There are a million wonderful films made outside of the United States; you just haven't seen them. The Geekster is here to expose you to an expanded view of cinema.

You should be exposed to cultures and concepts that are significantly dissimilar from your own in every movie on this list. Nothing in this is uniform; there is always a concept, a method, a performance, or an image that deviates from the norm. You can expect these things from each movie and an expansion of your intellect beyond what Hollywood tells you. You will have a list of movies by the conclusion of the essay that will inspire you to be more imaginative, more conscious of the outside world, and help you develop a deep regard for the people who inhabit this planet we name Earth.

If you've ever studied film or media studies in high school, college, or university, you'll recognize this film like it's your own. If you haven't seen it, you'll like its realistic depictions of poverty, struggle, and violence among a group of young people in France.

La Haine is a film that sticks with you and informs your vision of Paris, as well as reminding you how emotional, significant, and exhilarating films can be. It is famous for its classic black and white aesthetic, use of innovative camera techniques, and political overtones. La Haine doesn't require a lot of special effects or groundbreaking stunt work to keep you on the edge of your seat and wanting more.

**Populaire** (2012)

If you're a sucker for a classic romance story but have seen them all a thousand times this lockdown, here's one you may not have seen that will satiate your amorous need.
Populaire by Régis Roinsard follows Rose Pamphyle, a young ambitious secretary who is disastrously clumsy when put in a situation, except when it comes to typing. Louis Échard, Rose's new employer, recognizes her potential and submits her in a typewriting contest.
It's a wonderfully sweet picture brimming with romance, humour, and beautifully managed photography, which deserves to be recognized on its own. You won't find a more elaborate film than Populaire.

In a nutshell, Attenberg is a Greek art film about two female best friends and one of their fathers who is terminally sick, intertwined with themes of sexual identity, the oddity of human life, and national identity during the Greek recession.

It may be one of the oddest film experiences you'll ever have, but Athina Rachel Tsangari's work is cast under the 'Greek weird wave,' and this wave of film didn't gain its name by adhering to the rules.

Ikiru ("To Live") is a 1952 Japanese drama film directed and co-written by Akira Kurosawa. The film examines the struggles of a terminally ill Tokyo bureaucrat (played by Takashi Shimura) and his final quest for meaning. The screenplay was partly inspired by Leo Tolstoy's 1886 novella The Death of Ivan Ilyich.

The major themes of the film include learning how to live, the inefficiency of bureaucracy, and decaying family life in Japan, which have been the subject of analysis by academics and critics. Ikiru has received widespread critical acclaim, and won awards for Best Film at the Kinema Junpo and Mainichi Film Awards. It was remade as a television film in 2007, and adapted into English as Living in 2022.

Pan's Labyrinth is an adult-oriented Disney film. It features the small girl, Ofelia, at odds with her evil stepfather, Captain Vidal. The savage violence, strange life-like monsters, and setting amid Spain's civil war are the main differences. Guillermo Del Toro is known for his colorful monsters that appear so lifelike that they could truly exist. Del Toro also uses warm and cool hues in this film to convey the range of human emotions, emphasizing the majesty of victory or the tragedy of defeat.

Aside from that, you get to witness the experiences of a young girl daydreaming during a horrifyingly violent moment in Spanish history. A small question emerges from Ofelia's adventure: which universe is real? Is it a world where humans slaughter each other for dominance, or a land teeming with unusual creatures? A better question emerges soon after. Which world is a better place to live? That is Ofelia's question to answer, as well as a question for the audience. A significant duality theme emerges here, addressing actual life and the desire to escape it. You'll have to see the movie to find out what happens.

Based on a true story, a convoy comprising the state prosecutor, medical examiner, police offices and gravediggers, together with two prisoners, journeys through the eerie expanse of the Anatolia steppe in search of a dead man. However, the darkness makes the murder suspects confused and after stopping at a variety of landmarks—water troughs, solitary trees, ploughed fields—the motley group are none the wiser as to the whereabouts of the corpse.

