#fantasy/mockumentary

[gameofthunder66]

What We Do in the Shadows (2019- ) tv series

-(started) watchin' Season 5- 7/21/2023- on Hulu (FX)

Next time we go to the mall we'll be sure to rock that Laszlo energy.

[would-they-listen-to-that]

Hi I was wondering if I should get a selfship playlist for Nandor the Relentless from What We Do In The Shadows🦇

‧₊˚🖇️✩ ₊˚🎧⊹♡ here you go, caller! oh, by the way, can you run out and get mod some 'creepy' paper?

Toxic - Britney Spears

Total Eclipse of the Heart - Bonnie Tyler

Take It Off - Kesha

Voulez-Vous - ABBA

You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) - Dead or Alive

I'm Just Ken - Ryan Gosling

You're the One That I Want - Olivia Newton-John ft. John Travolta

Maneater - Daryl Hall & John Oates

I Can't Decide - Scissor Sisters

Copacabana - Barry Manilow

thanks for dialing in!

[feykrorovaan]

Anyone remember this docufiction?

I have it on DVD. I haven't watched it in a LONG time. I think I might give it a rewatch soon. It's from 2004. I randomly remembered it existed the other day. 😂

[devilsskettle]

really unhappy with what we do in the shadows rn tbh. i want my boy to kill

[ghostsandmermaids]

What To Watch If You Miss OFMD

I can't believe season 2 is over already 😭Here are some shows I think you should watch after OFMD 🏴‍☠️

Good Omens:

1/3 of OurGoodShadows

Queer angels and demons

Basically bible fanfiction

What We Do In The Shadows:

1/3 of OurGoodShadows

Queer vampires

Mockumentary

Deadloch:

Queer, feminist and funny af

Best murder mystery I have ever seen

Madeleine Sami (aka Archie) plays one of the main characters

People of Earth:

David Jenkins' first show!

About a support group for alien abductees

Queer aliens

Galavant:

Musical fantasy sitcom

Feels like a very silly fairytale

Music by Alan Menken (known for The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin)

Ghosts:

Haunted house sitcom

Queer ghosts

Found family

A League of Their Own:

Baseball in the 1940s

Everyone is queer

Queer and BIPOC history

The Owl House:

Did I only put this on here because it's one of my favorite shows? Yes. But do I genuinely think OFMD fans would enjoy it? Also yes.

Super queer and diverse

Fun adventures in an amazing fantasy world

Found family

Do you have any other recommendations?

(Also, if you want OFMD to get renewed for season 3, check out renewasacrew.com!)

[rwrbficrecs]

Hope you all enjoy our recs for November ❤️ (even though they're a little late!!) Incenatus by @missgeevious (book/movie-verse)

@suseagull04: I can't recommend this fic enough! If you love Twilight and The Phantom of the Opera, this fic is for you! A mysterious masquerade, a soulmate connection, and chemistry that's off the charts all culminate to make this one of my new all-time favorite fics!

Meaning Something by bleedingballroomfloor (book-verse)

@dot524: Really enjoyed this Liam POV that goes deeper into what actually happened with Alex and Liam, his relationship with Spencer, and how Liam reacts to Alex & Henry during the book. The feelings & coming out are really well done.

Needy & Greedy by @clottedcreamfudge (book-verse)

@heybuddy-drabbles: It's been HELL of a month in good and bad ways so I didn't have time to read much. I'm choosing to recommend a series of unconnected one shots, all steamy and delicious and fun and short for casual reading when you don't have much time to commit to a 70k fic. If you like smut tis for you!

Taste the Way You Bleed by @cha-melodious (book-verse)

@myheartalivewrites: a super fun What We Do In the Shadows AU, written for the RWRB halloween fest. Alex and Henry are oblivious vampires, pining for centuries, and the rest of the super-six turn up in hilarious mockumentary-style interviews. The summary alone had me HOOKED.

Camp Llwynywermod by bleedingballroomfloor (book-verse)

@myheartalivewrites: one of my go-to for comfort, all time fave fics. Alex and Henry as co summer camp counsellors, pining and bickering for years. The tension is top notch!

@dot524: It’s funny and I really enjoyed the camp setting and their journey from enemies to friends to lovers. This is a fun and cute fic.

Downburst by @cricketnationrise (book-verse)

@rmd-writes: an AU of The West Wing ep 'In the Shadow of Two Gunmen' - mind the tags, this is an angsty but beautifully written fic with very clever use of multiple POVs to tell several stories of love (including platonic love). This is so good I was mad I didn't write several lines in it myself.

@thesleepyskipper: Truly an incredible and unique work that was done with care. The way the various memories/flashbacks are done and how they are used as part of the storytelling absolutely blew me away. Loved that we got multiple POVs here too!

Underground by @zwiazdziarka (book-verse)

@suseagull04: An adorable kid, fantasy (including mentions of fantasy classics!) and a rescue mission make this such a fun read! The world building in this fic is phenomenal too.

A Long Way From the Playground by @three-drink-amy (book-verse)

@dot524: This is a getting-back-together AU where Alex & Henry were childhood friends who grew apart in college and then unexpectedly are neighbors. I enjoyed the slow burn here and the payoff — it’s just a comforting feel-good fic!

