Americans aren’t too keen on watching movies from other countries.
One reason is because we are the greatest country on this planet! ‘MERICA! Obviously, with that mindset, why should we have to venture out into uncharted territories to find entertainment? Also, who in the HELL wants to read a movie?! Subtitles are the cinema’s STD to American audiences.
Here’s the reality: USA borrows more from other country’s stories than we can possibly imagine. I love my freedom. I do. But other places around the world can, at times, tell a story better than us here at home. They usually aren’t about superheroes either.
These foreign films below are worth your time and effort. Go seek these out!
HEADHUNTERS
A sleazy headhunter can’t keep his hands off extravagant, stupidly expensive art, but it’s all just a piece of the lifestyle he’s been living. That’s comes to a screeching halt after one grave decision. Directed by Morten Tyldum, this slick thriller captivates in its twists and nasty violence. Between that and the sly humor, Headhunters is an insane, non-stop cat-and-mouse game with tremendously ruthless players playing for keeps.
PAN’S LABYRINTH
As imaginative and beautiful as it is, the harsh reality comes crashing down on your heart and soul. A little girl growing up in tragic circumstances finds redemption within a strange, magical world she may be the princess of. Escapism is a tool used by all to bury the troubles of reality, and Pan’s Labyrinth is the ultimate rescuer. Peculiar, strange, daring and dark, Guillermo del Toro’s fantastical, haunting fairy tale hurts and awes within the same moments of every scene.
THE HANDMAIDEN
Nothing is what it seems in this lavish and sexual thriller where underestimating is the fatal flaw. Director Chan-wook Park beautifully places love inside violent hands with stunning results. The sensational cast cleverly seduces you in a film where romance and betrayal gloriously devours everything in sight.
THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO
Not the David Fincher one. Exciting, smart and engaging, this OG of the Swedish trilogy hits every mark, keeping the plot fresh and exciting. Niels Arden Oplev directs and he knew what he was doing. It’s a harsh look at what people do to other individuals, what men do to women, and get away with it. But in the middle of all of this stands a courageous, cutthroat woman who does not take shit from anyone. Noomi Rapace’s portrayal as Lisbeth Salander is sensational. She connects everything together while keeping you guessing throughout.
BIG BAD WOLVES
Big Bad Wolves is gutsy and disturbing with amazing tone and clever twists. Vengeance, mystery, and shock lives and breathes in this film, and it captivates to the fullest. Yet, surprisingly no matter how morbid the film gets, they find the perfect moments to lighten the mood with scolding humor. On the outside, directors Aharon Keshales and Navot Papushado have sculpted a gruesome revenge thriller about murder and truth, but know it cuts deeper than that. It’s about us and humanity as a whole. Therefore, providing no easy answers to the film’s unsettling moral questions. Big Bad Wolves sinks its teeth in to you and does not let go.
Brandon Vick is the resident film critic of the SoBros Network, and star of Brandon’s Box Office In Your Mouth. Follow him on Twitter@SirBrandonV and be sure to search #VicksFlicks for all of his latest movie reviews.
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