1. Elite Squad (Tropa de Elite)
In 1997, before the visit of the pope to Rio de Janeiro, Captain Nascimento from BOPE is assigned to eliminate the risks of the drug dealers in a dangerous slum nearby where the pope intends to be lodged.
It has an average vote of 8.1 on TMDB.
2. City of Men (Cidade dos Homens)
Best buddies Acerola and Laranjinha, about to turn 18, discover things about their missing fathers' pasts which will shatter their solid friendship, in the middle of a war between rival drug gangs from Rio's favelas.
It has an average vote of 7.088 on TMDB.
3. Amélie (Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain)
At a tiny Parisian café, the adorable yet painfully shy Amélie accidentally discovers a gift for helping others. Soon Amelie is spending her days as a matchmaker, guardian angel, and all-around do-gooder. But when she bumps into a handsome stranger, will she find the courage to become the star of her very own love story?
It has an average vote of 7.909 on TMDB.
4. Oldboy (올드보이)
With no clue how he came to be imprisoned, drugged and tortured for 15 years, a desperate businessman seeks revenge on his captors.
It has an average vote of 8.3 on TMDB.
5. A Dog's Will (O Auto da Compadecida)
The lively João Grilo and the sly Chicó are poor guys living in the hinterland who cheat a bunch of people in a small in Northeastern Brazil. When they die, they have to be judged by Christ, the Devil and the Virgin Mary before they are admitted to paradise.
It has an average vote of 8.4 on TMDB.
6. Se7en
Two homicide detectives are on a desperate hunt for a serial killer whose crimes are based on the "seven deadly sins" in this dark and haunting film that takes viewers from the tortured remains of one victim to the next. The seasoned Det. Sommerset researches each sin in an effort to get inside the killer's mind, while his novice partner, Mills, scoffs at his efforts to unravel the case.
It has an average vote of 8.373 on TMDB.
7. American History X
Derek Vineyard is paroled after serving 3 years in prison for killing two African-American men. Through his brother, Danny Vineyard's narration, we learn that before going to prison, Derek was a skinhead and the leader of a violent white supremacist gang that committed acts of racial crime throughout L.A. and his actions greatly influenced Danny. Reformed and fresh out of prison, Derek severs contact with the gang and becomes determined to keep Danny from going down the same violent path as he did.
It has an average vote of 8.347 on TMDB.
8. Central Station (Central do Brasil)
An emotive journey of a former school teacher, who writes letters for illiterate people, and a young boy, whose mother has just died, as they search for the father he never knew.
It has an average vote of 8.145 on TMDB.
9. City of God: 10 Years Later (Cidade de Deus: 10 Anos Depois)
City of God – 10 Years Later investigates what happened to the actors who took part in the award-winning film directed by Fernando Meirelles and Katia Lund. This documentary shows what City of God’s worldwide success meant to their lives. Were the actors prepared for the film’s success? Did the social background of some of them prove stronger than the opportunity that came their way?
It has an average vote of 6.8 on TMDB.
10. The Great Dictator
Dictator Adenoid Hynkel tries to expand his empire while a poor Jewish barber tries to avoid persecution from Hynkel's regime.
It has an average vote of 8.324 on TMDB.
11. Blindness
When a sudden plague of blindness devastates a city, a small group of the afflicted band together to triumphantly overcome the horrific conditions of their imposed quarantine.
It has an average vote of 6.522 on TMDB.
12. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
A petty criminal fakes insanity to serve his sentence in a mental ward rather than prison. He soon finds himself as a leader to the other patients—and an enemy to the cruel, domineering nurse who runs the ward.
It has an average vote of 8.422 on TMDB.
13. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Struggling to find his place in the world while juggling school and family, Brooklyn teenager Miles Morales is unexpectedly bitten by a radioactive spider and develops unfathomable powers just like the one and only Spider-Man. While wrestling with the implications of his new abilities, Miles discovers a super collider created by the madman Wilson "Kingpin" Fisk, causing others from across the Spider-Verse to be inadvertently transported to his dimension.
It has an average vote of 8.404 on TMDB.
14. Road to Perdition
Mike Sullivan works as a hit man for crime boss John Rooney. Sullivan views Rooney as a father figure, however after his son is witness to a killing, Mike Sullivan finds himself on the run in attempt to save the life of his son and at the same time looking for revenge on those who wronged him.
It has an average vote of 7.35 on TMDB.
15. City Lights
A tramp falls in love with a beautiful blind flower girl. His on-and-off friendship with a wealthy man allows him to be the girl's benefactor and suitor.
It has an average vote of 8.283 on TMDB.
16. Bicycle Thieves (Ladri di biciclette)
Unemployed Antonio is elated when he finally finds work hanging posters around war-torn Rome. However on his first day, his bicycle—essential to his work—gets stolen. His job is doomed unless he can find the thief. With the help of his son, Antonio combs the city, becoming desperate for justice.
It has an average vote of 8.2 on TMDB.
17. The Lives of Others (Das Leben der Anderen)
In 1984 East Berlin, an agent of the secret police, conducting surveillance on a writer and his lover, finds himself becoming increasingly absorbed by their lives.
It has an average vote of 8.026 on TMDB.
18. Howl's Moving Castle (ハウルの動く城)
Sophie, a young milliner, is turned into an elderly woman by a witch who enters her shop and curses her. She encounters a wizard named Howl and gets caught up in his resistance to fighting for the king.
It has an average vote of 8.4 on TMDB.
19. Léon: The Professional
Léon, the top hit man in New York, has earned a rep as an effective "cleaner". But when his next-door neighbors are wiped out by a loose-cannon DEA agent, he becomes the unwilling custodian of 12-year-old Mathilda. Before long, Mathilda's thoughts turn to revenge, and she considers following in Léon's footsteps.
It has an average vote of 8.309 on TMDB.
20. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Young hobbit Frodo Baggins, after inheriting a mysterious ring from his uncle Bilbo, must leave his home in order to keep it from falling into the hands of its evil creator. Along the way, a fellowship is formed to protect the ringbearer and make sure that the ring arrives at its final destination: Mt. Doom, the only place where it can be destroyed.
It has an average vote of 8.4 on TMDB.