Join us on an epic cinematic journey as we explore the most incredible films from every continent. From groundbreaking classics to modern masterpieces, we'll dive into the best movies that have shaped global cinema and left an indelible mark on film history.
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the best films from every
00:15continent.
00:16We'll be selecting five from each continent, except Antarctica, for a total of 30 entries.
00:28Number 5.
00:29Africa, Touki Bouki.
00:39Despite being shown at the Cannes Film Festival in 1973, Gibril Diop Mbetsi's Touki Bouki,
00:44like so many other African films in its day, was largely ignored and forgotten for years.
00:50Made on a shoestring budget by a first-time director with no formal education in filmmaking,
00:55critics at the time were largely uninterested.
00:57It was essentially unknown in the U.S. for years.
01:00However, today, with the benefit of a restoration and re-release, everyone from Martin Scorsese
01:05to Beyoncé has championed the film.
01:07Much of what were initially points of derision against it, including its small and unpolished
01:12field, clear influences, and the fact that it was set in Mbetsi's native Senegal, have
01:17drawn contemporary audiences to the road film.
01:30Number 5.
01:31America, Wild Tales.
01:52As its name implies, Wild Tales is an anthology comprising six rather off-the-wall stories.
01:58The common thread is vengeance, with ordinary-seeming people pushed too far and snapping, often
02:04with disastrous yet hilarious results.
02:18Argentinian writer-director Damien Sifron provides a satire of Western society by having
02:23characters rally against its constraints.
02:25In fact, many of the tales contained in the film draw from his own life experiences.
02:30The dark comedy is often seen not only as one of Argentina's best-ever films, but one
02:35of the best anthologies ever made, with both its director and the large ensemble of Argentine
02:40actors earning praise.
02:57Number 5.
02:58Australia and Oceania, The Piano.
03:12June Campion became both the first woman and the first New Zealander to win the Palme d'Or
03:16at Cannes, and was only the second woman to be nominated for Best Director at the Oscars.
03:21Campion would go on to take home the Best Original Screenplay Oscar for the historical
03:26which tells the story of Ada, a woman who is mute and sent to New Zealand for an arranged
03:30marriage.
03:31As Ada, Holly Hunter gives a silent and powerful performance, portraying a woman holding on
03:36to what she loves in a cruel time.
03:59She and New Zealander Anna Paquin, in her first-ever role, took home Best Actress and
04:04Best Supporting Actress respectively in this tale about love, sexual awakenings, and music.
04:26Number 5.
04:27Europe, Come and See.
04:48Come and See is a harrowing film detailing the German occupation of Belarus during World
04:52War II, seen through the eyes of a teenage boy played by Alexei Kravchenko.
04:57His performance in the film is frequently cited as one of the greatest child performances
05:01of all time, but it's far from the only thing that has won the movie praise.
05:23Released at the height of the Cold War, the Soviet film takes a staunch and often brutal
05:27anti-war stance.
05:28Its unique mashup of surreal elements and hyper-real violence makes it a difficult yet
05:33rewarding watch for any film fan.
06:00Number 5.
06:01Asia, Oldboy.
06:19No list of Asian cinema would be complete without a truly astounding action film, and
06:23Korean director Park Chan-wook's Oldboy is tough to beat in that department.
06:28The film follows a man, Oh Dae-su, who is kidnapped, imprisoned for 15 years, and suddenly
06:33released, all with no discernible explanation.
06:36Dae-su then goes on a bloody quest for vengeance that includes a long take in a hallway that
06:41has been hailed as one of the best action sequences ever shot.
06:51Oldboy never flinches in these violent depictions of an often cruel and irrational world, and
06:56of a man wholly consumed by his desire for revenge.
07:15Number 5.
07:16North America, Pulp Fiction.
07:31The importance of the indie film revolution of the late 1980s and early 90s in North America
07:36cannot be understated.
07:38That revolution is perhaps best represented by Quentin Tarantino's masterpiece Pulp Fiction.
07:43The film tells several stories that weave through one another, featuring a talented
07:47ensemble cast spouting pop-cultural references at every turn.
08:02It cleverly combines humor, violence, crime, and a ton of amazing music.
08:07The film would go on to inspire untold imitators, and help shape American film by propelling
08:13cinema and the post-modern movement into the spotlight.
