# Recommend some indie and foreign films for me, please **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 8, 2010, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-indie-and-foreign-films-for-me-please/556428 "2010-10-08T00:14:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Stauderhorse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Stauderhorse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stauderhorse)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-indie-and-foreign-films-for-me-please/556428/1 "2010-10-08T00:14:24Z")
I’ve seen quite a number of mainstream American movies over the years, but I haven’t given much attention to movies from other countries or those that are a little more quirky and less noticed than big-budget films with plenty of stars. Seems like I’m possibly missing out on a wealth of great films because I don’t see that many foreign or small, independent films advertised, while bigger movies (like the recent _It’s kind of a funny story_) is advertised to _death_ everywhere I go. To be honest, I’m a little bored with the same formulas being used for different movie genres: A horror movie will involve an exorcism or haunting, or a cute child who’s really eeevil; movies about teenagers will have a protagonist who doesn’t fit in and eventually comes to terms with his own identity, etc. So I’d love to see some films that don’t have a big enough budget to be advertised but are still great, or films from other countries that have been overlooked by American media. Which indie or foreign releases do I have to see? I’ve seen a few J-horror releases: _Ringu_, the original _One Missed Call_, _Janghwa, Hongryeon (A Tale of Two Sisters)_. I’ve also seen a lot of Guillermo del Toro’s movies and loved them. _Grave of the Fireflies, Spirited Away, and Paprika_ weren’t as great as people made them out to be, IMO. Indie films I have seen include _Little Miss Sunshine_, _10 items or less_, and I’m sure a bunch more that I can’t remember at the moment. The types of movies I like are usually dramatic (but not overly so) or horror/psychological thriller. I do like animated movies, but I’ve been kind of underwhelmed by the Japanese animation I’ve seen. I also love musicals and comedy, if it’s done well. Any and all recommendations are really appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-indie-and-foreign-films-for-me-please/556428/2 "2010-10-08T00:50:02Z")
[City of God](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0317248/) [The City of Lost Children](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112682/) [Run Lola Run](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0130827/) [Amelie](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0211915/) All of these are great but different. It was the best I could do without some more information on what you really like. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-indie-and-foreign-films-for-me-please/556428/3 "2010-10-08T00:59:44Z")
J-Horror category: [Uzumaki](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0244870/). If you’re in the mood for something more bizarre than that, [Tetsuo: The Iron Man](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096251/). ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-indie-and-foreign-films-for-me-please/556428/4 "2010-10-08T01:04:15Z")
A great World War I love story: [A very long engagement](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0344510/) one of the more famous French musicals: [The Umbrellas of Cherbourg](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058450/) a weird French black comedy: [Delicatessen](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101700/) ---
**Author:** ![Gomi5](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8491ac/32.png) [@Gomi5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gomi5)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-indie-and-foreign-films-for-me-please/556428/5 "2010-10-08T01:11:01Z")
I really enjoyed [The Triplets of Belleville](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0286244/). Animated, but not Japanese. (I was going to say French, but I looked it up and it’s actually "an [international co-production](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Triplets_of_Belleville) between companies in France, the United Kingdom, Belgium and Canada.) ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-indie-and-foreign-films-for-me-please/556428/6 "2010-10-08T01:12:22Z")
[Mongol](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0416044/) was pretty cool. I would recommend you go to your local art house cinema and just watch whatever they’re showing this week. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-indie-and-foreign-films-for-me-please/556428/7 "2010-10-08T01:12:51Z")
You might like _[Battle Royale](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0266308/)_. ---
**Author:** ![Stauderhorse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Stauderhorse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stauderhorse)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-indie-and-foreign-films-for-me-please/556428/8 "2010-10-08T01:20:30Z")
> [@Krokodil](#): > > [Mongol](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0416044/) was pretty cool. > > I would recommend you go to your local art house cinema and just watch whatever they’re showing this week. The only problem with that is that I just moved to Bangor, Maine, and I kind of doubt there are many art house theaters around. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-indie-and-foreign-films-for-me-please/556428/9 "2010-10-08T01:31:43Z")
