I think we all have at least one friend who scrunches up their nose when we try to get them to watch a film in another language.

“I just hate subtitles!” they will often declare.

The sad truth is that they are depriving themselves of a whole magical world of storytelling with this mindset. In this post, I’d like to share a random assortment of international films I think might convert your subtitle-fearing friends 😉

Les Émotifs anonymes (France/Belgium, 2010)

This oddball romance caught my eye after a chance encounter on Netflix. Angélique and Jean-René fall quickly and madly for one another, but they’re both harbouring secrets about their mental health and the quirks that keep them from forming successful relationships. Hilarity ensues as they try to face their social anxiety together and all of the warmth and fuzz of their love story is tied up in a neat sixty minutes. Perfection.

Chennai Express (India, 2013)

If there is anything that demonstrates the full experience of cinema from another country (at least from the perspective of those outside of India itself), I think it’s Bollywood. I could have recommended any film here, but Chennai Express is a nice foray into the sprawling genre. Starring mega-superstar Shah Rukh Khan, the plot follows a man on his way to spread his grandfather’s ashes, but who is diverted by his attraction to a young woman on the train he’s travelling on. He has no idea she’s the daughter of a mobster and he’s soon sucked into her plan of pretending she’ll marry to appease her father. Clocking in at 141 minutes, it’s not as long as some other Indian films, plus the soundtrack is pretty much a dance party from start to end, with some beautiful love songs thrown in for good measure.

Toc Toc (Spain, 2017)

I love this film! I’ve seen it twice. The first time I watched it with English subtitles, the second time with Spanish subtitles. Both times it had me in stitches. The majority of the film happens in the waiting room of a psychologist who has booked multiple people into the same slot to see him. Delayed by a flight, the patients end up forming a sort of group therapy, each trying to face their TOC (OCD in English). If you experience OCD in any way at all, this film will probably resonate with you. Though it’s a comedy, it’s clear to see how deeply each character is affected by their OCD and I appreciated that each person’s experience and symptoms differed. A laugh out loud film from start to end. Give it a go.

Okuribito (Japan, 2008)

Oof, where do I begin with this gem? First of all, make sure you have the tissues ready before you even put this film on. I love everything about this film. Joe Hisaishi, master of soundtracks, provides a stunning audio backdrop to this exploration of funeral ritual in Japan, as seen through the eyes of Daigo, an out of work cellist who accidentally becomes a nōkanshi (someone who cleans and dresses the dead). Not only does this film take us out of the well-trodden ground of Tokyo to beautiful Yamagata, it explores a part of Japanese culture that I assume many people are not familiar with, that being the disdain still held for those with certain jobs, including nōkanshi. It’s an emotional rollercoaster with some light-hearted moments thrown in for good measure.

Assal Eswad (Egypt, 2010)

I still have a long way to go in experiencing cinema of the Arab world. I have seen a few Egyptian films, one from Saudi Arabia, and a few others from elsewhere in the region. Assal Eswad stood out for me as it comments, albeit in a tongue-in-cheek way, on a number of issues modern day Egyptians face. These issues are amplified and diversified by the situation of the main character, Masry. He’s an Egyptian by birth, but he’s spent his life in America – a fact made obvious by his poor Arabic. He goes through a number of mishaps, each of which highlight the challenges of everyday life for Egyptians. These lead to him being left without any travel documentation, and he’s stranded in Egypt until he can sort things out. A politically-charged pill wrapped in sugary comedy candy, this film lives up to its name, which translates to ‘Black Honey’.

So, there you have it! These films are not ranked, and it was hard to just pull some random titles, but I tried to keep it diverse enough that everyone can enjoy something. I hope you will try at least one of these films, or perhaps you can recommend one in return? Happy viewing~