To be completely clear, “movies that should be pushed to the West” does not mean be remade or reshot in English or with western born actors. Although a few adaptations of lesser-known movies have hit it big in the West (The Departed 2006/ Internal Affairs 2002 Hong Kong), here, the main focus is to try to bring non-Hollywood films into the forefront of movie media. These five films are all of varying popularity and acclaim in Hollywood, with Druk even earning an Academy Award Nomination for Best International Feature. What makes them unique, though, is that they are not at the front of most casual moviegoers’ minds when we think of films that are “must watches”. We often only look at the blockbusters, or what has the biggest billboards or best marketing. Hopefully, these five films can help to jumpstart a further interest in international movies because there is a lot of really good filmmaking to see. 

Honorable Mention

Unfortunately, these first two movies are unable to be streamed anywhere at the moment, but their inclusion was still needed because the films are good and they are important. Hopefully, there is a chance that this article can help raise awareness to get these films onto the screens of more viewers. 

Pari 2020 (dir. Siamak Etemadi) 

Directed amid the economic crisis in Greece and the economic turmoil in Europe as a whole, this movie presents an honest representation of the current state of Greece and Europe regarding immigration and financial conflict. Greece is widely known for its pristine beaches or for its bottomless contributions to modern Western society, but in modern times, it’s not the social and philosophical hub it once was. Greece is still reeling from the 2008 financial crisis, and a strong population of people there blamed their economic woes on immigration. Pari is about an Iranian mother in Greece searching for her lost son, who she sent to Greece for a better education. The film not only shows the chaotic state in which Greece currently stands but also follows a mother searching for her son and learning about her son and herself. It is a deeply moving odyssey for one’s own child and identity and shows West and East’s clashing cultures. It is a film that many Hollywood audiences would greatly benefit from watching. 

Sarmako, a Tale of the North 2020 (dir. Marco Papadopoulos)

Set shortly after the Greek Civil War, this film deals with the harsh realities that followed directly after that war and still plague modern-day Greece. It is centered around the anger that working-class people have at not having enough to survive after the war, so they turn this anger outward and against the “other,” in this case, immigrants from Turkey. The main character Antonis’ Turkish parents are brutally murdered after being blamed for the community’s plight. After the Greek Civil War, this violence and hatred was turned towards Turkish people and now turned towards people from Africa and the Middle East. In America today, we see people who blame “others,” such as immigrants or members of the LGBTQ community, for crimes and societal issues, and these people suffer violence and vitriol because of it. There is a direct correlation between this film’s events and the events happening in America today, which is why it is an important film that should be pushed West. 

5. Serbuan maut 2011  (The Raid) [dir. Gareth Evans] 

If you at all consider yourself an action fan, you are doing yourself a disservice if you have not seen The Raid. Directed by Gareth Evans and released in 2011, The Raid follows a group of police officers raiding an apartment block in Jakarta run by a dangerous gangster, Tama, played by Ray Sahetapy. This movie is full throttle from beginning to end, featuring everything an action fan would love; loud gunfights, corrupt cops, dangerous gangsters, and anime-level hand-to-hand combat scenes led by action legend Iko Uwais. There is no movie like The Raid (well, except for The Raid 2), and if you hunger for a little bit of violence, I don’t think there is a better movie to satiate that hunger. Surprisingly, The Raid only made $9.3 million upon release domestically because Western moviegoers love their violence. Despite its low box office numbers, this movie is still a must-watch and is an action classic. 

Stream Serbuan Maut [The Raid] on Netflix, Amazon, Youtube, or Google Play.