This acclaimed Czech epic, set during the transition from paganism to Christianity during the 13th century, focuses on the Kozlik family, a clan of brutal and superstitious pillagers who ravage the bleak medieval countryside on horseback. One-armed Adam (Ivan Palúch) and his brother Mikolás (Frantisek Velecký) violently abduct the virginal Marketa Lazarová (Magda Vasaryova), the daughter of a Kozlik rival, and hold her hostage, leading to a monumental battle and an unlikely romance.

In this highly influential silent horror film, the mysterious Count Orlok (Max Schreck) summons Thomas Hutter (Gustav von Wangenheim) to his remote Transylvanian castle in the mountains. The eerie Orlok seeks to buy a house near Hutter and his wife, Ellen (Greta Schroeder). After Orlok reveals his vampire nature, Hutter struggles to escape the castle, knowing that Ellen is in grave danger. Meanwhile Orlok's servant, Knock (Alexander Granach), prepares for his master to arrive at his new home.

On a dark road, taxi driver Kyung-chul (Choi Min-sik) comes across a scared female motorist stranded in a broken-down vehicle. He pulls over -- but not to help her. When the woman's head is discovered in a local river, her devastated fiancé, Kim Soo-hyeon (Lee Byung-hun), a trained secret agent, becomes obsessed with hunting down her killer. Once he finds Kyung-chul, things get twisted. After brutally beating the murderer, Kim lets him go free, and a demented game of cat and mouse begins.

Portrait of a Lady on Fire is set in 1770s France and follows a painter, Marianne, who has been commissioned to paint a wedding portrait of a young woman, Hélose, who has just returned from a convent, without her portrait subject discovering it. Hélose's mother instructs Marianne to accompany her on coastal strolls, and the result? The two young lovers share an evident affinity and intimacy.

You won't be able to take your gaze away from the stunning scenery of the cliffs, the quiet relaxing views of painting, and the energetic chemistry between the two leads. Take a seat and fall in love with the characters, wishing you could quarantine with them.

A compelling story about an Iranian couple and their conflicting wishes to leave the country. Simin, the wife, wants to leave Iran for a better life with her kid, but her husband, Nader, is determined to stay and care for his ailing father.

Asghar Farhadi's story depicts the couple's dispute while also highlighting the divides of marriage in an Iranian community.

Look, we understand the gut reaction everyone has when they look at a runtime for a film and it says: 2h 15m. It is daunting! Sometimes we just want a quick hour and a half gentle movie that we can watch before bed. However, nothing can quite prepare you for how deeply personal, beautiful and vast this picture is. Directed by Alfonso Cuarón (Gravity, Harry Potter Prisoner of Askaban & Children of Men), this is a masterclass in capturing a story that seems so real you might catch yourself wondering if its a documentary. Don’t let the black and white, subtitles or long runtime deter you from seeing one of the most unique films of our generation.

Everyone should experience a Pedro Almodóvar movie. One of Europe’s most decorated directors; his movies are always full of colour, drama, sex and life. There are so many gems to pick from but we decided that this was as good a place as any. Winner of the 2000 foreign language film oscar, All About My Mother follows Manuela, whose son has been hit by a car and is in need of a transplant so she goes in search of her son’s father, a trans woman who Manuela has tried to conceal from her son’s life.

Can’t get enough of the silent age? A classic of the silent age, this film tells the story of the doomed but ultimately canonized 15th-century teenage warrior. On trial for claiming she'd spoken to God, Jeanne d'Arc (Renee Falconetti) is subjected to inhumane treatment and scare tactics at the hands of church court officials (Eugene Silvain, Jean d'Yd). Initially bullied into changing her story, Jeanne eventually opts for what she sees as the truth. Her punishment, a famously brutal execution, earns her perpetual martyrdom.

Of course this list wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the film that helped define movie history for the better. Parasite took the stage as the first foreign film to bag itself an Academy Award for the Best Picture, and rightly so. It’s untouchable in every sense.

Bong Joon-ho’s masterpiece follows the poverty stricken Kim family and their fight against the inevitable class discrimination forced upon them up society. When the son is offered a tutoring job, he takes it and finds himself working for a wealthy family. It’s from here we begin to see a very dark comedy, showcasing the class struggles between the rich and poor. However, we don’t want to give away too much because this film will constantly surprise and shock you, so get ready for a bumpy ride.

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