When Parasite won four Oscars (can you believe that was this year?), director Bong Joon-ho said that you open yourself up to a whole world of content if you can just accept the couple of inches of subtitles. Anyone who has watched non-English movies and series can attest to this.
The thing is, it is not just about language and subtitles. Foreign movies are more difficult to watch because we cannot rely on the cultural tropes we are familiar with to quickly get into the show. While this seems like a challenge initially, in the end you actually end up gaining so much more than “content.” You learn about how different countries and cultures see the world, as well as what they bring to the art of film.
You can find a VPN at vpnpros.com, which will get you around geo-restrictions. Even without a VPN, there are plenty of foreign movies available on Netflix right now.
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Okja
Directed by Bong Joon-ho of Parasite fame, Okja is set in Korea and the US. It follows a young girl who raises Okja, a “super-pig”. These pigs are being bred as an alternative to other meats, with far more consumable meat and a smaller environmental footprint. When she finds out they plan to kill Okja, she goes on a mission to save him.
The film is a sharp commentary on how animals are treated in factory farms around the world. It is sweet but also incredibly poignant.
Happy As Lazzaro
Happy As Lazzaro is an Italian film that follows a simple sharecropper. He agrees to help a nobleman escape his family by faking a kidnapping, and in the process finds out that sharecropping has long been illegal. While caught up in the action surrounding the kidnapping, he falls off a cliff and wakes up years later, without having aged.
Happy As Lazzaro is a great story, but it also has some brilliant social commentary within it. Of course, there is plenty of Italian countryside on show, if you want to feel transported elsewhere for a couple of hours.
Burning
Burning is another film set in Korea, but it is based on a story by Japanese writer Haruki Murakami. As with any Murakami story, it is often dark and nothing is as it seems. The storyline focuses on the conflict between a poor young man from a small town and a wealthy socialite from the capital Seoul. It is unclear why this man has so much money, and his sense of mystery only increases as they fight for the same girl.
I’m No Longer Here
Set in Monterrey in Mexico and New York, I’m No Longer Here follows Ulises, the leader of a street dancing group. His potential is scuppered when he ends up in the wrong place at the wrong time, and a gang forces him to flee to the U.S. There is a bit of everything in this excellent drama, with beautiful cinematography, compelling characters, and a poignant story.
What people are saying
about the RunPee app.
Brilliant idea with great information
I’ve been using RunPee for a few years now and it’s basically a requirement of going to the movies for me. The best part of course are the “pee times” that give you cues, synopses and times for when you can pee without missing the most important parts of the movie. There is also information about the credits- length, extras and if there are any extra scenes at the wayyy end. Super helpful to just know that it is or isn’t worth staying. There is a timer function that will buzz your phone when it’s a good time to pee. I also appreciate that the app is very conscientious about it being an app you use in a theater- dark background, all silent alarms etc. I will always enjoy the experience of the theater even if I could watch things at home- but I’ve even used it at home to check for things like after credit scenes or other information too.
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