You don't need to pack your bags to take a trip to far-off lands. There's a whole world of international cinema that will give you a glimpse into the lives of people from other countries, not to mention giving you a break from the usual Hollywood fare. Let us be your tour guide to some of the best foreign films arriving online and streaming.
From an intimate drama on the streets of Mumbai, to a tense standoff in Amsterdam, and a martial arts epic from Hong Kong, this selection of very different films will take you on a cinematic world tour.
iHostage (2025)
A hit on the Netflix charts, iHostage is based on the true story of a hostage situation in an Amsterdam Apple Store. In 2022, a lone gunman held several Apple customers at gunpoint, demanding €200 million in cryptocurrency while Dutch police prepared to tackle the situation. Perhaps fittingly given the events unfolded surrounded by smartphones, the gunman sent selfies and videos that were shared online. The setting offers a fresh twist to this hostage drama, with CCTV footage adding to the sense of realism as the tension mounts and people both inside and outside the building try to save the day.
All We Imagine As Light (2024)
Available for streaming on BFI Player (UK) and The Criterion Channel via Amazon Prime Video (US), All We Imagine as Light follows three women of different generations working in a Mumbai hospital and dealing with absent husbands, illicit love affairs and other everyday problems.
Even as things take a turn for the worse, they find solidarity and support with each other, leading up to a low-key but life-affirming break from the crowded city.
This quietly touching film manages to be both an intimate drama about the subtle details of everyday life, and at the same time also captures a snapshot of an overwhelmingly huge and hectic city.
Director Payal Kapadia has a background in documentary filmmaking, and draws affectingly natural performances from the cast before taking to the streets and showing the city in all its hustle and bustle.
It's a beautifully unhurried and thoughtful slice of life that might bring a tear to the eye.
Twilight Of The Warriors: Walled In (2024)
Strap in and hold tight for a fistful of bonkers martial arts mayhem, streaming on Now TV (UK) and Hi-YAH via Amazon Prime Video (US).
High-kicking, high-octane thrills are on the menu as a young man gets mixed up between rival gangs in 1980s Hong Kong, spiralling from one wild fight scene to the next in a fever-dream of acrobatic action.
Hong Kong icons Louis Koo, Sammo Hung and Aaron Kwok are among the line-up of tough guys giving our hero a hard time in the maze-like streets of Kowloon Walled City, a unique setting for this fast-paced, bone-crunching extravaganza packed with wince-inducing stunts.
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