The Best Foreign Movies of 2022, Ranked

If 2022 taught us anything, it’s that you don’t need English dialogue to understand heartbreak, hope, or a man launching into a dance number that could power a small city.
The best foreign movies of 2022 weren’t “good for international films.” They were just goodthe kind you recommend with the intensity of someone trying to save a friend from another night of doom-scrolling.

This ranked list focuses on standout international films released in 2022movies that earned major critical praise, showed up on U.S. critics’ year-end lists, made awards noise,
and (most importantly) delivered unforgettable viewing experiences. Some are prestige dramas, some are thrillers, some are pure cinematic adrenaline. All are worth your time.

How This Ranking Works

• Critical consensus: Presence on major U.S. critic roundups and reviews across reputable outlets.
• Awards impact: Cannes/Venice/Academy Awards attention (when applicable).
• Cultural buzz: The “everyone won’t shut up about it” factor (a scientific metric).
• Rewatch value: Movies that stickscenes you replay in your head while doing dishes.

The Best Foreign Movies of 2022, Ranked

1) Decision to Leave (South Korea) The romantic thriller that ruins other thrillers

Park Chan-wook’s Decision to Leave is what happens when a crime story falls in love with its own longing. On paper: a detective investigates a suspicious death.
In practice: the investigation becomes a slow spiral of obsession, tenderness, and moral quicksand. The film plays like a noir that learned how to whisper.

The genius is in the tone: it’s stylish without showing off, emotionally complicated without being confusing, and romantic without begging you to root for anyone’s decisions.
If you enjoy movies where a single glance counts as a plot twist, congratulationsthis is your Super Bowl.

2) RRR (India) Three hours of joy, chaos, and “Wait… did they just do that?”

RRR is not a movie; it’s an event. A historical action epic with bromance energy so powerful it could be bottled and sold as a sports drink.
It’s big, bold, sincere, and somehow keeps topping itselfone set piece after another like the film is actively competing with your expectations.

Beyond the spectacle, there’s real emotion: friendship tested by politics, loyalty, and the kind of personal sacrifice that makes you sit up straighter.
Even if you’ve never seen a Tollywood blockbuster, RRR is the perfect gatewaybecause it kicks the door down and carries you inside.

3) All Quiet on the Western Front (Germany) A war movie that refuses to look away

Brutal, immersive, and deeply human, this adaptation of the classic novel drags the glamour out of war and leaves only mud, fear, and the grinding machinery of history.
It’s the kind of film that makes silence feel loud. The battle sequences are technically stunning, but the most haunting moments are often the quiet ones:
a pause, a stare, a realization that the world has moved on without you.

This is not a “fun watch.” It’s a necessary oneespecially for viewers who want international cinema that hits like a cold truth instead of a warm blanket.

4) Saint Omer (France) A courtroom drama that turns into a mirror

Saint Omer doesn’t give you easy answers; it gives you the uncomfortable gift of attention. Built around a courtroom case inspired by real events,
the film watchespatiently, preciselyas testimony, language, identity, and motherhood collide. It’s not just about what happened; it’s about what people
project onto what happened.

The directing is quietly devastating: long takes that force you to sit with uncertainty, expressions that change meaning mid-sentence,
and the creeping sense that you’re not merely observing judgmentyou’re participating in it.

5) Close (Belgium) The gentlest movie that will emotionally body-slam you

Close begins with the warmth of childhood friendship and then introduces the pressure cooker of social expectations.
Two 13-year-old boys share an intimacy that feels naturaluntil the world starts labeling it, questioning it, and pulling at it.

The film’s power is its honesty: no villains twirling mustaches, just everyday cruelty, awkwardness, and fear. It’s a story about masculinity,
tenderness, and the cost of turning away from what you feel to satisfy what others think you should be. Bring tissues. Bring more tissues.

6) EO (Poland) A donkey’s-eye view of humanity (and it’s weirder than it sounds)

Yes, the main character is a donkey. No, this is not a children’s movie. EO follows a donkey as it moves through different human worldscircuses, farms,
roads, strangerscapturing our species with a mix of tenderness and dread. The result is hypnotic: part fable, part social commentary, part fever dream.