08:27Number 4.
08:28Africa, Black Girl.
08:38It's no coincidence that this film, which follows a black woman from Senegal who has
08:42relocated to France to be a servant for a wealthy white family, was shot in black and
08:47white.
08:48The Senegalese woman, Diouana, slowly loses her identity, isolated in the apartment, only
08:53seeing the city of lights through her window, and controlled by the family.
09:12Like the black African mask that adorns the white wall in their home, Diouana is presented
09:17like an exotic trophy for their visiting friends, one of the many symbols of colonial oppression
09:22director Ousmane Sembène placed into the film.
09:24Black Girl became the first sub-Saharan film to break through to a world stage, and helped
09:29establish Sembène as the father of African film.
09:49Number 4.
09:51Embrace of the Serpent.
10:14The destruction of the Amazon rainforest, along with the peoples and cultures within
10:18it are a key theme in this Colombian adventure film.
10:21The film follows Karamakate, the final member of his tribe, across two time periods, in
10:261909 and 1940, as he travels with a pair of foreigners.
10:31These colonizers each seek to plunder a sacred plant for their own ends, and have little
10:35concern for the forest or those that live there.
10:52Embrace of the Serpent would earn acclaim at festivals like Cannes and Sundance, and
10:56even at the Academy Awards, where it was Colombia's first ever selection for Best Foreign Language
11:00Film.
11:01Its setting and lessons make it essential viewing for those looking to appreciate cinema
11:05from South America.
11:25Number 4.
11:27and Oceania, The Babadook.
11:35A number of talented independent horror filmmakers have sprung out of Australia, but few have
11:40made an impact so immediately as Jennifer Kent with her debut, The Babadook.
11:44Like all great horror films, The Babadook manages to be a way to explore real traumas
11:49and emotions, while remaining incredibly frightening.
12:10Examining themes of grief and deteriorating sanity, the film follows a recently widowed
12:15mother attempting to raise a child.
12:17That child just happens to be haunted by a monster straight out of a very creepy children's
12:21book.
12:22The titular monster, a black and white figure in a top hat, won over horror fans for its
12:26unique design, created with stop motion, giving it a rather unnerving presence.
12:38Number 4.
12:40The Seventh Seal.
12:51Set in Sweden during the Middle Ages, The Seventh Seal follows a troubled knight who
12:55begins to question his faith in God, and eventually encounters the specter of death himself.
13:01Despite being very busy as plague and war sweep across Europe, death agrees to a chess
13:05match with the crusader.
13:07As they play, their conversation allows them to explore a number of existential themes,
13:12including religion, the desire to do what is right, and of course, the fact that death
13:17comes for us all.
13:35The film made director Ingmar Bergman and actor Max von Sydow overnight international
13:39stars, and has been acclaimed as a masterpiece of filmmaking.
13:57Number 4.
13:58Asia – Tokyo Story
14:08Japanese director Yasujiro Ozu was one of the most influential figures for expanding
14:12cinema across the world, often breaking established Hollywood traditions, both narratively and
14:18technically.
14:19Like many of his films, Tokyo Story is a deliberately paced family drama that bucks conventions
14:24like the 180-degree rule in favor of his own minimalist style.
14:42Coming out just eight years after the end of the Second World War, the film's themes
14:46center around how Japan had been forever changed, its traditional values eroding in favor of
14:52capitalist ideas.
14:54Tokyo Story's plot highlighted the divide between an older, rural generation and their
14:58children in a bustling, materially-driven world.
15:24Number 4.
15:27North America – Star Wars Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back
15:41The darker, more atmospheric second chapter of the original Star Wars saga features a
15:46more robust plot, splitting the narrative in half, with Luke separating from his friends.
15:51After a thrilling opening section on the ice world of Hoth, Han and Leia's romance
15:55deepens while escaping the Empire and dodging asteroids.
15:59Meanwhile, Luke trains as a Jedi as we're introduced to the enigmatic Yoda, who prepares
16:06the young man to face his own darkness.
16:14The plots converge at Cloud City, and the film ends with a declaration of love and uncertain
16:19fate for Han.
16:21While Luke faces off in a thrilling duel with the evil Darth Vader, the culmination
16:25of that fight sees a legendary twist and an unforgettable ending.
