At a time when Hollywood movies seem to be following the same formula, watching international films can feel like a breath of fresh air to those who are looking for original storytelling. International films put us face-to-face with different cultures, showing us fresh perspectives on certain subjects and emotions, all while broadening our horizons. International movies often give us authentic, gripping stories that excel in both creativity and narrative structure, tackling complex themes in unpredictable ways.
There are plenty of international movies on Netflix, from popular hits to hidden gems that are all bound to captivate and surprise audiences. And if you’re watching them on a computer, you can use a vpn extension to ensure your online viewing experience remains completely private and secure. Since the browser extension will keep your connection encrypted and prevent third parties from monitoring your habits, you will be able to fully immerse yourself in these fantastic films from all over the world with complete peace of mind.
So without further ado, let’s take a look at 5 great international movies to watch on Netflix whether you’re new to global cinema or you’d like to broaden your horizons, listed in alphabetical order.
1. Anatomy of a Fall (2023)
Director: Justine Triet
Country: France
This critically acclaimed film from director Justine Triet won the Palme d’Or at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, and went on to earn a well-deserved Oscar for Best Original Screenplay later that year. The premise of Anatomy of a Fall (Anatomie d’une Chute) is simple: in a remote, snow-covered chalet in the French Alps, a successful German writer named Sandra (Sandra Hüller) is being interviewed by a student when her French husband, Samuel (Samuel Theis), starts playing loud music to disrupt it. The student leaves, and Sandra retreats upstairs, upset. Meanwhile, their visually impaired 11-year-old son Daniel (Milo Machado-Graner) goes for a walk with his guide dog, Snoop, bringing us, the audience, with them. When we return to the house with Daniel, we find Samuel’s dead body on the ground. The man seems to have fallen from the attic. But how did it happen? And who’s to blame?
What happens next is a tense, gripping trial where the audience is just as invested in uncovering the truth as the characters are – until Sandra and Samuel’s marriage takes center stage, and their entire relationship is laid bare for the public to judge and dissect. Anatomy of a Fall takes the murder mystery formula and turns it around, in a movie whose format and thematic depth are equally fascinating and thought-provoking. Sandra Hüller excels, and Messi the Border Collie, the rightful 2023 “Palm Dog” winner, will steal your hearts as Snoop the dog.
2. Je M’Appelle Agneta (2026)
Director: Johanna Runevald
Country: Sweden
The most recent entry in our list is an uplifting comedy-drama adapted from Emma Hamberg’s popular book series of the same name. Je M’appelle Agneta’s titular protagonist (Eva Melander) is a middle-aged Swedish woman trapped in a boring, predictable life that she shares with her disengaged husband Magnus (Björn Kjellman). One day, Agneta decides to take matters into her own hands and answers a mysterious classified ad seeking an English-speaking au pair in Provence, France.
Just like that, Agneta has a new life ahead of her, in another country, and a beautiful one at that. But there’s one more surprise in store for our protagonist: when she arrives in Provence, she discovers that her ward is not a child, but an eccentric older man named Einar (Claes Månsson) whose existence is almost the polar opposite of the one she used to lead. Einar’s fun, party-loving attitude is exactly what Agneta needs to embark on a journey of her own that reminds us that it’s never too late to reinvent ourselves.
It’s no coincidence that Je M’appelle Agneta’s protagonists are Swedish and French: the clash of cultures and sensibilities is part of what makes the film so enjoyable, and if you love international movies, it’ll make for an even more compelling watch. If you’re looking for a feel-good cinematic escape, you won’t be disappointed.
The Platform (2019)
Director: Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia
Country: Spain
This beloved dystopian sci-fi thriller is a Netflix original that isn’t afraid to be visceral and gritty, demanding your attention from start to end. The Platform (El Hoyo) takes place in a vertical tower prison that houses two inmates per floor. Every day, food is distributed by having a feast descend through the center of the tower, only stopping briefly on each level before moving on to the next. But will there be enough food for those on the lowest levels if those before them have access to it first?
Student Goreng (Ivan Massagué), who enters “The Hole” voluntarily to earn a diploma, soon learns that the system is flawed, as the upper floors residents are gorging on food while the lower tier of the tower is starving. It’s up to Goreng and his cellmate Trimagasi (Zorion Eguileor) to do something about it.
If you enjoy films like The Hunger Games and shows like Silo, which use dystopian settings to comment on wealth inequality and social dynamics in a thrilling and tense way, you’ll love The Platform. This thought-provoking analysis of human nature is both unpredictable and claustrophobic, keeping you hooked while placing you right next to its protagonists in enthralling and immersive ways.
Roma (2018)
Director: Alfonso Cuarón
Country: Mexico
Alfonso Cuarón, director of acclaimed movies like Y tu Mamá También, Children of Men, and Gravity, surprised everyone in 2018 when he made Roma, a deeply personal, almost autobiographical film set that was unlike anything he’d done before. In the 1970s, in Mexico City’s Roma neighborhood, Cleo (Yalitza Aparicio) is a young Mixteca domestic worker for an upper-middle-class family, led by matriarch Sra Sofía (Marina de Tavira). Cuarón dedicated the film to his own childhood nanny, Lio, on whom Cleo is based, and shows us a protagonist that holds the entire household together.
Roma depicts several families that belong to various social classes, in a poignant and clever analysis of the shifting political tensions at the time. Yet, Cuarón’s focus is always on the women in the film: Cleo, Sra Sofía, another domestic named Adela (Nancy García), and the different universes they navigate. Shot in stunning, hypnotic black and white that packs as much detail as possible in each frame, Roma is a poetic, poignant film about resilience and a loving tribute that is bound to move you deeply.
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl (2025)
Directors: Merlin Crossingham & Nick Park
Country: U.K.
This international movie is the only film in our list that’s in the English language, as it comes from the U.K. Still, outside of its country of origin, the iconic cheese-loving inventor and his silent yet very expressive canine companion aren’t very well-known, so if you haven’t heard of them, you’re in for a treat.
Created by animator Nick Park in the early 1980s as a student graduation project, these two beloved claymation characters initially captivated viewers with a series of shorts, and eventually appeared in their first feature film, The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, in 2005. Now, they’re back with Vengeance Most Fowl, which sees Wallace (Ben Whitehead) build a “smart” programmable gnome to help handle his woodworking chores. But Gromit starts growing suspicious of the gnome, who seems to be acting in a very sinister way. Soon, the gnome reveals himself as Wallace and Gromit’s nemesis, and our two heroes are the only ones who can stop him.
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl is a quintessentially British film that will fill you with nostalgia and keep you engaged throughout as you enter the magical world of its charming protagonists. It’s the rare film that will appeal to both children and adults, and it’s just as fun and entertaining as it is visually stunning, joyful, and warm.
The 5 movies listed above will allow you to explore international cinema while taking you on rewarding, enjoyable journeys. So sit back, relax, and fully immerse yourself in these captivating global narratives.