Whether it’s your streaming player, smart TV, or your streaming service, Roku TV’s been killing it as the leading American streaming distributor, so it won’t be a surprise to hear that the service has plenty of hidden gems in its library. On top of this, these films aren’t just limited to American-made films, the selection includes great titles from all over the world. So for Roku subscribers wanting a glimpse of something new, here’s our list for the best foreign films on the service.
50 Best Foreign Movies on Roku TV Right Now
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50.
The Legend of Hei (2019)
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With a forest home destroyed, leaving an adorable cat spirit child displaced, The Legend of Hei seemed like a Studio Ghibli-esque tale, at least in themes, child protagonist, and fantasy flying. There’s charming moments where Hei appreciates the day-to-day– moments where he diligently learns his powers, enjoys the simple human pleasures present in the modern world, and of course, feels at home in the stunning natural spirit places. However, it’s not quite Ghibli as there are plenty of wuxia-inspired fight scenes, with as many flying kicks involved. That being said, there is a pro-peace message here, that at face value, is probably a good message for children, but this film’s peace comes without clear details about Hei’s displacement, or the general condition of the spirit world at large. The Legend of Hei’s charming animation is lovely, but this push for peace could have been more meaningful if it also considered justice.
Our staff rating: 7/10
Genre: Action, Animation, Fantasy
Actor: Chen Siyu, Ding Dang, Hao Xianghai, Li Lu, Liu Mingyue, Shan Xin, Sheng Feng, Wang Youji, Yang Ning, Yeqiao Yan, Yuntu Cao
Director: MTJJ, Mtjj Mutou
Go to Roku Channel
49.
The Outlaws (2017)
While the police haven't been getting a good rep in recent years, there were times when cops actually got the job done, and went after the gangs that we individuals can’t. Kang Yun-seong’s narrative feature debut is based on the real-life Yanbian Heuksapa Incident, and what’s interesting is that along with having Ma Dong-seok deliver some of the finest and most entertaining fight scenes, there’s a sense that these cops actually care about people, like when Seok-do urges his boss to be gentle towards their team after having to stay in the office longer, or when he reaches out and works directly with the community. The Outlaws doesn’t transform the genre, but it’s well-written, well-choreographed, and held together through the strength of Ma Dong-seok’s charisma (and arms). It’s no wonder director Kang and Don Lee managed to transform this into a sprawling franchise, something to be akin to Korea’s Fast & Furious.
Our staff rating: 7/10
Genre: Action, Crime, Thriller
Actor: Bae Jin-ah, Cho Jin-woong, Choi Guy-hwa, Choi Gwi-hwa, Geum Gwang-san, Ha Jun, Heo Dong-won, Heo Sung-tae, Hong Gi-jun, Hong Ki-joon, Jeong In-gi, Jeong In-kyeom, Jin Seon-kyu, Jin Sun-kyu, Jo Jae-yun, Kim Koo-taek, Kim Sung-kyu, Lee Kyu-ho, Lim Hyung-jun, Ma Dong-seok, Min Kyung-jin, Min Moo-je, Park Ji-hwan, Uhm Ji-sung, Ye Jung-hwa, Yoo Ji-yeon, Yoon Byung-hee, Yoon Joo, Yoon Kye-sang
Director: Kang Yoon-sung, Kang Yun-sung
Go to Roku Channel
48.
Boys (2014)
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There are plenty of LGBT stories made in film, but not all of them have to end in tragedy– some, especially in recent years, are relatively sweet, lighthearted, and merely focused on the simple experience of a first love. Boys has the classic coming-of-age romance moments we’re familiar with, such as the first kiss, training camps, and after school fair dates, and even though it’s just made for television, it’s beautifully captured, including that stunning overhead lake shot where Sieger and Marc swim together. If you’re craving for a sweet and easy LGBT romance without the heartache, or if you’re new to watching LGBT films altogether, Boys is a decent entry-level movie to start with.
