Since it is German-American Day and as we countdown to Halloween, we would like to honor some international horror/action films in spirit, while also introducing you to some titles that might not be as familiar.

There are so many foreign movies out there that don’t get enough traction in the United States. This can happen because the movies aren’t dubbed, they lack marketing to other countries, or they’re low-budget, and the digital distribution isn’t as strong. You don’t have to be a movie buff to branch out beyond American films. Often, movies made outside of the U.S. can be more creative in their plots and shooting styles without needing to align themselves with conventional Hollywood filmmaking. Watching films produced outside of the U.S. allows you to appreciate other countries’ cultures regarding location, familial relations, customs, social issues, etc. 

Here are six foreign for you to add to your Halloween watchlist this year! 

Train to Busan

Train to Busan is a South Korean film following a divorced dad taking his daughter to see her mother for her birthday amid a quick-spreading zombie outbreak. Their train becomes infested, and the passengers who are still alive must find their way to the front for safety and must pass through each dangerous train car on the way.

While being filmed in Korean, it has English subtitles and can be found on Amazon Prime. It was announced recently that there will be a Hollywood remake of the film, but those avoiding it because it isn’t English dubbed should reconsider. While an American film would bring more attention to both productions, South Korean techniques will not necessarily be preserved, so to get the full experience, you should definitely watch the original. 

Snowpiercer

Snowpiercer is a South Korean-American film based on a French graphic novel about a train holding some of the last inhabitants of the world after an attempt to stop climate change freezes the earth. The train has prominent wealth/class segregation, and the mistreated folks in poverty make their way to the train’s engine room in an attempt for equality among residents. 

Here’s an internationally produced film filmed in English for those who struggle with reading subtitles over foreign languages. This movie was extremely popular and was adapted into an American tv series as well. Along with some others on this list, it’s a good introduction to different film styles by being written and directed by a South Korean filmmaker, but still accessible to English speakers and has a lot of popular American actors such as Chris Evans and Octavia Spencer. If you enjoy political and social commentary on wealth inequality, you can find it on Netflix!

The Babadook

The Babadook is an Australian film about a widowed mother trying to protect her child from an evil children’s book character that comes to life and torments them. Originally in disbelief of the monster, she starts to acknowledge his existence as events take a turn for the worse.

Originally based on a short film by the same director, it is filmed in English and is a must-watch. This film proved that international films deserve more chances. Although not becoming as popular in the home country of production, it grossed about four times as much in the U.S. as it did initially in Australia and became number 11 in the French Box Office after its release there. Watch this psychologically twisting movie on Amazon Prime. 

Await Further Instructions

Await Further Instructions was produced in the United Kingdom with an English-speaking cast. It is about a flawed family on Christmas that is trapped in their house by a black substance. They try to figure out what’s going on and turn on their television to find out what’s up, and they receive instructions that they fear they need to follow to stay alive.

The film had a lot of mixed reviews but is interesting because it plays on the paranoia of people experiencing fear and what is in the dark about what’s going on around them. It brushes upon racism and patriarchal themes, which are experienced through the lens of British characters rather than what one might see in an American film. It is compelling while dehumanizing desperate people, and its original plot make it a good watch. It can be found for streaming on Netflix.

A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night

A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night is an Iranian film about a lonely vampire that stalks the people of run-down “Bad City” and is a perpetrator of misfortune for bad men. There aren’t many popular Iranian films, especially in the U.S., but this movie has gotten many positive accolades and received a 96% score on Rotten Tomatoes. 

It was filmed in Persian but is available with English subtitles on Amazon Prime. Being the first of the Iranian vampire westerns and one with a female lead, this film is a fun watch to those that haven’t seen many middle eastern films or are looking for more foreign vampire films that aren’t from the 1900s like Nosferatu. 

Funny Games

Funny Games is an Austrian film with two productions, one in German from 1997 and one as a shot-for-shot remake in English from 2007. The film revolves around a family being tortured and held hostage by two sadistic men while on vacation.

Its 1997 version received higher ratings than its 2007 counterpart, so if able to, watching the original with subtitles is favorable to the English version. It wasn’t intended to be a horror film,  but its extraordinary themes of violence at the audience’s expense give the viewers a terrifying experience by breaking the fourth wall. The original version can be found on HBO Max with English subtitles, and the remake is on Amazon Prime in English.