Weekend Watchlist | Foreign Films

Marvel fatigue got you down? Maybe not, but even so, it can be good to take a break and try something new, so this week, The Pitt News is bringing you some foreign films to add a little variety to your film going palette. Don’t let subtitles keep you from enjoying some truly great stuff.

The Secret of Kells (Amazon Prime)

Since yesterday was St. Patrick’s Day, why not watch an Irish film? “The Secret of Kells” is a beautifully animated movie about how the Book of Kells, an illuminated manuscript from the 9th century, was created.

The film follows a young boy named Brendan living in the Abbey of Kells with his uncle. Brendan is apprenticed under Brother Aiden, and as he learns to create manuscripts, he ends up meeting Aisling, a fairy. Together, they face challenges both magical and mortal.

Cartoon Saloon, the studio that created this film along with “Song of the Sea” and “The Wolfwalkers,” earned the nickname “Ireland’s Studio Ghibli” for a reason. Its animation is beautiful and pleasant to watch, and the stories are both intimate and soul crushing. “The Secret of Kells” and their other films are definitely worth a watch.

Parasite (Hulu)

Chances are you’ve seen this film already, given the buzz around its 2019 Best Picture win — the first non-English language film to do so. But if you haven’t, it’s worth the hype. It follows the Kim family — a poor family in South Korea — as they scam their way into jobs working for the wealthy Park family. Despite the simple set-up, the film takes a major swerve at the halfway point that most people won’t see coming.

Bong Joon-ho’s directing is stellar, capturing the stark contrast between the two families’ lives, and it works to ratchet up the tension when need be. “Parasite” is phenomenal, grasping your attention and not letting go until the very end. Everyone should watch this film, and probably rewatch to pick up on Easter eggs they missed the first time.

The Intouchables (YouTube)

Please watch the original French film, not the 2019 remake starring Kevin Hart.

“The Intouchables” is an odd-couple movie about the friendship between Phillipe (François Cluzet), a disabled, rich hotel owner and Driss (Omar Sy) an ex-convict who is hired as Philipe’s live-in caretaker. Similar to “Parasite,” this film touches on class dynamics, though it’s more lighthearted as the two men overcome their differences and learn about each other’s interests. It’s also based on a true story.

The film is pleasant to watch, and not very over-the-top with its comedy. Cluzet and Sy have great chemistry, and you really get attached to their friendship and want to see things work out for them.