Best Foreign-Language Movies 2021

Critics Consensus: The Truffle Hunters explores a world most viewers will know nothing about -- with delightfully savory results.

Synopsis: A handful of men search for rare, expensive and delicious white Alba truffles deep in the forests of Piedmont, Italy.

Starring: Enrico Crippa, Carlo Gondola, Piero Botto, Sergio Cauda

Directed By: Michael Dweck, Gregory Kershaw

Critics Consensus: Quo Vadis, Aida? uses one woman's heartbreaking conflict to offer a searing account of war's devastating human toll.

Synopsis: Bosnia, July 11th 1995. Aida is a translator for the United Nations in the small town of Srebrenica. When the Serbian army takes over the... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jasna Đuričić, Izudin Bajrovic, Boris Ler, Dino Bajrovic

Directed By: Jasmila Zbanic

Critics Consensus: Led by Noée Abita's outstanding central performance, Slalom offers a moving account of oppression and abuse in the guise of mentorship.

Synopsis: This riveting, Cannes-selected #MeToo drama from debut filmmaker Charlène Favier follows the relationship between a teenage ski prodigy and her predatory instructor, played by frequent... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Noée Abita, Jérémie Renier, Marie Denarnaud, Muriel Combeau

Directed By: Charlène Favier

Critics Consensus: Drive My Car's imposing runtime holds a rich, patiently engrossing drama that reckons with self-acceptance and regret.

Synopsis: Two years after his wife's unexpected death, Yusuke Kafuku (Hidetoshi Nishijima), a renowned stage actor and director, receives an offer to direct a production of... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Hidetoshi Nishijima, Toko Miura, Reika Kirishima, Yoo-rim Park

Directed By: Ryûsuke Hamaguchi

Critics Consensus: Depicting the refugee experience through vivid animation, Flee pushes the boundaries of documentary filmmaking to present a moving memoir of self-discovery.

Synopsis: FLEE tells the story of Amin Nawabi as he grapples with a painful secret he has kept hidden for 20 years, one that threatens to... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Amin, Jonas Poher Rasmussen, Daniel Karimyar, Fardin Mijdzadeh

Directed By: Jonas Poher Rasmussen

Critics Consensus: A brilliant forum for Penélope Cruz's talent, Parallel Mothers reaffirms the familiar pleasures of Almodóvar's filmmaking while proving he's still capable of growth.

Synopsis: Two women, Janis and Ana, coincide in a hospital room where they are going to give birth. Both are single and became pregnant by accident.... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Penélope Cruz, Aitana Sánchez-Gijón, Milena Smit, Israel Elejalde

Directed By: Pedro Almodóvar

Critics Consensus: A remarkable feature debut for director/co-writer Filippo Meneghetti, Two of Us tells a deceptively complex love story while presenting a rich acting showcase for its three leads.

Synopsis: Two retired women, Nina and Madeleine, have been secretly in love for decades. Everybody, including Madeleine’s family, thinks they are simply neighbors, sharing the top... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Barbara Sukowa, Martine Chevallier, Léa Drucker, Muriel Benazeraf

Directed By: Filippo Meneghetti

Critics Consensus: Beautifully filmed and emotionally impactful, Luzzu uses one man's story to capture the struggles of a region at a cultural crossroads.

Synopsis: A hardworking Maltese fisherman, Jesmark is faced with an agonizing choice. He can repair his leaky luzzu -- a traditional, multicolored wooden fishing boat --... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jesmark Scicluna, Michela Farrugia, David Scicluna, Frida Cauchi

Directed By: Alex Camilleri

Critics Consensus: Acasa, My Home presents a powerful documentary portrait of one family's odyssey that illustrates bittersweet truths about freedom and society.

Synopsis: A rural Romanian couple and their nine children must learn to live in the big city.

Directed By: Radu Ciorniciuc

Critics Consensus: Sabaya presents a scary and sobering look at human suffering -- and the efforts of those dedicated to ending it.

Synopsis: Members of a group risk their lives trying to save Yazidi women and girls who are being held as sex slaves in the most dangerous... View Full Synopsis

Directed By: Hogir Hirori