“Once you overcome the one-inch tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films,” Parasite director Bong Joon-ho is now famous for saying.
To celebrate that sentiment, here are our curated recommendations for the best non-English-language movies streaming on Netflix. Like all lists on agoodmovietowatch, this one is updated every month to remove expiring movies and add new ones, so make sure you bookmark it!
Happy watching.
100 Best Foreign Movies on Netflix Right Now
Read also:
100.
Bhakshak (2024)
STREAMING ADVICE Read the full list of the 50 Best Streaming Services With Free Trials
With an urgent subject and plenty of that trademark Netflix polish, Bhakshak is nothing if not watchable and consistently engaging. However, for all of its motivated performances and high production values, there actually doesn't seem to be much that happens in the film by way of investigation or character development. Much of the plot seems to progress solely on inertia, or through conversations that only ever repeat the film's themes. And with every new, intense scene of young girls being threatened or hurt at the hands of abusive men, it becomes harder to understand what these scenes are trying to tell us, especially when they keep the victims as voiceless as they are from the beginning.
Our staff rating: 6.2/10
Genre: Crime, Drama
Actor: Aditya Srivastava, Bhumi Pednekar, Brij Bhushan Shukla, Chittaranjan Tripathy, Durgesh Kumar, Murari Kumar, Pubali Sanyal, Sai Tamhankar, Sanjay Mishra, Satyakam Anand, Surya Sharma, Tanisha Mehta, Umesh Shukla, Vibha Chibber
Director: Pulkit
Go to Netflix
99.
Street Flow 2 (2023)
Just like with its predecessor, it can be surprising how sober Street Flow 2 is. You expect stories about street gang life to be of a certain tone, but these films are more interested in the emotional and philosophical struggle to respond to violence and poverty in a just and proper way. This sequel continues this conversation from a more stable (but therefore less interesting) position: youngest sibling Noumouké is no longer torn between the influence of his older brothers, as all three try to move forward as a united front. But without a more distinct dilemma driving the action forward, the film ends up spinning its wheels—and rushes to an incomplete ending that doesn't say enough about survival, lawfulness, or the African immigrant experience in France.
Our staff rating: 6.3/10
Genre: Crime, Drama
Actor: Alessandra Sublet, Alix Mathurin, Bakary Diombera, Cherine Ghemri, Foued Nabba, Georgina Elizabeth Okon, Jammeh Diangana, Kadi Diarra, Kery James, Krystel Roche, Mahamadou Coulibaly, Sana Sri
Director: Alix Mathurin, Kery James, Leïla Sy
Go to Netflix
98.
The Last Wife (2023)
STREAMING ADVICE Read the full list of the 15 Cheapest Live TV Streaming Services for Cord-cutting
Like its governor having many wives, The Last Wife has too many elements left unsatisfied. To its credit, it has lovely scenery, costumes, and set design that matches the era. With Linh forced into a marriage to pay off her father’s debts, reuniting with a childhood love, the film also had the erotic potential of Lady Chatterley’s Lover, with a thrilling second act twist that occurs when they get discovered. However, the film gets dragged down by the slow pace and random comedic scenes that don’t add to the thematic stakes, sometimes even distracting the viewer from the dismal conditions the titular wife is forced into.
Our staff rating: 6.3/10
Genre: Drama, Romance
Actor: De Ly Luu, Kaity Nguyễn, Ngọc Diệp, Quốc Huy, Thuan Nguyen
Director: Victor Vũ
Go to Netflix
97.
Where the Tracks End (2023)
Ambitious and sincere, Where the Tracks End is a sweet coming of age centered on a tender community and mutual aid in the face of worker exploitation. Alternating between the young son of a traveling worker adjusting to a new town and an inspector tasked with informing small schools of an initiative that will force their doors closed, the film loses the chance to be impactful with either. This love letter to teaching and the importance of education is admirable as it holds together the community element of the script. Although the impact goes off-track due to its lack of commitment to one solid narrative, the heart behind it (and the children's innocent will to live a better life) shines through every so often.
