The Most Successful Foreign Films in America

Not to be confused with Kevin Costner’s 1997 sci-fi effort of the same name (its Italian title is “Il postino”), this is the story of a simple postman (Massimo Troisi) who’s helped by exiled poet Pablo Neruda in wooing the woman of his dreams. The film’s captivating performances and touching themes earned rave reviews. Troisi tragically died just after principal photography wrapped.

Forbidden love and epicurean delight collide in this Mexican romantic drama with elements of magical realism. Director Alfonso Arau adapted it from a novel and screenplay by his then-wife Laura Esquivel. It was the highest-grossing foreign-language film in the USA at the time of its release.

When a daughter is left at his doorstep, a freewheeling bachelor becomes an overnight parent in this Mexican dramedy. The story takes a heart-wrenching turn when the mother returns after six years, wanting her child back. Eugenio Derbez directed, co-wrote, co-produced, co-edited, and stars.

Director Guillermo del Toro briefly strayed from Hollywood to direct this Spanish-Mexican fantasy. Set five years into the Francoist era, it follows a young girl (Ivana Baquero) into a vivid netherworld. It appeared on a number of critics’ Top 10 lists and won three Academy Awards.

Movie-lovers are still talking about the twisty plot points and socio-economic themes of this darkly comic thriller. Under various guises, an impoverished family slinks their way into an upper class household. It was the first South Korean film to win the Palme d’Or at Cannes and also the first non-English-language film to win the Oscar for Best Picture.