Be sure to check out the video version of this series on TikTok!

Here are two classic non-American movie recommendations, because some of you need to know your film history and understand that there are incredible movies that have and continue to exist outside of the U.S. and Hollywood.

1. Agantuk (in English, The Stranger)

I may be biased with this pick, seeing as I’m a Bangladeshi; however, anyone who doubts the greatness of the father of Bengali cinema, Satyajit Ray, will have to go a few rounds in the ring with me. Most know Mr. Ray for his masterworks, The Apu Trilogy; however, the man has many other classics under his belt, including the 1991 drama, Agantuk, better known as The Stranger in English. This would be Ray’s final film, and what a way to sunset the legend’s 30-year career.

The movie follows Anila Bose, a woman living in Calcutta (or as we Bengalis call it, Kolkata), who one day receives a mysterious letter from a man claiming to be her long-lost uncle. Anila’s husband, Sudhindra, reminds his wife of her grandfather’s will and suspects that this man is simply trying to get a piece of that inheritance. Once this mystery relative arrives, the husband and wife duo put the man through various tests to see if he truly is who he says he is. 

At this point in his career, Ray had perfected the art of telling simple stories with beautifully poignant themes—funnelled to us, the audience, through perfectly written and performed characters. There’s a levity and calmness to Ray’s storytelling sensibilities, yet when you look deeper, either in the cadences of his character’s speech, the framing of his shots, or the subtle nuances in his dialogue writing, you find a sea of history and melancholy. If you love the works of Yasujiro Ozu, you’ll find a lot of similarities in Ray’s films, and Agantuk is no different.     

2. In the Mood for Love

From one legend to another, Wong Kar-wai’s turn-of-the-century romantic drama, In the Mood for Love, is a slick, beautifully shot, and tender story about two people unable to fulfil their feelings for one another. Taking place in 1962 in Hong Kong, we follow Shainganese journalist Chow Mo-wan and secretary Mrs. Chan, who have rented adjacent rooms for their stay in then-British Hong Kong. Both Mo-wan and Mrs. Chan have spouses who work late at night, leaving them alone for much of their nights, wherein they begin to develop an acquaintanceship; a closeness that develops further once they find out that both of their spouses are having an affair with one another. 

At the risk of spoilers, I’ll leave it at that and say that Wong Kar-wai’s penchant for vivid cinematography and colourwork is shown in spades in this film. But in a way that explores the psyches of these characters and enhances the overall narrative, rather than simply looking pretty (*ahem* Wes Anderson). His ability to bring 1960s British Hong Kong to life with a sense of nostalgia is also remarkable. You feel transported to this time period in a way that goes beyond just the visual. Wong Kar-wai is heralded as one of the finest filmmakers, and you owe it to yourself to watch this classic. 

If you want more film recommendations, be sure to follow for more!