16:45Number 3.
16:46Africa – Sankofa The Ethiopian-produced film Sankofa looks
16:59at the horrors and aftermath of American slavery from an African perspective.
17:03It follows a modern African-American woman who, after visiting and disrespecting a sacred
17:08place, is sent back in time to experience the atrocities of the Atlantic slave trade
17:12firsthand.
17:13Through the film, Ethiopian-born writer-director Haile Gerima highlighted how many black people
17:18around the world today had forgotten and lost their heritage, which had been stolen from
17:22them by white colonizers.
17:31While the film was largely unknown and not widely distributed upon release, it found
17:35a second life in 2021, receiving a 4K restoration and theatrical release via Ava DuVernay and
17:42Netflix.
17:54Number 3.
17:55South America – The Official Story
18:12Written during the reign of Argentine dictator Leopoldo Gatieri, The Official Story was initially
18:16planned to be shot in secret.
18:18However, the toppling of the totalitarian regime allowed Luis Puenzo to film openly,
18:23while also allowing Norma Alejandro, a progressive who had fled the country, to return and star
18:28in the film.
18:30She plays Alicia, an adoptive mother who begins to suspect her child may have been one of
18:34the thousands of forced disappearances by the government.
18:41Alicia's journey, discovering the horrors that she was ignorant of for years as those
18:53she loves continue to embrace a violent dictatorship, mirrors what her country itself had been through.
19:04Number 3.
19:17Australia and Oceania – Picnic at Hanging Rock
19:33Based on the classic Australian mystery novel, Aussie director Peter Weir was selected to
19:37translate the story of three girls who disappear on Valentine's Day 1900 to the big screen.
19:43Described as part of the Australian New Wave, the film deals with motifs and is shot in
19:48a way that could only come from down under.
20:03With cinematography intentionally harkening back to Australian Impressionist painters,
20:07the film is a thing of beauty to behold.
20:10Its daintily dressed characters explored a landscape that was ancient yet novel to them,
20:15one full of forbidden mystery and desire, just as the lost girls themselves were.
20:44Number 3.
20:45Europe – Bicycle Thieves
21:00In the wake of World War II as poverty gripped the nation, a neo-realist movement emerged
21:05out of Italy, with contemporary critics citing it as that country's golden age of film.
21:10These films frequently starred non-professional actors as ordinary working class citizens.
21:15Such is the case with Bicycle Thieves, which shows a poor father and son attempting to
21:19hunt down the father's stolen bicycle, without which he would lose his job.
21:32The film was instantly canonized and praised for its humanist themes and its emphasis on
21:37realism and genuine emotion.
21:39Because of this, just four years after its release, it topped Sight & Sound's poll
21:44of greatest films ever made.
21:59Number 3.
22:01In The Mood For Love
22:15Wong Kar Wai's slow and melancholic film about a pair of would-be lovers is equal parts
22:20sensual and tragic.
22:22Stars Maggie Chung as Su and Tony Leung as Cho play neighbors who, after discovering
22:26their spouses are having an affair, begin to fall in love against their better judgment.
22:40Longing looks captured in slow motion as a somber refrain played over and over make us
22:45want to see Su and Cho finally end up together.
22:48However, time after time they miss the opportunity, making this Hong Kong film as heartbreaking
22:53as it is beautiful.
23:16Number 3.
23:17In America, Psycho
23:29Although he had begun during the silent era in his native England, by 1960, Alfred Hitchcock
23:35had spent two decades working within the American studio system.
23:38For Psycho, Hitch took a different, smaller budget approach, filming in black and white
23:42with his TV crew.
23:44This gives the thriller a much more intimate feel, perfect for getting into the mind of
24:02a deranged killer.
24:04Audiences were scandalized by what were at the time taboo-breaking amounts of sexuality
24:09with the iconic shower scene shocking film-goers.
24:18Like the rest of the film, it was unexpected, brilliantly shot, and contained an iconic
24:23score from prolific composer Bernard Herrmann.
24:36Number 2.
24:37Africa, District 9
24:48Following the corporate bureaucrat Vikas Vandermeerve, District 9 is set in Johannesburg, South Africa,
24:53decades after the unexplained and unexpected arrival of an alien spacecraft over the city.
