, رودريغ سليمان, طلال الجردي

Director: Elie F. Habib

Rating: TV-MA

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69. Devil’s Advocate, 2023

Quick to start and slow to deliver, Devil's Advocate follows Bader, a renowned football player who is tried for being the primary suspect in his wife Dalal's murder. After the series' initial commentary on how the court of public opinion affects a case, nothing else about it stands out. It's mostly just the lawyer Loulwa desperately proving Bader's innocence, going against her father (the prosecutor), and avoiding her ex-fiance (the officer assigned to the case). All of those things collectively sound like a good setup, but they somehow have no impact. In two of the six episodes, there are countless conversations and baseless speculating, and yet nothing progresses past emphasizing Dalal's mental illness. So our two options, by that point, are to trust Bader or (if you can) believe that Dalal stabbed herself 14 TIMES. There's certainly more to the story, but the allure is no more than an ignorable simmer.

Genre: Crime, Drama

Actor: Haya Abdulsalam

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70. From the Ashes, 2024

From the Ashes is based on the real life fire tragedy, but upon searching, Netflix hasn’t mentioned which exact fire it was talking about. It’s possibly inspired by the 2002 Mecca girls' school fire, with the strict all-girl’s school, the closed gates and unattended cigarette, but the film starts off with a disclaimer saying that the characters and certain aspects of the story are fictional. One would think, with the freedom the film granted itself through fiction, the film would dare to critique certain controversial aspects of the tragedy that needs to be talked about – like the implications of emergency services being hindered due to modesty, or whether the media speculation was fair, or even the lack of safety regulations that the school administration failed to implement. Instead, most of the film plays out like an investigation, seemingly placing blame on fictional students, you know, the victims, for being the reason one fictional student wasn’t able to escape. Sure, it’s all fiction, but this is just not right.

Genre: Drama, Thriller

Actor: Adwaa Fahad, Aisha Al Rifaie, Alshaima'a Tayeb, Darin Al Bayed, Khairia Abu Laban

Director: Khalid Fahad

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