Spirited Away is a film that I have continuously seen on critical best film lists, IMDb's top 250, and art student’s t-shirts. To me it just looked like a kid’s anime film which was just that – for kids. However, on a tiresome winter night, whilst navigating through Netflix’s maze of varied but unattractive selection of films, Spirited Away caught my eye. Hesitantly, I put the film on. What followed was over two hours of immense entertainment, incredible artistic beauty, and pure fun. Truly if I could recommend a film to each of you, this would be it. It perfectly encapsulates the innocence of childhood, the exhilaration of adventure and teaches you valuable life lessons. While not giving too much away, the story follows ten-year-old Chihiro who, alongside her family, discovers an abandoned village. Here, she loses her parents and soon finds that the village is a gateway to another world. She then descends into an adventure that teaches her valuable lessons about human nature, whilst exploring the beautiful scenery.
Spirited Away is an example of something which I have embraced over the last few months- foreign media. Like you may have now, up till a few months ago I had decided that I had watched everything on every streaming service and had settled that the best way to watch films is by spending an hour beforehand scrolling through options. Although a slight exaggeration, this is a problem that many users of streaming services such as Netflix face- sheer boredom of the choices available and stuck in a cycle of watching the same thing repeatedly. This was one of my reasons for watching Spirited Away- it broke the cycle. Since then, whenever I have needed something new to watch, I have turned to foreign media, and it hasn’t let me down.
My first steppingstone was of course the 2019 Oscar winner Parasite. This was a film that I had heard so much about and yet had never got round to watching it. I think it's safe to report that the reviews of this film are accurate, it is simply one of the most entertaining masterpieces I have watched. Its enticing story, unbelievable acting, and commentary on wider society makes it an incredible piece of art. I would highly recommend it. Next on my list was the German tv series Dark. This was a sensational show, which combines the mystic and fantasy feel of Stranger Things with the noir feel of crime films. What was presented was an astounding show which led me to spend hours creating theories with my girlfriend, endorse the show to my friends as much as possible, and stay up all night thinking about it. Genuinely, if you have a whole previously filled with shows like Game of Thrones or Breaking Bad, and you enjoy theorising about everything- watch this show. My latest baby step into the world of foreign media has been the French tv show Lupin. It is a classic heist show yet is expertly revolutionary but realistic in its presentation of the classic genre. The acting is sensational, and with only one season of just five episodes, I would prescribe you this show.
Although my exploration into the world of foreign film is still in its toddler years, what I have found so far has been immense. The quality of talent outside of English-speaking countries is just as profound as at home, and it is for this reason as I suggest that you take the same steps as me, by taking a few risks and adventuring into foreign films.
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