City of God, but that was already mentioned How about… [Vicky Cristina Barcelona](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0497465/), it’s directed by Woody Allen, I’m not sure if it’s considered foreign, but it’s really good. I just rented it for the second time. [Volver](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0441909/) [Life is Beautiful](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118799/) [Dogville](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0276919/) [The Grey Zone](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0252480/) [Drugstore Cowboy](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097240/) [Rabbit Proof Fence](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0252444/) ---
**Author:** ![Apocalypso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Apocalypso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apocalypso)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-indie-and-foreign-films-for-me-please/556428/10 "2010-10-08T01:55:33Z")
[The Cube](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0123755/) (and the sequel, [Cube2: Hypercube](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0285492/) - Bizarre movies about a group of apparently random people thrown together in a deadly maze. Watch this with a group of people, then discuss it afterward. [How to Get Ahead in Advertising](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097531/) - Hilarious film about an advertising exec and his struggle with the immorality of his career. [Pi](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0138704/) - A very strange but interesting movie about a man obsessed with numbers, and his quest to find the hidden name of god in the Torah. If you can overlook the face punchability of insane couch-jumping scientology wacko Tom Cruise, check out [Vanilla Sky](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0259711/), a strange but very cool movie. [Donnie Darko](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0246578/) is a surrealistic movie that people either seem to love or hate. If I can nominate some Terry Gilliam (from Monty Python) movies, I’m also going to throw out: [The Adventures of Baron Munchausen](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096764/) and [Time Bandits](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081633/), both of which are sort of Kid’s movies, but work better for adults (I think most of it would go over the kid’s heads nowadays). Sort of along the lines of A Princess Bride as far as being kid/adult movies goes. Both movies are funny, surrealistic, and awesome. [12 Monkeys](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114746/) [Brazil](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088846/) was a “1984” style Orwellian vision of the future. There’s a really interesting [backstory](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazil_%28film%29) about the movie itself, the studio released a very different film than Gilliam envisioned. He took out a full page ad in _Variety_ magazine asking the producers why they wouldn’t release “his” movie. I have the Criterion edition, which has the theatrical movie, and Gilliam’s version. The two are very, very different despite using the same footage, and are a testament to what you can do with editing. Gilliam’s is by far the better movie though, but the theatrical is well worth watching just to see how you can turn the same movie into something almost completely different in the editing room. [Jabberwocky](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076221/) is one of Gilliam’s earlier and often overlooked movies because of the roughness of the special effects (the “monster” is a completely fake looking paper mache mess). Very similar humor to Monty Python, if you loved Monty Python and the Holy Grail and/or the Life of Brian you should watch this. ---
**Author:** ![Lakai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de0a6/32.png) [@Lakai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lakai)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-indie-and-foreign-films-for-me-please/556428/11 "2010-10-08T02:30:58Z")
Two movies that I think deserve more press than they got: [Brick](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0393109/) - A 1950’s film noir set in a present day suburban high school in California. The idea is brilliant and it works on so many different levels. [Home Room](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0264689/) - Two students dealing with the aftermath of witnessing a school shooting. Very exceptional acting by the two leads, and very well written characters. The full movie is available on hulu for free. One movie that deserves more praise than it got: [The Rules of Attraction](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0292644/) - It’s a subversive take on all the Van Wilder type films. Directed and written by Rober Avary who co-wrote Pulp Fiction. Avary has been having trouble getting work since he directed the film. It has a low IMDB rating because most people miss what the film is trying to do. They approach it thinking it’s a shallow film about college students getting high and having lots of sex. They miss the fact that the film is really a critical look at that type of lifestyle. Foreign films you should see: Since you mentioned Guillermo, you’ve probably already seen Pan’s Labyrinth. Very beautiful and amazing film. [**Let the Right One In**](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1139797/) is a must see foreign film. Vampire horror film that’s much more than a vampire horror film. They’ve just remade it with [Let Me In](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1228987/). I would watch the original even if you’ve seen the American version. ---
