1. "The Hunt" (2012)
Gossip can be deadly, you know? Lucas, a well-liked kindergarten teacher in a small Danish town, becomes the target of a witch hunt when a young student accuses him of inappropriate behavior.
As the rumor spreads like wildfire, Lucas's life crumbles around him. He loses his job, his friends, and his place in the community. Despite the lack of evidence, Lucas is vilified and ostracized.
2. "Sorry We Missed You" (2019)
Knock, knock! It's Ricky, a hardworking delivery driver in England, struggling to provide for his family. Instead of a steady job, Ricky finds himself caught in the web of gig economy contracts. His wife is a home healthcare worker, and they're both drowning in debt.
They pour their hopes into a franchise opportunity that promises freedom but brings more oppression.
3. "The Platform" (2019)
Going down? Imagine a prison with hundreds of floors, each holding two inmates. Every day, a platform laden with gourmet food descends from the top, stopping at each floor for a few minutes.
The prisoners at the top get first pick, while those below get the leftovers. Goreng, our protagonist, awakens on one of the middle floors. The movie follows his descent into madness and desperation as he grapples with the prison's twisted rules.
As hunger drives prisoners to unthinkable acts, Goreng discovers the prison's dark secret and fights to change the system.
4. "The Square" (2017)
In this satirical drama, Christian, the chief curator of a prestigious modern art museum in Stockholm, finds himself embroiled in controversy. He's preparing for the launch of an art installation called "The Square," which challenges people to be more altruistic.
However, when Christian's phone is stolen, he devises a reckless plan to retrieve it. The plan backfires spectacularly, revealing the shallowness of the art world and the hypocrisy of those who claim to champion noble ideals.
5. "Nightcrawler" (2014)
Lights, camera, action! Lou Bloom is a driven and ambitious man who discovers the world of "nightcrawling" – capturing footage of violent crimes and accidents for news stations.
Armed with a camera, Lou prowls the dark streets of Los Angeles, capturing gruesome scenes and selling them to the highest bidder.
But Lou's hunger for success pushes him to manipulate events, staging crimes and risking lives to get the most shocking footage. In his quest for ratings, Lou descends into a moral abyss.
6. "La Haine" (1995)
From the streets of Paris, we get a gritty tale of life in the banlieues. Three friends – Vinz, Saïd, and Hubert – navigate a world of poverty, violence, and discrimination. When a friend is brutally beaten by the police, Vinz finds a lost gun and vows to take revenge.
Over the course of 24 hours, the trio's paths cross with police officers, drug dealers, and other residents of the neighborhood. Amid the tension, the friends debate their futures and question the cycle of violence they are caught in.
7. "A Separation" (2011)
Marriage on the rocks, anyone? Nader and Simin, a middle-class Iranian couple, find themselves at odds when Simin wants to leave the country for a better life. Nader, however, refuses to leave behind his ailing father.
The couple separates, and Nader hires a woman named Razieh to care for his father. Things spiral out of control when Nader accuses Razieh of theft and pushes her out of his house. Razieh has a miscarriage, and Nader is charged with causing it.
8. "Incendies" (2010)
After their mother's death, Canadian siblings Jeanne and Simon travel to the Middle East to unravel a family mystery. Their mother's will instructs them to find their father, whom they thought was dead, and a brother they never knew existed.
As they dig into their mother's past, they uncover a harrowing tale of love, war, and sacrifice. The story unfolds in parallel timelines, revealing the events that led to their mother's exile and the secrets she carried with her.
9. "Snowpiercer" (2013)
All aboard! The world has frozen over, and Earth's last survivors are packed like sardines into a high-speed train called the Snowpiercer.
The rich live it up in the front cars, while the poor scrabble for existence in the back. The class struggle reaches boiling point as Curtis, a poor tail-section passenger, starts a revolt.
It's a journey through a microcosm of society, with each train car symbolizing a different socio-economic class. Curtis battles through car after car, making shocking discoveries along the way.
10. "Get Out" (2017)
What's the catch, you ask? Chris, a young black photographer, visits the family of his white girlfriend, Rose, for the weekend. The family seems friendly, if a bit awkward.
However, Chris soon notices that the black servants behave strangely, and Rose's family takes an unusual interest in his race. As the weekend progresses, Chris discovers the horrifying truth behind the family's behavior.
The film takes a dark turn as Chris fights to escape their sinister plans.