24:58Tasked with forcibly relocating the aliens, known colloquially as Prawns, at first Vikas
25:03has no problems harassing them for his own selfish goals.
25:07However, after an accident, he slowly transforms into a prawn himself and ends up fighting
25:11for their cause alongside his new friend Christopher.
25:19The movie draws heavily from South Africa's shameful history of apartheid and the many
25:23horrific activities committed by the government during that time.
25:27Just as importantly, it also managed to be a phenomenal action film from first-time director
25:31and screenwriter Neil Blomkamp.
25:48Number 2.
25:49America, The Secret in Their Eyes
26:16After working in TV in the U.S. for several years, director Juan Jose Campanella returned
26:20to Argentina to make a more personal project about his home country.
26:24The Secret in Their Eyes, on the surface, is about a pair of judiciary agents investigating
26:28a murder case while feelings develop between them.
26:44However, the setting of the first portion of the film, taking place a year before the
26:50rise of a militant dictatorship in the country and the violence that was gripping the nation,
26:54is key to the film's context.
26:57That, along with a thrilling five-minute-long shot through a football stadium, make this
27:01a tense and unforgettable crime film.
27:19Number 2.
27:20Australia and Oceania, Mad Max Fury Road
27:32There are few film series as synonymous with a particular continent as the Mad Max franchise
27:37is with Australia.
27:38After George Miller's original trilogy helped establish the tropes of the post-apocalyptic
27:42genre, he tried for years to create a fourth installment.
27:46During that lengthy development period, Miller created backstories for dozens of characters
27:51and developed thousands of storyboards for a film that would be one long chase scene.
28:12After a decade and a half of false starts, the end product was worth the wait.
28:16Fury Road is a non-stop thrill ride full of intense practical action and great performances.
28:22It's been praised by many as not only a perfect film for adrenaline junkies, but also for
28:27its poignant feminist themes.
28:43Number 2.
28:44Europe, Lawrence of Arabia
28:54Without a doubt, one of the most important figures in British filmmaking was David Lean,
28:58who began his career with intimate character pieces, but would become known for epics on
29:02the grandest scale.
29:04There is no denying that his small-scale film Brief Encounter, showing the unexpected connection
29:09between two people, is a masterpiece, impressively shot as World War II was raging.
29:27Even more impressive, though, was Lean taking the intimate character study and putting it
29:31into his grandest epic.
29:50Lawrence of Arabia is rightly remembered for the sprawling adventure shot in Super Panavision
29:5570mm.
29:56However, it should not be forgotten how bold of a character piece the film is, examining
30:00the life of a great but ultimately flawed man.
30:09Number 2.
30:10Asia, Spirited Away
30:22Japan is well known for its animated masterpieces, many coming from acclaimed Studio Ghibli director
30:28Hayao Miyazaki.
30:29Over his lengthy career, he has made a number of masterpieces like the beautiful and atmospheric
30:34children's film My Neighbor Totoro.
30:46Spirited Away likewise features a young girl that encounters magical creatures, following
30:50the character Sen as she makes her way through a bathhouse for spirits.
31:07The film received praise for its stunning animation, that is largely unrivaled even
31:12today, as well as its themes centering on Sen's journey of personal and emotional growth.
31:17It received widespread acclaim, winning Best Animated Feature at the Oscars and becoming
31:21Japan's highest grossing film for almost 20 years.
31:38Number 2.
31:39North America, Citizen Kane
31:52Directed, starring, and somewhat controversially co-written by Orson Welles, Citizen Kane
31:57is a sprawling story of an idealistic man who inevitably becomes dominated by his own
32:01greed and hubris.
32:03Despite being released over 80 years ago, the film still feels fresh in many ways, as
32:07it took what had been successful in a number of other popular film movements across the
32:11world and synthesized them into something new.
32:26In fact, it's difficult to overstate how impactful elements like the cinematography, editing,
32:31and overall structure were on future American films.
32:34Partially based on the life of various news magnates, chief among them William Randolph
32:38Hearst, the story of Kane's manipulations and machinations in news and American politics
32:43remain relevant now more than ever.
32:59Number 1.
