Ranking the 20 greatest international film masterpieces

Collider published on Jan 27, 2026, a list of the 20 greatest international movie masterpieces of all time, arguing that cinema beyond Hollywood brings diverse stories and perspectives and often serves as a lifeline or muse for filmmakers and audiences.

The piece emphasizes that these films are shaped by history, context, imagination, and the artists' personal lives. Examples include Alejandro Jodorowsky's The Holy Mountain (1973), described as audacious and considered a Mexican film because it was entirely filmed there and was financed in part by John Lennon and Yoko Ono, and Infernal Affairs (2002), noted as a masterclass in suspense from Hong Kong that influenced Martin Scorsese's The Departed and was inspired by John Woo's Face/Off. Joshua Oppenheimer's The Act of Killing (2012) is highlighted as a morally ambiguous, controversial documentary that lets former perpetrators reenact mass murders; its production reportedly took almost ten years and required secrecy.

The article also covers other landmark entries such as Le Samouraï, All About My Mother, Beau Travail, Hiroshima Mon Amour, The Lives of Others, La Haine, and Close-Up, each discussed with synopsis and production context. Overall, the list frames these films as windows into diverse cultures and perspectives that go beyond mere storytelling, and the piece provides synopses and production notes for all 20 selections.