In the age of Marvel, turbo charged self-aware irony, and shoehorned diversity in film, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to find something interesting to watch.

By and large, movie lists are seldom worth publishing, but I’ve been told that I have a novel taste in cinema.

Several of these are foreign, some deal with very dark themes, others are wholesome tear jerkers. More than a few require paying close attention to enjoy, while others may make you question my intelligence. A large portion of these film are not ideological and may offend those with more delicate sensibilities.

Here are 50 films I’ve enjoyed that you may have never heard of. They are in no particular order.

Brother (1997) — This Russian gangster film deals with the country’s wild and turbulent 90s. Danila, fresh out of serving in the Chechen war, travels to St. Petersburg to work for his hitman brother. The film is rich with both subtle and overt themes.

Brother II (2000) — Danila goes to Chicago to rescue an old army buddy who plays for the NHL but is being extorted by local criminals. The film is much more light-hearted and action-oriented, but at the same time, the most accurate portrayal of race relations in urban America I’ve ever seen.

Death Wish III (1985) — This is one of many terrible sequels made to the original vigilante masterpiece, Death Wish. The movie has stink lines coming out of the can, but it’s so bad it’s hilariously good.

Ohm Krüger/Uncle Krüger (1941) — This is a Third Reich biopic about Paul Kruger, a Boer freedom fighter who led his people to war against the British Empire. The film portrays the battle between the Boers and the greedy plutocrat Cecil Rhodes who discovers gold in their lands, ultimately leading to failed attempts at diplomacy by Kruger and war. This is one of the only movies I am aware of that shows the vicious internment of Boer women and children in concentration camps during the 2nd Anglo-Boer war.

Kolberg (1945) — This was the last film made in the Third Reich, with Joseph Goebbels himself as executive producer, and considered its best. The film portrays the heroic defense by Prussian forces of a fort being besieged by Napoleon.

Factotum (2005) — An adaptation of Charles Bukowski’s novel about a drunk womanizing aspiring writer floating through the gutters of a grittier and more interesting Los Angeles that doesn’t exist anymore.

Rounders (1998) — A film starring Matt Damon and Ed Norton about two New York City underground Poker players. Movies about gamblers are a dime a dozen, but this one stands out for its counter-intuitive lesson.

The Rum Diary (2011) — This adaptation of Hunter S. Thompson’s novel was panned by critics. I have the opposite opinion. I hated Fearing and Loathing in Las Vegas, yet I enjoyed this quirky film.

The Iron Giant (1999) –- One of the best US-made animated films in the last 50 years, and one of the last before everything was Pixarized. Great for kids, but a lot for adults to think about too.

Three Days of the Condor (1975) — A Robert Redford spy thriller set in New York. Redford plays a CIA agent who writes phony novels for the agency as a form of cultural influence until he becomes a target himself after coming across high level corruption.

Cross of Iron (1977) — A British film starring James Coburn following a unit of Wehrmacht soldiers in Eastern Europe. The film is one of the best portrayals of at times obnoxious internal male dynamics I’ve encountered.

Nine Queens (2000) — This is an Argentinian film about two con artists in a long-gone white working class Buenos Aires full of amusing characters. A memorable surprise ending.

Pusher I to III (1996-2005)– A Danish gangster trilogy by director Nicolas Refn, featuring the brilliant Mads Mikkelsen. The first film is a low budget art film, but is still the second best of the three. Pusher II was my favorite, but III should not be missed either.

Good Time (2017) — This movie is special to me because it is set in Queens, where I’m from. Robert Pattinson is the older brother of a mentally handicapped man who is arrested and sent to Rikers Island, where he is viciously abused by blacks. Pattinson must quickly get the money needed to bond him out and save his life. The characters are accurate and familiar, and so is the sense of urgency.

Martyrs (2008) — This French film is an extreme horror film about a cult that tortures people to death in order to capture the power of an innocent death. This is not mere torture-porn, the film will leave you thinking about the meaning of life, death and the spirit.

I Stand Alone (1998) – Another French movie, this time by the often groundbreaking Gaspar Noe. The film captures the disenfranchisement of working class white Frenchmen.

Vortex (2021) – Another Noe movie, this time dealing with an elderly couple who are declining in old age. The film uses a revolutionary split-screen technique to bring its disturbing message of what inevitably awaits us.

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986) – Henry and Otis are not charming, interesting, or psychologically deep. They aren’t sexy, geniuses, or victims of an uncaring society. They are what most serial killers have always been: bored, nihilistic and impulsive paraphiliacs.

Ted K (2021) —A movie told from the perspective of Ted Kacynski, aka the Unabomber. I went into this with low expectations, but I enjoyed it quite a bit. The pacing is very good.

Carlos (2010) – An epic biographical picture about 1970s militant Carlos the Jackal and his work, which primarily consisted of attacking Israeli interests around the world.