Our staff rating: 7/10
Genre: Drama, Romance
Actor: Ferdi Stofmeel, Gijs Blom, Jeffrey Hamilton, Jonas Smulders, Julia Akkermans, Ko Zandvliet, Lotte Razoux Schultz, Micha Hulshof, Myron Wouts, Rachelle Verdel, Rifka Lodeizen, Roosmarijn van der Hoek, Stijn Taverne, Ton Kas
Director: Mischa Kamp
Go to Roku Channel
47.
The Great Battle (2018)
While Hollywood still makes some films in this genre, there are less historical epics being released, in part due to cost, but also in part due to having had so many, ever since the start of the medium. However, there are some historical events that we rarely see on film, and one of them is The Great Battle. Set before the formation of a united Korea, the film is a classic standoff against a larger army, that has all the swordfighting and armies we’ve come to expect, but it’s also grounded by the dynamic between a young warrior sent to assassinate, and the hardened, brilliant commander whose leadership kept the troops protected. While there are moments that definitely eludes historical accuracy, and there are some subplots that distract from the main conflict, The Great Battle is a fairly entertaining historical epic to watch, especially when focused on the action-packed clashes and the spectacular warfare.
Our staff rating: 7/10
Genre: Action, History, War
Actor: Bae Seong-woo, Bae Sung-woo, Cha Eun-woo, Eom Tae-goo, In-sung Jo, Jang Gwang, Jeong In-kyeom, Jo Hyun-wu, Joo-Hyuk Nam, Ju Seok-tae, Jung Eun-chae, Jung Ji-hoon, Kim Seol-hyun, Nam Joo-hyuk, Oh Dae-hwan, Oh Dae-whan, Park Byung-eun, Park Sung-woong, Seol-Hyun Kim, Seolhyun, Shin Yoo-ram, Stephanie Lee, Sung Dong-il, Sung-woong Park, Um Tae-goo, Yeo Hoi-hyeon, Yu Oh-seong, Zo In-sung
Director: Kim Kwang-shik, Kim Kwang-sik, Kwang-shik Kim
Go to Roku Channel
46.
Goodbye Mother (2019)
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In another country, you can forge a completely different life from the one you had in your hometown. For closeted LGBTQ+ individuals, moving to a more tolerant society allows you to explore facets of your sexuality that wasn’t possible previously. In Goodbye Mother, first generation immigrant Nau Van is confronted with the secrets he hid from his hometown, the secret that isn’t a secret in America. The conflict plays out in a familiar fashion, going through plenty of the usual experiences that coming out entails, but, while these are familiar, Goodbye Mother tugs at the reality Asian immigrants experience, and does so in a sweet and empathetic way.
Our staff rating: 7/10
Genre: Drama, Romance
Actor: Hồng Ánh, Hồng Đào, Lãnh Thanh, Lê Thiện, Võ Điền Gia Huy
Director: Trinh Dinh Le Minh
Go to Roku Channel
45.
Blood Tea and Red String (2006)
Blood Tea and Red String is cryptic as hell. There’s no dialogue, the film was in production for around 13 years, and the stop-motion animated rats and bat-crow creatures fight over a stuffed human-like doll and her bird-bodied child, spilling some tea and sewing her together with help from frog priests and a spider woman that keeps spinning her web. Whether the film is an allegory for class struggle and the inherent destructiveness of art, or is a straightforward Alice-in-Wonderland-esque fairytale with goth and medieval motifs is up to the viewer, but either way, the symbolism of Blood Tea and Red String is interesting enough to watch and try to make your own conclusions.
Our staff rating: 7/10
Genre: Animation, Fantasy, Thriller
Actor: Christiane Cegavske
Director: Christiane Cegavske
Go to Roku Channel
44.
True Mothers (2020)
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While adoption doesn’t have the same stigma as it did back in the day, it doesn’t mean that the process is worry-free. There’s still a host of issues surrounding the process, plenty of which have been depicted in film. So, it’s no surprise that True Mothers holds more or less the same themes we’ve seen before, but where some films focus on mining the melodrama, filmmaker Naomi Kawase’s writing is much more restrained, keeping its take as naturalistic and detail-oriented as possible, and thus, demystifying the process. The slow pace may not be to everyone’s taste, but True Mothers is a thoughtful, sensitive portrayal of Japan’s adoption system today.
