Some completely missed the mark
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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."
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
This entry from the world-famous film franchise is the top-rated film produced in New Zealand, not to mention it won 11 Oscars!
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.
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.
These are the top-rated films produced around the world
Adventure the globe from the comfort of your couch
MOVIES What to watch
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.