33:00Africa, The Battle of Algiers
33:14Switching back and forth between Algerian resistance and the French military that was
33:18fighting them, The Battle of Algiers aims to depict the events of the Algerian War as
33:22authentically as possible.
33:24It uses a number of techniques to achieve this, including shooting on black and white
33:28film stock that was typical for newsreels of the time, and casting people that had been
33:32present during the actual events.
33:50The result is a film that blurs the lines between fiction and reality, showing the successful
33:55and hard-won battle for freedom that the Algerian people went through.
33:58Initially banned in France, the film remains relevant to this day, with its powerful message
34:03about fighting back against oppression.
34:20Number 1.
34:21South America, City of God
34:33Loosely based on the events taking place in an actual suburb of Rio de Janeiro, City of
34:38God is an epic and violent crime drama.
34:40As the gang war rages through the 60s, 70s, and 80s, in the impoverished suburb of Cidade
34:45de Deus, we meet a number of memorable characters including the narrator Rocket, chasing dreams
34:51of being a photographer, and the sociopath Roll Dice.
35:11During one sequence, we see the backstory of the latter, where, even as a child, he
35:15indiscriminately guns down anyone he can for fun.
35:19and unglamorously shot on 16mm film, the movie teems with a sense of realism you cannot escape.
35:34Number 1.
35:35Australia and Oceania, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
35:47When it came time to film the most ambitious fantasy films of all time, there was no question
35:51for native New Zealander Peter Jackson where they would shoot.
35:54The beautiful snow-capped mountains, mysterious forests, and sprawling plains of the island
35:59nation were perfect to capture the epic feel of Middle Earth.
36:20Incredible sets, along with makeup and costumes for an ensemble of talented actors, helped
36:24to fully realize the fantasy world full of dwarves, elves, and great kingdoms of men.
36:30There were also humble hobbits, including Frodo Baggins, tasked with destroying the
36:34One Ring and vanquishing the Dark Lord Sauron.
36:37Ultimately, all three films won near-universal acclaim, earning 17 Academy Awards, including
36:44Best Picture for Return of the King.
36:56Number 1.
36:57Europe, The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
37:14A genre that had been born in and slowly faded away in America, the Western took on a stunning
37:19second life in Europe in the 1960s.
37:22Italian director Sergio Leone trailblazed the so-called Spaghetti Western, which often
37:27went against the grain of their American counterparts.
37:30Nowhere is this more masterfully exemplified than in Leone's epic The Good, The Bad, and
37:34The Ugly, which deconstructs the mythologized Old West, swapping white and black hats for
37:39a morally grey cast of greedy antiheroes and monstrous bad guys.
37:43It does this with stunning cinematography featuring extreme close-ups and long silences
37:48punctuated by sudden brutal violence.
37:51This is made all the more powerful by the Ennio Morricone score, best highlighted during
37:55the Mexican standoff near the film's climax.
38:17Number 1.
38:18Asia, Seven Samurai
38:29Incredibly influential, not only on future Japanese filmmakers but those all over the
38:34world, even many films included on this list, it is impossible to discuss world cinema without
38:40mentioning Akira Kurosawa.
38:41His film Rashomon, with its unique framing device involving multiple narrators, is unquestionably
38:47one of Asia's finest films.
38:56But we chose a different film about samurai for this slot.
38:59The tale of seven warriors defending a poor village from bandits during the Sengoku period
39:04is somehow both uniquely Japanese, with the honor codes and obligations, yet contains
39:09themes that are completely universal.
39:11That is evidenced by the many remakes and reinterpretations.
39:15However, nothing can top the original.
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39:45Number 1.
39:46North America, The Godfather
39:59A tragic story of a dark American dream, legacy and family, The Godfather is studied by film
40:04students seeking to understand how to make a great movie.
40:08Brilliant direction and visual storytelling from Francis Ford Coppola paired with a flawless
40:12script co-written by him and the original novel's author Mario Puzo tells the story
40:17of the slow yet inevitable corruption of Michael Corleone.
40:33As Michael, Al Pacino turns in an incredible performance, as does the man playing his father
40:38Vito, Marlon Brando.
40:40They, along with James Caan, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton and others, cemented this movie
40:46into film canon as one every cinema fan needs to see before they die.
41:00Let us know in the comments which 5 from each continent made your lists.
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