The Baader Meinhof Complex (2008) — A German movie chronicling the wild rise of the Red Army Faction. In the 1970s, any kook with a gun and an idea could found a revolutionary group.

Go (1999) – A youth odyssey that irons out and improves on the terrible aspects of the eras movie making style seen in films like Run Lola Run. 90s nostalgics will enjoy this world before phones and the internet, where young people got in trouble instead.

Founder (2016) – A movie starring Michael Keaton portraying the surprisingly dark background story of McDonalds. Pay attention to the not-so-subtle ethnic, racial and social politics in this criminally underrated movie.

Steve Jobs (2015) – Not to be confused with the other Steve Jobs biopic, the mediocre Ashton Kutcher Jobs (2013). Due to being released so close to Jobs, this innovative film remains overlooked and underappreciated.

Ils/Them (2006) — A French horror movie set in Romania where a couple’s home is besieged.

Hoffa (1992) — An overlooked biopic of Teamster leader Jimmy Hoffa, who is masterfully played by Jack Nicholson. There is something special about the atmosphere of this movie that is hard to put your finger on.

Death To Smoochy (2002) – This movie, starring Ed Norton and Robin Williams, was a box office bomb. With good reason, it’s pretty bad. But it makes me laugh.

3:10 to Yuma (2007) – An admirable remake of the original Western. It brings together Christian Bale, Russell Crowe and Ben Foster, fans of cowboy movies can’t miss this.

Zombi (1979) – Innovative zombie movie by Lucio Fulci. There are some outlandish stunts in this film, like the seemingly unsimulated zombie fight with a real great white shark.

City of the Living Dead (1980) – Another Fulci zombie classic.

Old Boy (2003) – A Korean movie with a disturbing climax.

Skinning (2010) – A film about a young and intelligent Serbian who reads Mein Kampf and becomes a Nazi skinhead. He eventually leads his group to battle against local Gypsies and the police.

Bronson (2008) – Half art film, half biography about Britain’s most notorious criminal by Nicolas Refn. You will either love it or hate it. I loved it.

Eastern Promises (2007) – A movie about Russian gangsters in London starring Vigo Mortensen. One of the few dealing with this subject.

Shopping (1994) — A British film starring Jude Law featuring the antics of anti-social and aimless youth.

Christopher Robin (2018) – A Winnie the Pooh film, not my cup of tea to say the least. This one, however, focuses on a grown-up Christopher Robin. A very wholesome story about friendship and loyalty.

Lords of Chaos (2018) – I generally find music biopics to be uninteresting, but this story on the origins of the Norwegian black metal scene blew me away for its avoidance of stupid cliches and good actor quality. The glaring problem here is the ridiculous miscasting of Varg Vikernes, which the people who made the film admitted was intended to upset him.

War Horse (2011) – An amazing story that follows a horse in World War I. The film is a tribute to the special bond Western man has with this animal.

Suspiria (1977) – This Argento film is not really obscure anymore, as it enjoys a growing cult following. It combines elements of Giallo, an Italian detective story style I have mixed feelings about, with horror.

Julia’s Eyes (2010) — A Spanish horror film about a blind woman and a psychopath.

Layer Cake (2004) — A largely forgotten British gangster film starring Daniel Craig and Tom Hardy that stands above the rest. The dominant colors and production quality alone make this a world class movie.

The Road (2009) –- A father protects his son in a post-apocalyptic world. Based off of the novel by Cormac McCarthy.

The 9^th Company (2005) –- A Russian film portraying a company of soldiers fighting in Afghanistan and the courage of their hopeless fight.

The Beast (1988) –- An American film about a Soviet tank crew fighting to survive as the Mujahadeen chase them throughout Afghanistan.

The Eternal Zero (2013) –- A Japanese movie about the ordinary men who volunteered to serve as Kamikaze suicide pilots in WWII. The film is told in flashbacks between the pilot and his grandson in present day, the latter who struggles with the inability of modern men to understand these acts of selflessness.

Hacksaw Ridge (2016) –- A Mel Gibson film with a lot of heart that is not really obscure, but sort of forgotten. This film is violent, but not gory for its own sake. It has some of the most visceral and realistic battle scenes ever put to film, while simultaneously a canvas for a highly spiritual message.

Pig (2021) –- I’ll just say it, I loathe Nicholas Cage movies. I don’t know if they medicated him for this or what, but this odyssey through Portland in search of his truffle pig was a work of art.

Straight Outta Compton (2015) – The story of the 90s gangster rap group, Niggas With Attitude (NWA). I genuinely enjoyed it and found some of the group dynamics (particularly with Jerry Heller) it touches upon intriguing.

The Gentlemen (2019) — If you like Guy Ritchie, you’ll love this one.