5 More Great Foreign Films from the Last 15 Years

5. Life is Beautiful (1997) Directed by Robert Benigni, rated PG-13, 116 minutes

Life is Beautiful is a refreshing and whimsical film about an always happy and jovial Jewish man, who, thanks to his humor, has an incredible romantic escapade, but after the rise of the Nazis, he must protect his son in a Nazi concentration camp. Robert Benigni is completely lovable and wonderfully entertaining in the lead role, and the story amazingly balances humor with drama, as the film shows the holocaust in a rather unconventional way. Life is Beautiful is a bold and unique film that's both charming and authentic. You'll like it if: You like Italian cinema, Robert Benigni or To be or Not To be.

4. Cache (2005) Directed by Michael Haneke, rated R, 117 minutes

Cache is a difficult and disturbing film about a family that is terrorized by video tapes they find at their door, with secretly taped footage of them. The police won't help since there seems to be no threat, but as the tapes get more personal, the father is forced to do something. Michael Haneke's films are always slow, but intense, and Cache is no exception, delivering some truly unnerving and shocking scenes. Cache is a thriller for adults, that uses powerful acting and disturbing writing to entertain. and challenge you. You'll like it if: You like psychological thrillers, French cinema, One Hour Photo or The Vanishing.

3. Downfall (2004) Directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel, rated R, 156 minutes

Downfall is a truly grim and unsettling German film in which the last secretary of Hitler tells of the last days of Nazi leader in his bunker at the end of World War II. Bruno Gaz gives a harrowing and barley sympathetic performance as Hitler, seen here as never seen before. The film doesn't spare any of the dark details in the fall of the Nazi leaders, and the film is completely unrelenting. Downfall is a difficult film to watch, as the story dips further and further into a depressing madness, but everything is brilliantly done and you won't regret watching it. You'll like it if: You like German cinema, films about WWII or The Lives of Others.

2. Amores perros (2000) Directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, rated R, 154 minutes

Amores perros is a moving and daunting Mexican film that tells the story of three people involved in a horrific car crash. Each story contains some love, hate, passion, regret and violence, and they're surprising balanced in quality. The film has a gritty, authentic realism to it, but it's the terribly interesting lives of the characters that make the film great. Amores perros has something for everyone: romance, shootouts, young and old characters, rich and poor characters and three great stories. You'll like it if: You like films about connected stories, Before the Devil Knows You're Dead or Babel.

1. Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002) Directed by Chan-wook Park, rated R, 129 minutes

Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance is a brutal film that takes an unflinching look at vengeance and violence. The films is about a deaf man, who's sister needs a kidney transplant. But after he's fired, he decides to kidnap his boss's daughter to pay for the operation. Every scene is brilliantly filmed and looks amazing, and the story, though a bit hard to follow, never slows down as the vengeance gets more and more brutal. The film is a visceral experience, but it's the intense characters and absorbing story that puts Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance over the top. You'll like it if: You like Korean films, films about vengeance, Don't Look Now or Memories of Murder.