Our staff rating: 7/10
Genre: Drama
Actor: Aju Makita, Arata Iura, Go Riju, Hiroko Nakajima, Hiromi Nagasaku, Hiroshi Yamamoto, Kokoro Morita, Masaki Miura, Masami Horiuchi, Miyoko Asada, Munetaka Aoki, Natsumi Ishibashi, Ren Komai, Reo Sato, Reo Satou, Rio Yamashita, Ryuya Wakaba, Shoko Ikezu, Takashi Nishina, Taketo Tanaka, Tetsu Hirahara
Director: Naomi Kawase
Go to Roku Channel
43.
The Call (2020)
A woman loses her phone on her way back to her countryside childhood home. Once there, she connects an old landline in hopes of finding her lost mobile, only to start receiving weird calls that seem to be from 20 years ago.
On the other side of the receiver is a girl who seems to be in danger. The Call is thrilling, sometimes scary, but also brilliantly shot, and its plot is so expertly woven. It’s a proper movie-night movie.
Our staff rating: 7.1/10
Genre: Mystery, Science Fiction, Thriller
Actor: EL, Jeon Jong-seo, Jo Kyung-sook, Jun Jong-seo, Kim Min-ha, Kim Sung-ryoung, Kim Sung-ryung, Lee Dong-hwi, Lee El, Lee Joo-young, Moon Chang-gil, Oh Jung-se, Park Ho-san, Park Hyeong-su, Park Hyoung-soo, Park Shin-hye, Ryu Kyung-soo, Song Yo-sep, Um Chae-young
Director: Lee Chung-hyun
Go to Roku Channel
42.
Queen of Hearts (2019)
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This Danish film which was the country's submission to the Oscars is about a delicate subject. A lawyer who specializes in defending children, and who is used to developing closeness with her clients including meeting with them in her home, starts having an affair with her teenage step-son. There is inherent tension to this obviously very explicit plotline: how would a serious, non-erotic (or not-only-erotic) movie like this one portray such attraction. And of course, afterwards, what are the implications?
Our staff rating: 7.1/10
Genre: Drama
Actor: Carla Philip Røder, Elias Budde Christensen, Ella Solgaard, Frederikke Dahl Hansen, Gustav Lindh, Liv Esmår Dannemann, Mads Knarreborg, Magnus Kreppe, Magnus Krepper, Marie Dalsgaard, Mathias Skov Rahbæk, Nessie Beik, Preben Kristensen, Silja Esmår Dannemann, Stine Gyldenkerne, Trine Dyrholm
Director: May el-Toukhy
Go to Roku Channel
41.
A Kid (2016)
This drama from France and Canada is about Matthieu, a 33-year-old from Paris who never knew his father. One morning he gets a call to go to Montreal, where he is told his dad has passed away and where a funeral will take place.
To add to his confusion, upon arrival Matthieu is asked to conceal his identity from his step-mother and step-brothers.
A Kid is made as though the filmmaking styles from the countries it’s set in were mixed together. There are complicated family dynamics reminiscent of Xavier Dolan movies; and identity issues and comments on different compositions of families like the films of Mia Hansen-Løve.
Our staff rating: 7.1/10
Genre: Drama
Actor: Aliocha Itovich, Amélie Lafleur, Brigitte Soucy, Catherine De Léan, Claudiane Ruelland, Emmanuelle Dupuy, Gabriel Arcand, Hortense Monsaingeon, Hugues Leforestier, Jean-Pierre Andréani, Loudia Gentil, Marie-Thérèse Fortin, Martin Laroche, Nicolas Paquin, Patricia Dorval, Patrick Hivon, Pierre Deladonchamps, Pierre-Yves Cardinal, Romane Portail, Tania Bolduc, Timothé Vom Dorp, Valerie Cadieux
Director: Philippe Lioret
Go to Roku Channel
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