It’s also visually adventurous, with bold lighting and surreal touches that make you feel like you’re seeing the world slightly sideways.
If you like international films that take creative risks and trust you to keep up, EO is an absolute must.

7) The Quiet Girl (Ireland) Small movie, huge heart

The Quiet Girl is proof that the softest films can land the hardest. A young girl from a troubled home is sent to live with relatives in the countryside,
and what unfolds is a story about care: how it can be withheld, how it can be learned, and how life-changing it is to be seen without being demanded from.

It’s beautifully restrainedglances, gestures, routine. The film doesn’t force emotion; it earns it. By the end, you may feel like you’ve been gently
rearranged from the inside. In the best way.

8) Argentina, 1985 (Argentina) The courtroom crowd-pleaser with real historical bite

A courtroom drama that actually moves? In this economy? Argentina, 1985 tackles the landmark trial of Argentina’s former military leaders with urgency,
moral clarity, and a grounded sense of human stakes. It balances procedural detail with emotion, showing both the scale of national reckoning and the personal cost
to those who pushed for justice.

It’s also surprisingly accessiblesmart without being stiff. If you want a foreign-language film that makes you feel both outraged and hopeful,
this is a top-tier pick.

9) Broker (South Korea) Found family, but make it morally complicated

Directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda, Broker begins with an ethically thorny premisepeople who profit from abandoned babiesand turns it into a deeply empathetic
road movie about loneliness, choice, and the fragile ways people try to do right after doing wrong.

The performances keep it human rather than sentimental. You’re not asked to excuse anyone; you’re asked to understand how messy survival can be.
It’s tender, funny in small moments, and quietly crushing when it needs to be.

10) No Bears (Iran) Cinema as resistance, filmed under pressure

No Bears is meta without being smug: a filmmaker tries to direct a film remotely while stuck near a border, and becomes entangled in local politics
and social rules. The film’s tension comes from the collision of art and controlwhat happens when storytelling itself is treated as a threat.

It’s sharp, layered, and often darkly funny, but the humor carries teeth. If you like international cinema that’s both personal and political,
No Bears belongs near the top of your watchlist.

11) Holy Spider (Denmark/Iran) A true-crime nightmare with moral fury

Holy Spider follows a journalist investigating a series of murders, and it uses the structure of a thriller to explore something bigger:
the way communities can rationalize violence, especially violence against women, when it suits their worldview.

It’s intense and unsettlingless “cozy mystery” and more “I need to pace around after this.” The film’s power comes from its refusal to treat horror as spectacle;
it aims the camera at systems, not just individuals.

12) Joyland (Pakistan) A luminous drama about desire, family, and freedom

Joyland is tender and brave: a young man in a traditional household finds work in an erotic dance theater and falls for a trans performer,
setting off tremors through a family structure built on expectation. The film treats its characters with compassioneven when they disappoint youbecause it understands
how deeply patriarchy can trap everyone in the room.

It’s beautifully acted, quietly radical, and emotionally honest. You finish it feeling like you’ve been invited into someone’s life, not sold a “message.”

13) Return to Seoul (France/Cambodia/South Korea) Identity, adoption, and the messiness of being human

A French woman who was adopted from Korea returns to Seoul and begins searching for her birth parentsthen repeatedly surprises you (and herself)
with how she handles what she finds. Return to Seoul is jagged in the best way: impulsive, restless, and allergic to neat emotional arcs.

Instead of giving you a tidy “finding yourself” narrative, the film asks a tougher question: what if selfhood is something you try on, discard, reclaim,
and rebuildsometimes all in the same night?

14) Athena (France) A political action tragedy shot like it’s on fire

Athena opens at full speed and stays therean urban tragedy about grief and revolt, staged with bravura camera work and relentless momentum.
After a young man’s death, three brothers react in dramatically different ways, and the story becomes a collision of rage, loyalty, and the tragic math of escalation.

Even if you don’t agree with every narrative move, the craft is undeniable. This is international cinema as adrenaline: kinetic, ambitious,
and designed to leave marks.

15) The Blue Caftan (Morocco) A quiet, intimate story stitched with longing

Set in a tailor shop, The Blue Caftan is about craft, marriage, illness, and desire that can’t fully speak its name.
A husband and wife run their business together, and when they hire an apprentice, the triangle that forms is less about scandal and more about tenderness
love expressed through work, care, and what people choose to carry for each other.

