Sentimental Value (Neon)
Foreign-language films have officially crossed over. What started as arthouse fodder is now mainstream entertainment gunning for major awards. Distributors like Neon are pushing five international titles this awards season alone.
The trend is clear: Before 2017, only 10 non-English films had ever scored Best Picture nods. Since 2018, twelve have made the cut, including Parasite's historic win and 2024âs double nomination of Anatomy of a Fall and The Zone of Interest.
So how'd we get here?
- The streaming revolution did the heavy lifting. Netflix and rivals needed global content, training American audiences to embrace subtitles through hits like Squid Game and Lupin. Their algorithms don't discriminateâif you like thrillers, they'll serve you Korean suspense films until you bite.
- Major studios retreated to franchise tentpoles, abandoning mid-budget dramas and leaving the prestige space wide open for international players.
- The younger generation gets it: they already watch everything with subtitles on (even English content). When TikTok transforms Parasite into memes and Squid Game into Halloween costumes, subtitles stop being barriers and start being irrelevant.
- The Academy has transformed, too. Its increasingly diverse membership now includes 25% international voters, making subtitled films viable contenders for major awards.
Even "foreign" is getting fuzzy: We're seeing more polyglot productions that blend multiple languages from the start. Anatomy of a Fall moved between French, English, and German. This year's Sentimental Value flows between Norwegian and English with Elle Fanning, generating serious Best Picture buzz.
Looking aheadâŠÂ Expect this trend to accelerate as streamers keep feeding the global appetite. Insiders predict this year could shatter records with three or more foreign-language Best Picture nominees.