**Author:** ![gladtobeblazed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/85f322/32.png) [@gladtobeblazed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gladtobeblazed)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-indie-and-foreign-films-for-me-please/556428/12 "2010-10-08T02:58:39Z")
Some good recommendations already. I’ll include: [The Cook the Thief His Wife & Her Lover](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097108/) The Vengeance Trilogy: [Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0310775/) [Oldboy](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0364569/) [Lady Vengeance](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0451094/) [Dancer in the Dark](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0168629/) [Happiness](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0147612/) [This Is England](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0480025/) [Elite Squad](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0861739/) [Buffalo '66](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118789/) [Ghost World](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0162346/) [The Fall](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0460791/) ---
**Author:** ![FlyingRamenMonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@FlyingRamenMonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyingRamenMonster)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-indie-and-foreign-films-for-me-please/556428/13 "2010-10-08T03:10:41Z")
[Goodbye Lenin!](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0301357/) is a hilarious and sad film about life in post-communist Germany. The protagonist’s mother falls into a coma just before the fall of the Berlin Wall and he’s told after she wakes that she’s too weak to handle the news, so he and his friends recreate the trappings of East Germany for her in their apartment. [Brat](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118767/) is a Russian film about a guy who shoots people, but unlike most films about a guy shooting people it’s very subdued and understated. It has a setup like a Hollywood movie but without a Hollywood execution or a Hollywood ending. Also, the director seems to REALLY want everyone to listen to a certain band. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-indie-and-foreign-films-for-me-please/556428/14 "2010-10-08T04:13:07Z")
How many years do you want to go back? Do you want foreign and independent American films from the entire history of movies or just those no further back than some given number of years? ---
**Author:** ![Darryl\_Lict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-indie-and-foreign-films-for-me-please/556428/15 "2010-10-08T04:40:09Z")
[Fitzcarraldo](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083946/) is an unbelievable movie by the eccentric Werner Herzog about an obsessed opera loving rubber baron who hauls a riverboat over a ridge between river valleys. The movie was as insane and deadly as the original adventure the movie was based upon. It stars the nutjob Klaus Kinski in all his glory. [Kung Fu Hustle](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0373074/)is a hilarious martial arts comedy by Stephen Chow. The fight scenes, dancing, and tributes to Tex Avery combine for what I consider the greatest martial arts movie ever. ---
**Author:** ![MTCicero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a4c791/32.png) [@MTCicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MTCicero)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-indie-and-foreign-films-for-me-please/556428/16 "2010-10-08T04:54:25Z")
Assuming you’re not tied to the films produced during any particular decade, I would be frightfully remiss if I didn’t recommend Akira Kurosawa’s [**Ikiru**](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0044741/). Want a more recent, but no less excellent Kurosawa epic? Try [**Ran**](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089881/). (Of course, one can never go wrong when one opts to take in Kurosawa’s [**Rashomon**](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042876/) or [**Seven Samurai**](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047478/).) Want to try another, less accessible Japanese auteur? Try Kenzi Mizoguchi’s [**Sanshô Dayû**](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047445/). Moving away from foreign films and towards (more contemporary) indie films, two good choices (both starring Kevin Spacey when he was still an acting force to be reckoned with) are: [**Swimming with Sharks**](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114594/), and [**The Big Kahuna**](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0189584/). And if you really want to revel in unadulterated misogyny, there’s always the excellent, troubling [**In the Company of Men**](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119361/). Also: Want a good indie doco? Try Barbara Koppel’s [**Harlan County U.S.A.**](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074605/), or Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky’s [**Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills**](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117293/). And then just _try_ to sleep at night. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-indie-and-foreign-films-for-me-please/556428/17 "2010-10-08T05:19:28Z")
