Cinema

Martin Scorsese lists the 39 best non-English language films of all time

The director of ‘Taxi Driver’, ‘Goodfellas’ and ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’ chooses the essential non-English language films that every student should see.

David Arroyo

Update: Mar 28th, 2026 08:27 EDT

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At this point in his life, Martin Scorsese says exactly what he thinks. He doesn’t mind popping up in his daughter’s TikToks, calling out critics of Killers of the Flower Moon, or brushing off complaints about long runtimes. He even recently laughed about being named “the greatest living director” by Francis Ford Coppola — a compliment he’s not shy about enjoying.

People know Scorsese isn’t filtering himself anymore, which is why cinephiles constantly seek his opinion. That includes a film student who recently asked him for a list of must‑see foreign‑language movies — the essentials, the masterpieces, the films every serious movie lover should know. Scorsese didn’t hesitate: he handed over a list of exactly 39 titles.

And that list reveals a few things.

What Scorsese’s picks tell us about his taste

1. He’s not big on anything after the 1970s. Not a single film on the list was released after 1979.

2. His cinematic world outside the U.S. revolves around four countries:

Germany (10 films)
France (11 films)
Italy (11 films)
Japan (7 films)

There’s zero Spanish‑language cinema on the list.

3. He’s loyal to the directors he loves. Thirty‑nine films, but only 23 directors — meaning he repeats many of his favorites without hesitation.

(And if Scorsese lived in Spain, he’d probably spend all day on Filmin — his list practically reads like their catalog.)

The 39 greatest foreign-language films ever made, according to Martin Scorsese

Below is Scorsese’s full list, including director, release year, country of origin, and where they’re currently streaming in Spain. (U.S. availability varies, but many of these titles can be found on Criterion Channel, Max, Prime Video, or Kanopy.)

Germany

Dr. Mabuse (Fritz Lang, 1922) – Filmin
Nosferatu (F.W. Murnau, 1922) – Filmin
Metropolis (Fritz Lang, 1927) – Filmin
The Merchant of Four Seasons (Rainer Werner Fassbinder, 1971) – Filmin
Aguirre, the Wrath of God (Werner Herzog, 1972) – Prime Video, Filmin
The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser (Werner Herzog, 1974) – Filmin
Ali: Fear Eats the Soul (Rainer Werner Fassbinder, 1974) – Filmin
Kings of the Road (Wim Wenders, 1976) – Not available
The American Friend (Wim Wenders, 1977) – Acontra+
The Marriage of Maria Braun (Rainer Werner Fassbinder, 1979) – Filmin

France

Napoleon (Abel Gance, 1927) – Movistar+
Grand Illusion (Jean Renoir, 1937) – Filmin, FlixOlé
The Rules of the Game (Jean Renoir, 1939) – Acontra+, Filmin
Children of Paradise (Marcel Carné, 1945) – Not available
Beauty and the Beast (Jean Cocteau, 1946) – Acontra+, Filmin
The 400 Blows (François Truffaut, 1959) – Prime Video, MUBI
Breathless (Jean-Luc Godard, 1960) – Filmin
Shoot the Piano Player (François Truffaut, 1960) – Filmin
Band of Outsiders (Jean-Luc Godard, 1964) – Acontra+, Filmin
Weekend (Jean-Luc Godard, 1966) – Acontra+, Filmin
The Butcher (Claude Chabrol, 1970) – FlixOlé

Italy

Rome, Open City (Roberto Rossellini, 1945) – Prime Video, Filmin
Paisan (Roberto Rossellini, 1946) – Prime Video, Filmin
Bicycle Thieves (Vittorio De Sica, 1948) – FlixOlé
La Terra Trema (Luchino Visconti, 1948) – Filmin
Umberto D. (Vittorio De Sica, 1952) – FlixOlé
L’Avventura (Michelangelo Antonioni, 1960) – Filmin
Rocco and His Brothers (Luchino Visconti, 1960) – FlixOlé
Il Sorpasso (Dino Risi, 1962) – Filmin
Before the Revolution (Bernardo Bertolucci, 1964) – Pluto TV
The Girl with the Pistol (Michelangelo Antonioni, 1966) – Filmin
Big Deal on Madonna Street (Mario Monicelli, 1958) – Filmin

Japan

Ikiru (Akira Kurosawa, 1952) – Acontra+, Filmin
Ugetsu (Kenji Mizoguchi, 1953) – Acontra+, Filmin
Tokyo Story (Yasujirō Ozu, 1953) – Acontra+
Sansho the Bailiff (Kenji Mizoguchi, 1954) – Filmin
Seven Samurai (Akira Kurosawa, 1954) – Acontra+
High and Low (Akira Kurosawa, 1963) – Acontra+, MUBI
Death by Hanging (Nagisa Oshima, 1969) – Not available