12 Non-English Films To Watch on Netflix Now
From new releases like ‘Ride or Die,’ to award-winning titles such as ‘Roma.’
For cinephiles who enjoy movies from around the world, Netflix‘s library of international films might just satisfy your viewing needs. From Japanese to Mexican titles, below, we’ve rounded up some of the best non-English films you can watch on the streaming platform. Our picks include recent releases such as Ride or Die, the Ryuichi Hiroki-directed psychological thriller starring Kiko Mizuhara, as well as Night in Paradise, a Korean crime story that premiered at the 2020 Venice Film Festival. Our selection also highlights must-watch movies from Europe, such as I Lost My Body and The Platform, as well as titles from Taiwan and Senegal.
Scroll down to explore some of the best non-English movies you can watch on Netflix now.
While you’re at it, here’s a list of our favorite sci-fi K-drama series.
A Sun (2019)
Region: Taiwan
Genre: Drama
Cast: Wu Chien-ho, Chen Yi-wen, Samantha Ko
A Sun tells the story of two brothers who are met with societal expectations. A-Ho (Chen Yi-wen), the younger sibling, is sentenced to juvenile detention while his older brother A-Hao (Greg Hsu) is studying for medical school.
Atlantics (2019)
Region: Senegal
Genre: Romance, drama
Cast: Mame Bineta Sane, Amadou Mbow, Ibrahima Traore
Set in Dakar, Atlantics begins with a futuristic tower that is about to open its doors to the public. Souleiman (Ibrahima Traore), along with his fellow construction workers who have been unpaid for months, mysteriously disappear and return, threatening to burn the building down.
Burning (2018)
Region: South Korea
Genre: Psychological thriller, mystery
Cast: Yoo Ah-in, Steven Yeun, Jeon Jong-seo
Based on Haruki Murakami’s “Barn Burning” from The Elephant Vanishes, this psychological thriller follows Jongsu (Yoo Ah-in), a deliveryman who runs into his childhood friend and crush Haemi (Jeon Jong-seo). The two characters encounter a wealthy man called Bed (Steven Yeun), who leads them into a series of mysterious and suspicious events.
Contratiempo (2016)
Region: Spain
Genre: Crime, thriller
Cast: Mario Casas, Ana Wagener, José Coronado, Bárbara Lennie
Also known as The Invisible Guest, this Spanish film will keep you on the edge of your seat. A young businessman, Adrián Doria (Mario Casas) finds himself in a locked hotel room with the dead body of his lover Laura Vidal (Bárbara Lennie). Accused of the murder, he meets with attorney Virginia Goodman (Blanca Martinez) to come up with a defense plan in just three hours.
Divines (2016)
Region: France
Genre: Drama
Cast: Déborah Lukumuena, Jisca Kalvanda, Kévin Mischel
Dounia (Oulaya Amamra), a teenager living on the outskirts of Paris, prepares to become a drug dealer to escape poverty by working for her friend Rebecca (Jisca Kalvanda). During her journey, she comes across dancer Djigui (Kévin Mischel), who leads her to live a different life.
First They Killed My Father (2017)
Region: Cambodia
Genre: Historical thriller
Cast: Sreymoch Sareum, Kompheak Phoeung, Socheata Sveng
Directed by Angelina Jolie, First They Killed My Father is a screen adaptation of the 2000 non-fiction book of the same title. The film tells the story of seven-year-old Loung (Sreymoch Sareum), who is forced to fight as a child soldier during the Khmer Rouge regime.
I Lost My Body (2019)
Region: France
Genre: Animation
Cast: Hakim Faris, Victoire Du Bois, Patrick d’Assumçao
This animated film, which was nominated for Best Animated Feature at the 92nd Academy Awards, shows the story of a severed hand as it sets on a journey to find its body, owned by a man named Naoufel. The hand takes a trip down memory lane, remembering its life as an aspiring pianist, a pizza deliveryman and more.
Night in Paradise (2021)
Region: South Korea
Genre: Crime drama
Cast: Um Tae-goo, Jeon Yeo-been, Cha Seung-won
Following its premiere at the 77th Venice International Film Festival, Night in Paradise has finally landed on Netflix. The story of this crime drama is told from the perspective of an assassin named Tae-goo (Um Tae-goo), whose family gets murdered after rejecting an offer to join his rival gang. He seeks revenge by killing the head of the group and fleeing to Jeju Island, where he meets Jae-yeon (Jeon Yeo-been).
The Platform (2019)
Region: Spain
Genre: Social science fiction, horror
Cast: Iván Massagué, Zorion Eguileor, Antonia San Juan, Emilio Buale Coka
The Platform portrays the story of residents living in a prison with a vertical system where inmates are given leftover food from the floor above via the “Platform.” The dark allegory explores the issues that arise through this structure that allows those at the top of the building to eat as much as they want.
Ride or Die (2021)
Region: Japan
Genre: Romance
Cast: Kiko Mizuhara, Honami Sato, Yoko Maki
Rei (Kiko Mizuhara), who is in love with her former classmate Nanae (Honami Sato), learns that she is in an abusive relationship with her husband. The character proceeds to murder him, later winning Nanae’s love.
Roma (2018)
Region: Mexico
Genre: Drama
Cast: Yalitza Aparicio, Marina de Tavira
Roma is a successful title that received 10 nominations at the 91st Academy Awards and the first Mexican entry to win Best Foreign Language Film. The movie focuses on Cleo (Yalitza Apricio), a domestic worker in a middle-class household in ’70s Mexico. Conflicts unfold when Cleo finds out that she is pregnant and her employer Sofía (Marina de Tavira) leaves her husband Antonio (Fernando Grediaga).
Us and Them (2018)
Region: China
Genre: Romance
Cast: Jing Boran, Zhou Dongyu, Tian Zhuangzhuang
This Chinese movie tells a bittersweet story of two strangers that meet on a train and fall in love with each other. Jumping between the past and present, the film portrays the harsh realities that later set the couple apart. The two reunite 10 years later and reflect on their years-long relationship.