Our staff rating: 6.4/10
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Family
Actor: Adriana Barraza, Blanca Guerra, Clementina Guadarrama, Fátima Molina, Frida Sofía Cruz Salinas, Gabriela Cartol, Guillermo Villegas, Jero Medina, Kaarlo Isaacs Barria, Leonardo Alonso, Memo Villegas, Norma Pablo, Nova Coronel, Tete Espinoza, Victoria Díaz
Director: Ernesto Contreras
Go to Netflix
96.
Oregon (2023)
STREAMING ADVICE Read the full list of the 17 Best Live TV Services That Offer Free Trial
For a film with virtually no plot, there’s a lot of fuss going on in Oregon. The characters are constantly yelling and complaining, but the noise—like the plot, the set, and everything else about the film—is empty. The beauty of a Turkish summer is reduced to indoor sets, where much of the film takes place, and there here’s barely any movement, leaving us stuck with dialogue and half-baked backstories that don’t seem to serve any real purpose other than to fill in the film’s overlong runtime. The problems are superficial and solved almost immediately, purely by talking it seems, and there’s no attempt to connect the many disparate stories it shows. A farce like this could’ve worked if it got sillier and more ridiculous by the minute, but Oregon just goes in repetitive, unfunny circles.
Our staff rating: 6.4/10
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Actor: Ali İpin, Alper Baytekin, Alper Saldıran, Aslı İnandık, Burcu Biricik, Ferit Aktuğ, Gün Akıncı, Melisa Doğu, Nazlı Bulum, Nejat İşler, Nevra Serezli, Onur Özaydın, Özgür Emre Yıldırım, Selen Uçer, Serkan Çayoğlu, Zihni Göktay
Director: Kerem Ayan
Go to Netflix
95.
Malbatt: Misi Bakara (2023)
After Black Hawk Down (2001), the casual moviegoer would have thought that the rescue operation was only conducted by American soldiers. In reality, it was a multinational effort, and Malaysia’s side of the story has finally been depicted in MALBATT: Misi Bakara. Surprisingly, it doesn’t play out as a straightforward, action-packed rescue mission– writer-director Adrian Teh does deliver the action, but the film also contemplates about the team itself: how they made sense of their opposition towards a country they shared religions with, and how they experienced the ignorance from American soldiers that didn’t even know where Malaysia was. While some introductory sequences falter, and the film fumbles certain green screen moments, MALBATT: Misi Bakara brings both the spectacle and the drama that makes it stand out from other depictions of the rescue mission.
Our staff rating: 6.4/10
Genre: Action, Drama, History, War
Actor: Adlin Aman Ramlie, Adrian Teh, Bront Palarae, Dini Schatzmann, Fauzi Nawawi, Gambit Saifullah, Hairul Azreen, Iedil Putra, Musa Aden, Nafiez Zaidi, Paul Biddiss, Safwan Nazri, Shaheizy Sam, Shiqin Kamal, Syazwan Zulkifly, Taufiq Hanafi, Theebaan Govindasamy, Tony Eusoff, Virgile Mangiavillano, Yuna Rahim, Zahiril Adzim
Director: Adrian Teh
Go to Netflix
94.
As If It’s True (2023)
STREAMING ADVICE Read the full list of the 17 Best Live TV Services That Offer Free Trial
With their personal life offered for consumption, carefully curated for viewers and sponsors, the social media influencer has become a fascinating character to study, especially with the job becoming Gen Z’s top career aspiration. As If It’s True examines this character through Gemma Stone, using the fake relationship trope to examine the lengths to which she would cling to her clout. John Roger’s debut feature blurs the line between real and the fake, not just for Gemma and James but also for the viewers, and it brings up much to say about how this aspiration can ruin people. However, the lines are blurred too much, as the ideas don’t mesh cohesively as it could. As If It’s True is an interesting character study, but the film hasn’t allowed itself to see the human side of the people highly incentivized to be fake for views.