The film moves with patience and empathy. It’s the kind of foreign-language movie that proves drama doesn’t need volume to be powerful.
Sometimes it just needs honestyand a needle pulling thread through fabric like time itself.

Quick Picks by Mood

• Want romance with danger? Decision to Leave
• Want pure spectacle? RRR
• Want awards-caliber devastation? Close or The Quiet Girl
• Want political urgency? Argentina, 1985 or No Bears
• Want something daring and different? EO

Final Thoughts

The best international films of 2022 didn’t just broaden the cinematic mapthey reminded us why we watch movies in the first place:
to feel something real, to see someone else’s world, and to walk out the other side a little changed.
If you’ve been stuck in a streaming loop of “I’ll just rewatch the same comfort show,” consider this your friendly intervention.

Viewing Experiences: How to Enjoy “The Best Foreign Movies of 2022, Ranked” Like a Pro (500+ Words)

Watching foreign-language films isn’t homeworkit’s a travel hack you can do in sweatpants. But the experience does change depending on how you watch,
what you expect, and whether you treat subtitles like an enemy or a superpower. Here are a few real-world, viewer-tested ways to make your international movie nights
smoother, richer, and (yes) more fun.

1) Make subtitles your sidekick, not your obstacle

A common first-time reaction is, “I can’t read and watch at the same time.” Totally normal. The trick is to give yourself 10–15 minutes to adjust.
After that, your brain starts pairing text with tone and expression automatically. You’ll also notice something surprising: subtitles can make you pay closer attention
to micro-actingtiny facial shifts in Close, or a pause in The Quiet Girl that says more than a monologue ever could.

Practical tip: if you’re watching with others, avoid loud snacks. This is not the night for crinkly chip bags that sound like a thunderstorm during a whispery scene.
Choose popcorn in a bowl like a civilized person.

2) Pair the film with the right “vibe”

Not every movie belongs at the same time of day. RRR is a Friday-night crowd movieideal when you want energy, reactions, and the freedom to yell,
“HOW IS THIS STILL GETTING BIGGER?!” All Quiet on the Western Front, on the other hand, is best when you can focus and decompress afterward.
If you watch it right before bed, you may end up staring at the ceiling having an argument with history.

“Vibe-matching” also means choosing your company wisely. EO is fantastic with someone who enjoys film that’s poetic and unusual.
If your friend’s idea of cinema is “plot, explosions, and a clear villain,” ease them in with Athena firstthen, once they trust you, gently introduce
the donkey masterpiece.

3) Turn international films into a mini festival at home

One of the best experiences is making it a personal “2022 world cinema festival.” Pick three films across different styles:
a thriller (Decision to Leave), an emotional drama (Close), and a political or historical piece (Argentina, 1985).
Spread them across a week. You’ll start noticing patternshow different cultures frame family, duty, love, and rebellionand it won’t feel like studying.
It’ll feel like discovering.

Bonus: keep a simple note on your phone after each movie with two lines:
(1) “Best scene” and (2) “What I’m still thinking about.”
This turns the experience from passive watching into something you actually remember a month later.

4) Let the movies challenge your “story expectations”

A lot of American studio storytelling trains us to expect clean arcs and tidy closure. Many of the best foreign movies of 2022 do not care about that training.
Return to Seoul is a great example: it’s emotionally honest because it’s messy. Real identity isn’t a straight line; it’s a scribble.
When you stop demanding a perfectly wrapped ending, these films get even betterbecause you’re meeting them on their terms.

5) Talk about thembriefly, honestly, and without turning it into a lecture

The fastest way to kill the magic is to deliver a 20-minute “here’s what the director meant” speech like you’re defending a thesis.
Instead, ask one good question: “What did you feel during the last scene?” Or: “Which character made you uncomfortableand why?”
That’s where the best conversations live, especially with films like Saint Omer or Joyland, which are built to spark reflection.

Ultimately, the best viewing experience is the one that makes you curiousabout another place, another language, another way of seeing.
And if a movie in this list makes you immediately search for “more films like this,” congratulations: you just upgraded your cinematic life.