The 19 best international movies you can stream on HBO Max right now

What it's about: "Amélie" centers around the escapades of its titular heroine, an idealistic and naive young woman in Paris who is inspired to improve the lives of the people around her.

The movie was nominated for five Oscars and later inspired a short-lived Broadway musical of the same name.

Why you should watch it: One of the more internationally successful of many French romantic comedies, "Amélie's" whimsical magical realism and Audrey Tautou's effortlessly charming lead performance makes it an endlessly rewatchable feel-good film.

You can watch it here.

What it's about: In this adaptation of the original "Beauty and the Beast" fairytale, young Belle offers to be the princely Beast's prisoner after he sentences her father to death for picking a rose from his garden. Over time, the unlikely pair become drawn to each other.

Why you should watch it: The 1994 animated version of "Beauty and the Beast" is arguably the best-known and best-loved adaptation of the French fairytale, but the 1946 iteration has long been a classic in its own right.

The movie is filled with impressively enduring magical effects and enchanting performances fit for both children and adults alike.

You can watch it here.

What it's about: "Birds of Passage" centers on the beginnings of the Colombian drug trade, as told through the experiences of an indigenous Wayuu family. When they become involved in the popular business of selling marijuana to Americans in the 1970s, their lives and cultural traditions are threatened.

Why you should watch it: Although "Birds of Passage" follows a similar narrative arc present in many other drug crime thrillers, it differentiates itself by emphasizing the effects of the drug trade on local Colombian citizens, and refusing to either demonize or romanticize the family at its core.

Viewers who want to educate themselves on this facet of Colombian history would do well to check out this hard-hitting, absorbing film for themselves.

You can watch it here.

What it's about: As "Black Girl" opens, a young Senegalese woman named Diouana moves to France and accepts a job working for a wealthy white couple in hopes of continuing her former nannying job and living a cosmopolitan lifestyle. But as Diouana's employers reveal their prejudices and treat her as a servant, she begins to question her new home.

Why you should watch it: Elevated by a striking lead performance by actress Mbissine Thérèse Diop, "Black Girl" is a harrowing yet powerful exploration of how lingering colonialist racism has impacted black people's lives. Its director, Ousmane Sembène, was also one of the world's most renowned filmmakers — and is considered the best African director of the 20th century.

You can watch it here.

What it's about: "Black Orpheus" retells the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice within a 1950s Brazilian Carnival celebration, as two young lovers attempt to run away together while being pursued by a hitman and a vengeful fiancée.

Why you should watch it: Thanks to its infectious bossa nova soundtrack and colorful setting, "Black Orpheus" joyously makes an ancient story feel as fresh today as it did when the movie was first released in 1959.

You can watch it here.

What it's about: In "Cléo from 5 to 7," a spoiled French pop singer wanders through Paris and reflects on her life as she awaits test results that will tell her whether or not she has cancer.

Why you should watch it: Director Agnès Varda was one of the most celebrated female filmmakers of all time, and "Cléo from 5 to 7" (which is also one of the most famous movies associated with the iconic art movement the French New Wave) is a great, easily accessible introduction to her work.

The movie's ambling Paris setting gives viewers a strikingly well-preserved view of the city at the time "Cléo from 5 to 7" was made, as its protagonist grapples with how her own life has taken shape there.

You can watch it here.

What it's about: In "Daisies," two tight-knit teenage girls in 1960s Czechoslovakia declare that their war-torn, materialistic world is "rotten," and begin to play a series of destructive, light-hearted pranks to spite it.

Why you should watch it: Hilarious, subversive, and stylish, "Daisies" uses its main characters' exploits to critique the unrealistic decorum that society often expects of women (especially during the '60s).

The movie's irreverent comedic style is sure to appeal to fans of shows like "Broad City" and "Fleabag."

You can watch it here.

What it's about: "Fantastic Planet" takes place on the fictional planet of Ygam, where larger, blue-skinned creatures called Draags rule over small, human-like aliens known as Oms. When the Oms rebel, the two species struggle to determine whether they can ever truly coexist.

Why you should watch it: It's nearly impossible to name another movie that even vaguely resembles "Fantastic Planet." Thanks to its psychedelic jazz score, oddball animation, and strong political message, the movie is an enduring 1970s counter-culture classic.

You can watch it here.

What it's about: In the original "Godzilla," an atomic bomb from World War II awakens a giant prehistoric creature known as Godzilla, who begins to terrorize the country of Japan.

Why you should watch it: There's nothing quite like the nostalgic, heavy-handed fun of an old-fashioned monster movie, and watching the first Godzilla stomp around is bound to make viewers grin.

This movie has a worthwhile underlying message, too — the 1954 "Godzilla" uses the chaos that its titular monster causes as a metaphor for the destructive consequences of nuclear warfare (which devastated Japan at the end of World War II).

You can watch it here.

What it's about: When Japanese schoolgirl Gorgeous and six of her friends visit her aunt's country home in "House," they discover that the place is haunted by evil spirits.