Our staff rating: 6.4/10
Genre: Drama, Romance
Actor: Adrianna So, Angellie Nicholle Sanoy, Ashley Ortega, Jan Silverio, Khalil Ramos, Marnie Lapus, Rachel Coates
Director: John Rogers
Go to Netflix
93.
Crypto Boy (2023)
Crypto Boy may seem, at first, to primarily warn against the allure of cryptocurrency, but at heart, it’s a family drama centered around an ambitious man and his immigrant Egyptian father. The Dutch Netflix film is actually a whole family affair, with writer-director Shady El-Hamus casting his brother Shahine and their father Sabri Saad in a real and relatable struggle between generations. That being said, the film is definitely less interested in the actual cryptocurrency scam presented. It takes such a predictable route that the protagonist comes off as foolish, rather than understandably ambitious. With his parallel to the villain, the film seems like it wants its viewers to empathize with the rich Mark Zuckerberg-wannabe, rather than cathartically put him through the consequences. This makes the film feel as disappointing as the crypto promises, as viewers are lured into the film for this, but come out with another thing entirely.
Our staff rating: 6.5/10
Genre: Drama
Actor: Aus Greidanus, Hannah van Lunteren, Jonas Smulders, Kendrick Etmon, Leny Breederveld, Loes Schnepper, Manoushka Zeegelaar-Breeveld, Minne Koole, Raymond Thiry, Sabri Saad El-Hamus, Shahine El-Hamus, Tobias Kersloot
Director: Shady El-Hamus
Go to Netflix
92.
Nuovo Olimpo (2023)
STREAMING ADVICE Read the full list of the 50 Best Streaming TV Services in 2023
Nuovo Olimpo is stunning, atmospheric, and the very concept of the film – where lost love intersects with Italian cinema – is an interesting one. Starting the film’s relationship at a specific movie theater feels reminiscent of Cinema Paradiso, especially as Enea’s path mirrors Salvatore becoming a famous director. However, the film doesn’t really dive deep into this concept, nor does it add much to say with its gay romance. There’s something here about the relationship between the creator and the viewer that is undeniably interlinked, and there’s a hope that they can meet in the middle. But when the film doesn’t care about the couple’s individual paths, there are times it feels like it’s just going through the motions.
Our staff rating: 6.5/10
Genre: Drama, Romance
Actor: Aglaia Mora, Alvise Rigo, Andrea Di Luigi, Aurora Giovinazzo, Damiano Gavino, Eugenio di Fraia, Federico Mancini, Giacomo Colavito, Giacomo Stallone, Giancarlo Commare, Greta Scarano, Loredana Cannata, Luisa Ranieri, Priscilla Drag
Director: Ferzan Özpetek
Go to Netflix
91.
Suzzanna: Kliwon Friday Night (2023)
Suzzanna: Kliwon Friday Night is the second part of a trilogy dedicated to Indonesia’s queen of horror, billed as Suzzanna New Generation. The trilogy recreates three of Suzzanna’s iconic films, and the second installment is based on the 1986 film Malam Jumat Kliwon. The supernatural horror isn’t exactly scary– the film takes a bit too long between the scares, and there are moments that are downright hilarious. However, fans of the original scream queen would appreciate Luna Maya’s take on her demonic role, shifting the sundel bolong into a woman rightfully out for revenge.
Our staff rating: 6.5/10
Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Horror
Actor: Achmad Megantara, Adi Bing Slamet, Baron Hermanto, Clift Sangra, Egy Fedly, Ence Bagus, Lela Anggraini, Luna Maya, Max Yanto, Opie Kumis, Sally Marcelina, Taskya Namya, Tio Pakusadewo, Yurike Prastica
Director: Guntur Soeharjanto
Go to Netflix