There are some great suggestions here, and some awful ones (_The Cook, The Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover_, really?), but there are a huge number of independent and foreign films released every year that get little or no press, and it is hard to select just a few out of all of them. Overall, I like **sitnam** and **Darryl Lict** ’s suggestions, and would add to that _Vozvrashcheniye_ (_The Return_), a Russian film about two boys whose father returns suddenly one day and takes them on a fishing trip. It sets up like some kind of thriller, but becomes a very different film than you would possibly expect. If you like Japanese films, try Akira Kurosawa’s _Rashomon_, the story of the murder of a samurai and the alleged rape of his wife, as told from several different conflicting viewpoints. John Frankenheimer’s _Seconds_ is a great, _Twilight Zone_-ish tale about a man who is given a second chance at life, brilliantly shot by renowned cinematographer James Wong Howe. _In Bruges_ is a complex, multilayered story about a pair of assassins sent to Belgium to “cool off”. I’ll second recommendations for _Brick_, and think that a good pairing for _Goodbye, Lenin!_ is the German film _The Business of Others_, about a Stasi agent who is directed to investigate a playright and his girlfriend for reasons other than state security and gets too involved in his subjects. David Cronenberg’s _Eastern Promises_, a story about human trafficking and the Russian Mafia, is pretty mainstream for him, but a great film nonetheless. _Memento_, the second film of _Batman Begins_ and _Inception_ director Christopher Nolan, is both a clever mystery and a character study in self-delusion. And no list of independent films would be complete without mentioning the Coen brothers (_Blood Simple_, _The Big Lebowski_, _O Brother Where Art Thou_) and David Mamet(I’d start with _Heist_ or _The Spanish Prisoner_, but I think _Spartan_ and _House of Games_ are really his best work). Krzysztof Kieślowski’s _Three Colors Trilogy_ (_Red_, _White_, and _Blue_) are mesmerizing, and _La battaglia di Algeri_ (_The Battle for Algiers_) has been cited by directors from Spike Lee to John Frankenheimer as a major influence on their careers. Vittorio De Sica’s _The Bicycle Thief_ and _Umberto D._ are heartbreaking, and anything by Fellini that wasn’t made after _Juliet of the Spirits_ (especially _Nights of Cabiria_ and _La Dolce Vita_) is well worth the time spent. I’m not a huge fan of Bergman and think that _The Seventh Seal_ is somewhat overrated, but _Wild Strawberries_ is an excellent film. I think Michelangelo Antonioni’s _The Passenger_, along with _Six Easy Pieces_ is an excellent display of Jack Nickelson’s more subtle acting ability before he became the scenery chewing menace he is today. And no mention of independent films would be complete without mentioning Scorsese. People usually cite _Taxi Driver_, which is indeed a hypnotic (if disturbing) film, and of course the popular _Goodfellas_, but I think his best work is _Raging Bull_ and his version of _Cape Fear_. Sidney Lumet’s _Network_ (written by Paddy Chayefsky) is more relevant now than when it was released in 1976. I could go on indefinitely, but really, you could fill every night of the year watching great non-mainstream films and barely scratch the surface. I think the best thing to do is find a director or writer you like and sample a few films. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![equinoxi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/22d042/32.png) [@equinoxi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/equinoxi)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-indie-and-foreign-films-for-me-please/556428/18 "2010-10-08T05:19:54Z")
I have been underwhelm by most the recent indies. The great one I have seen recently is: ‘me and you and everyone we know’ some of the older ones: Being John Malcovich Donnie Darko Ghost World Napoleon Dynamite even older ones: Trust Buffalo 66 Happiness Smoke Mystery Train After Hours Some great foreign titles you might be interested in: In the Mood for love Hero Raise the Red Lantern Red Pan’s Labyrinth What time is it there? Chungking Express ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-indie-and-foreign-films-for-me-please/556428/19 "2010-10-08T05:37:29Z")
> [@equinoxi](#): > > Being John Malcovich Every time I recommend this, people watch it and just…don’t…get it. Never mind how brilliantly original it is–like a Monty Python skit that just keeps changing course but never falls off the rails–it just goes so many directions so quickly no one seems to know what to make of it. Kaufman’s self-depricating _Adaptation_ ups the ante, and _Schenectady, NY_ is such a ludicrously original and honest film I can barely stand to watch it again. The closest Kaufman has gotten to mainstream (aside from the fun but bastardized _Confessions of a Dangerous Mind_) is _Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind_, a sort of anti-romantic comedy. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![wheresmymind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/91b2a8/32.png) [@wheresmymind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wheresmymind)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-indie-and-foreign-films-for-me-please/556428/20 "2010-10-08T06:39:51Z")
Flame and Citron is a great Danish WWII movie, great drama and lots of tense moments. Primer is an excellent indie sci-fi film. Probably the most “realistic” time-travel movie I’ve seen, and probably the best I’ve seen period at that budget (shot for ~$7,000 IIRC). Mentioned in [XKCD](http://xkcd.com/657/) I second the recommendation for the Vengeance Trilogy - they’re a great jumping off point for Korean cinema, and based on your OP you should really like them. I also second Brick - it’s unique and stylish and a lot of fun to watch. All of these are available to watch instantly, if you have Netflix. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-indie-and-foreign-films-for-me-please/556428.md?page=2)