Parasite & 9 Other Non-English-Language Movies That Became Big Hits In America

Despite the fact that great movies are always getting made around the world, it can be hard to get English-speaking audiences to watch a movie in a foreign language because a lot of people are turned off by the prospect of reading all the dialogue. But that’s a very small obstacle to overcome in order to enjoy some of the greatest masterpieces ever made, from Breathless to Yojimbo to La Dolce Vita.

If the story and characters are compelling enough, then you forget you’re reading subtitles as soon as you’re immersed in the plot. A prime example of this is Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite, which made history at the 92nd Academy Awards by becoming the first non-English-language movie to win Best Picture.

10 Parasite (2019)

In addition to making Oscar history, Parasite was a huge international box office success. It raked in $53.4 million at the North American box office and $205.4 million across the rest of the world (including $71.3 million in its home country of South Korea), for a global haul of $258.7 million.

This made it Bong Joon-ho’s highest-grossing film by far. Before Parasite, none of his movies had even grossed over $100 million. Parasite’s examination of the class divide resonated all over the world because the problems it exposes with capitalism and the distribution of wealth are prevalent everywhere.

9 Hero (2002)

Inspired by an assassination attempt on the King of Qin in 227 BC, Hero was the most expensive Chinese movie to date when it initially hit theaters in 2002 and it quickly became one of China’s biggest financial hits. After Miramax purchased the American distribution rights, however, they sat on them for two years.

Finally, Quentin Tarantino convinced them to release it in American theaters and it became the first Chinese-language movie to take the top spot at the U.S. box office.

8 Like Water For Chocolate (1992)

Based on the widely adored magical realist novel of the same name by first-time Mexican novelist Laura Esquivel, Like Water for Chocolate tells the story of a woman who discovers her talent for cooking after being prevented from marrying the man of her dreams.

With a gross of $21.6 million, Like Water for Chocolate broke I Am Curious (Yellow)’s record to become the highest-grossing foreign-language movie at the North American box office.

7 The Passion Of The Christ (2004)

Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ is a Hollywood movie, but in keeping with its biblical setting, the dialogue’s not in English. Instead, the actors speak in Aramaic, Latin, and Hebrew. Despite its gruesome depiction of the crucifixion of Jesus and the controversy sparked by its perceived antisemitic message, The Passion became a massive box office success.

With a worldwide total of $612 million, it became the highest-grossing non-English-language movie ever made (although it’s since been surpassed by Wolf Warrior 2) and the highest-grossing R-rated movie in the U.S. and Canada.

6 Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)

Hailed as one of the most influential non-English-language movies of all time, Ang Lee’s wuxia epic Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon attracted English-speaking moviegoers when critics praised its martial arts sequences and unique visuals, which cross the language barrier.

Thanks to widespread word-of-mouth marketing, the movie ended up grossing $213 million worldwide, $85 million of which came from overseas markets.

5 Life Is Beautiful (1997)

Roberto Benigni attracted some controversy with his sentimental approach to life in a Nazi concentration camp in Life is Beautiful, the story of a Jewish bookshop owner who uses his imagination to help his son escape mentally from the horrors of the Holocaust.

The way the movie blends comedy and drama was ultimately praised by critics. Life is Beautiful ended up topping $200 million at the worldwide box office.

4 Spirited Away (2001)

Studio Ghibli is basically the Japanese Pixar, a hit factory regularly turning out animated masterpieces. A lot of their movies have been international box office hits, like Ponyo and Howl’s Moving Castle, but their biggest blockbuster is Spirited Away.

It’s the second highest-grossing anime movie of all time, just $12 million behind the highest-grossing Demon Slayer: Mugen Train.

3 Amélie (2001)

The highest-grossing French-language movie at the American box office, Amélie stars Audrey Tautou as a lonely waitress who decides to improve the lives of the people around her.

The movie was nominated for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film (back when it was known as Best Foreign Language Film) but lost to the Bosnian war movie No Man’s Land.

2 Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)

Although its U.S. release was initially limited to three weeks, during which it made $5.4 million, Pan’s Labyrinth has proved to be so popular that it’s since grossed more than $37 million in North America, making it the fifth highest-grossing foreign-language film in the United States.

Guillermo del Toro is a master of pushing social commentary through genre stories and Pan’s Labyrinth’s use of an Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland-esque fairy tale to explore the horrors of Francoist Spain is a perfect example.

1 Akira (1988)

The groundbreaking anime masterpiece Akira wasn’t initially a big hit at the U.S. box office, barely making it to seven figures, but it did become a huge success in the home media market when it emerged as a cult classic.

It ended up raking in $80 million in video sales, making it one of the best-selling home media releases of a non-English-language movie. Akira is credited with bringing anime into the mainstream in the western world.

About The Author

Ben Sherlock
(3485 Articles Published)

Ben Sherlock is a writer, comedian, independent filmmaker, and Burt Reynolds enthusiast. He writes lists for Screen Rant and features and reviews for Game Rant. He’s currently in pre-production on his first feature (and has been for a while, because filmmaking is expensive). You can catch him performing standup at odd pubs around the UK that will give him stage time. Previously, he wrote for Taste of Cinema, Comic Book Resources, and BabbleTop.

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