Why you should watch it: More of a psychedelic ghost story than a straight-up horror movie, "House's" striking visuals and unforgettable villains (which include a demon cat, a disembodied, laughing head, and a piano that bites off players' fingers) are bound to stick in audiences' minds.

You can watch it here.

What it's about: "In the Mood for Love" follows two next-door-neighbors in 1960s Hong Kong, who slowly begin to fall in love as they discover that their spouses are having an affair with one another.

Why you should watch it: Lead actors Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung Chiu-wai give mesmerizing performances in this understated period drama, which is as visually gorgeous as it is affecting. "In the Mood for Love" is a must-see for fans of romances and arthouse movies, but its themes of loneliness, missed opportunities, and the uncertainty of falling in love make it a universally moving experience.

You can watch it here.

What it's about: "Lady Snowblood" follows Yuki, a young assassin who was raised from birth to get revenge on the swindlers who killed her family.

Why you should watch it: For fans of Quentin Tarantino and the "Kill Bill" movies, "Lady Snowblood" (which was one of his key inspirations) is a must-see. This Japanese classic effortlessly balances visual beauty and gory violence, making for a thrillingly off-beat action movie.

You can watch it here.

What it's about: "My Neighbor Totoro" follows two sisters, who move with their father to the countryside to be closer to their ailing mother's hospital. While adjusting to their new home and struggling to understand their mother's absence, the girls discover a kindly forest spirit named Totoro, and his similarly magical friends.

Why you should watch it: Yes, "My Neighbor Totoro" is a soothing, beautifully animated story full of adventures and magical creatures that's fit for all ages, but it's also a surprisingly moving exploration of how we (particularly as children) use our imaginations to process change and loss.

Plus, since the movie has a brief runtime of only 87 minutes, it's easy to revisit again and again.

You can watch it here.

What it's about: "Pather Panchali" centers on an impoverished family making ends meet in a rural Bengal village. While her husband is away searching for work, Sarbojaya looks after her young son and rebellious daughter, providing them with small everyday pleasures as they come of age.

Why you should watch it: With this classic now on HBO Max, getting into Indian cinema via one of the country's most beloved movies has never been easier. "Pather Panchali" (which is the first entry in legendary director Satyajit Ray's "Apu" trilogy) is a singularly immersive, universally acclaimed film that tells both an endearing story of childhood and a wrenching tale of survival.

You can watch it here.

What it's about: In "Persona," outspoken nurse Alma is hired to care for famous theater actress Elisabet, who has recently suffered an emotional breakdown and become totally silent. As the two women live alone in an isolated beach house, their psyches begin to merge together in strange ways.

Why you should watch it: Swedish director Ingmar Bergman was one of the most respected international filmmakers ever, and "Persona" is arguably the best of his 36 movies. The film's explorations of identity and connection (particularly between women) unfold with a dreamlike, intimate curiosity that will haunt you long after the credits roll.

You can watch it here.

What it's about: "Solaris" centers on a psychologist, who is sent to investigate a space station whose inhabitants are suffering from mysterious mental distress. He soon finds out that the water from the nearby planet of Solaris brings forth repressed obsessions and memories in people's minds, and starts to unravel himself.

Why you should watch it: Although "Solaris" resembles Stanley Kubrick's classic "2001: A Space Odyssey" quite a bit on the surface, this movie sets itself apart by using its grand sci-fi setting to expertly explore people's inner lives and the common desires that make us human.

You can watch it here.

What it's about: At the beginning of "Spirited Away," 10-year-old Chihiro moves to the suburbs with her parents and soon wanders into a fantastical world where humans are turned into beasts, and gods, spirits, and witches rule the land. After her parents are transformed into pigs, she journeys through the strange realm in search of a way to save her family and return to the normal world.

Why you should watch it: Director Hayao Miyazaki is a master at blending surreal fantasy with smaller, deeply human stories, and "Spirited Away" is arguably the best example of that. With its rich, eclectic fairytale world and gorgeous, hand-drawn animation, it's also one of the most critically acclaimed movies of all time.

You can watch it here.

What it's about: "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg" revolves around Geneviève and Guy, a young '50s French couple whose romantic plans are thrown into disarray when Guy is drafted into the Algerian war.

Why you should watch it: This French romance (in which every word is sung) is filled with all of the dazzling colors, swooning romance, and memorable music that anyone could ask for in a classic musical.

However, "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg" eventually subverts this facade to show the bittersweet realities of what can happen when the heightened idealism of first love gives way to real-life compromises.

You can watch it here.

What it's about: "The Young Girls of Rochefort" follows Delphine and Solange, twin sisters and aspiring musicians who find love and plot to escape their small town when a traveling carnival arrives.

Why you should watch it: With its jazzy score, gorgeous pastel musical numbers, and immensely charismatic performances by real-life sisters Catherine Deneuve and Françoise Dorléac, "The Young Girls of Rochefort" pays tribute to classic Hollywood musicals while effectively standing on its own within the genre.

You can watch it here.

These films are available to watch as part of an HBO Max subscription. You can sign up here for $14.99 per month. (When you subscribe to a service through our links, we may earn money from our affiliate partners.)