The Reel World: More award-winning international films
We've added more award-winning international films since the ones I highlighted in July. These latest picks cover action/adventure, drama, thriller and horror/dark comedy genres. Check out a few movies with subtitles. You'll be amazed how quickly you forget you're reading the dialog when you become engrossed in the film.
Ride On (Mandarin) Action/Adventure (2023)
Director: Larry Yang
Stars: Jackie Chan, Haocun Liu & Kevin Guo
Washed-up stuntman Luo can barely make ends meet let alone take care of his beloved stunt horse, Red Hare. Luo reluctantly seeks help from his estranged daughter and her lawyer boyfriend when authorities notify him the horse may be auctioned off to cover his debts. Unexpectedly, Luo and Red Hare become an overnight media sensation when their real-life fight with debt collectors goes viral. Luo gets a second chance to choose between his stunt career and his family.
$40 million Box Office Sales (world)
Roise & Frank (Gaelic) Drama (2022)
Directors: Rachael Moriarty & Peter Murphy
Stars: Bríd Ní Neachtain, Cillian O'Gairbhi & Lorcan Cranitch
Róise is still grieving the loss of her husband, Frank, when a mysterious dog shows up at her door. Mildly annoyed by the canine attempting to disrupt her mourning, she attempts to ignore him. But before long, a series of coincidences convince her that somehow this shaggy dog is her husband Frank reincarnated.
Awards: 7 wins and 7 nominations – including Best Film, Best Director and Best Script.
Cadejo Blanco (Spanish) Drama (2021)
Director: Justin Lerner
Stars: Karen Martínez, Rudy Rodriguez & Pamela Martínez
Sarita goes out dancing one night at the insistence of her free-spirited sister, Bea. Uncharacteristically, Sarita dances the night away, heading home alone when the party drags on too late. The next morning, after calling friends and neighbors, Sarita begins to panic when she realizes Bea never made it home. The police are indifferent and unhelpful, but Sarita suspects Bea's disappearance has something to do with Andrés, her sister's dangerous ex. Realizing she must take matters into her own hands, Sarita finds a way to befriend him and infiltrate his gang. With an unwavering determination, Sarita becomes increasingly involved with Andrés and the ruthless, violent underworld of Guatemalan street gangs. Praised for its "gritty authenticity" (Screen Daily) and cast with almost entirely non-professional actors, Cadejo Blanco is an intense, nail-biting thriller in the vein of Sin Nombre and Maria Full of Grace, that digs deep into the underbelly of gang culture.
Awards: 4 wins and 6 nominations – including Best Latin American Film and Best Cinematography.
The Beasts (French) Thriller (2022)
Director: Rodrigo Sorogoyen
Stars: Marina Foïs, Denis Ménochet & Luis Zahera
With big plans to farm the land and sell vegetables at the local market for a living, former teacher Antoine and his supportive wife Olga have left their comfortable life in France behind to seek a fresh start in a remote rural part of Galicia. Instead, the dream turned sour – resentment, xenophobia and a corrosive undercurrent of unrelenting animosity awaited the grizzled French couple. Because, like it or not, when your immediate neighbors plan an all-out war, there is no turning back. And as tensions simmer and the inflamed row escalates into a full-blown vendetta, the inevitable clash between the newcomers and the locals can only end in a shocking outbreak of violence that changes everything. —Nick Riganas
Awards: 57 wins and 32 nominations – including Best International Film, Best Latin American Film and Best Ensemble Cast Performance
Final Cut (French) Horror/Dark Comedy (2022)
Director: Michel Hazanavicius
Stars: Romain Duris & Bérénice Bejo
The film follows a director making a live, single-take, low-budget zombie flick in which the cast and crew, one by one, turn into zombies. Hazanavicius milks the film's hilarious and meta-to-the-max premise for all it's worth, while also crafting a sly love letter to the art of filmmaking. What's on-screen unfolds in typical cheesy B-movie fashion, while the off-screen hijinks offer a celebration of the unpredictable and collaborative nature of film sets.
Awards: 1 win and 5 nominations – including Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Motion Picture Score