Five-Drink Henry by @whimsymanaged (book-verse)

@daisymae-12: I was honestly already hooked from the title and the fic did not disappoint – so much so that I’ve reread it so many times the past month. Loved everything about this fic!!

The Domestication of Household Spiders by @cultofsappho (book-verse)

@daisymae-12: This was everything I didn’t know I needed from a spiderman AU! Loved it so much. There’s also 2 new recent fics published in this series – plenty of spiderman Alex to read!!

you make it look so easy, i know it's not by @anincompletelist (book-verse)

@daisymae-12: A really fun fic about Henry’s first American Thanksgiving not quite going to plan. I was already laughing from the summary alone

The great turkey calamity? by @smblmn (book-verse)

@zwiazdziarka: This fic tells us what is actually means to talk turkey and this once Cornbread is a star he deserves to be. It's crack, it's exsistential crisis, it's hilarious. Oh, and Alex and Henry fall in love here too.

Lay You Down by ronans (book-verse)

@inexplicablymine: when I tell you the fluff is fluffing, Henry runs a sleep YouTube and Alex is in his comment section and in his DM’s and in his head. Do yourself a favor if you need a sweet treat today and read this work

@thesleepyskipper: OMG this could not be any cuter. I loved the way we got to see their relationship grow as they got to know each other online. Truly an adorable, well-written story that will plaster a smile on your face throughout.

Risk is Just a Board Game by @three-drink-amy (book-verse)

@suseagull04: Angst, domestic fluff, college AU, the holidays- this fic has it all! A look at why friends with benefits isn't always the best idea that culminates in an ending reminiscent of a Hallmark movie.

On My Mind (Let's Go) by @sparklepocalypse (movie-verse)

@zwiazdziarka: contrary to popular fanon, Henry can dance and here he uses that to get what he wants on New Year's Eve party. No notes, just go and read it.

check out our past Monthly Faves here ❤️

[sapphicbookclub]

Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant

Seven years ago, the Atargatis set off on a voyage to the Mariana Trench to film a “mockumentary” bringing to life ancient sea creatures of legend. It was lost at sea with all hands. Some have called it a hoax; others have called it a maritime tragedy.

Now, a new crew has been assembled. But this time they’re not out to entertain. Some seek to validate their life’s work. Some seek the greatest hunt of all. Some seek the truth. But for the ambitious young scientist Victoria Stewart this is a voyage to uncover the fate of the sister she lost.

Whatever the truth may be, it will only be found below the waves. But the secrets of the deep come with a price.

Genres: fantasy, horror, romance

Order from Blackwell's here and get free worldwide shipping!

Listen to the book on audiobooks.com here!

[survivalistghost]

What to watch next?

kdrama edition

hey! just got done with a mainstream drama and looking for some drama with the same feels? got it!

comment the drama below if it’s not in this list

1. weightlifting fairy kim bok joo

lighthearted, funny, strong fl with simp male

watch next : strong woman do bong soon

where : bilibili.com

2. business proposal

office romance, strong second couple chemistry, savage fl and a bit airheaded ml

watch next : what’s wrong with secretary kim?, descendants of the sun, love to hate you (the misandry is a bit high for the first eps, bear with it if you can), romance is a bonus book, king the land

where : netflix, bilibili.com

3. vincenzo

ACTION!!! good looking men in suits, strong fl with senti dad arc, men with questionable morals

watch next : my name (contains triggering themes, watch at own discretion), the k2

where : netflix, bilibili

4. guardian : the lonely and great god

fantasy, meant-to-be pairings, AMAZING second lead romances

watch next : touch your heart (sort of like a grim reaper sunny au), the king - eternal monarch, tale of the nine tailed, doom at your service, my demon

where : netflix, bilibili

5. reply 1988

feel good, group of friends, slice of life, AMAZING platonic chemistry

watch next : hospital playlist

where : netflix, bilibili

6. true beauty

bromance, love triangle with happy ending

watch next : the heirs, boys over flowers (if you can handle lee min ho’s horrendous perm), f4 thailand (if youre interested in thai dramas)

where : netflix, bilibili

7. all of us are dead

zombie, romance, political/military questionable

watch next : happiness

8. crash course in romance

(requested by @starryalpacasstuff )

famous ml, headstrong and self reliant fl, both place value in their work and respect each other (at the end)

watch next : love to hate you, or if you want a mockumentary-style romance, lovestruck in the city is my go to!

9. bad and crazy

(requested by @hyeon-yi )

crackhead duo, bromance~, MENtal issues, crime crime, stabby stabby

watch next : the worst of evil, dp, the devil judge, beyond evil

10. hometown cha cha cha

feel good vibes, seaside town, sappy romance, CUTEST couple

watch next : welcome to samdalri

tell me other kdramas youve seen in the comments and ill add recommendations!

[clay-pidgeon]

have we as a society produced a science fantasy mockumentary series yet. Or do i have to get a film degree

[ismellpestilence]

Things to watch if your favorite show is being affected by the WGA strike

This is everything that I have watched and enjoyed. They are by no means perfect shows. This includes complete series, cancelled series, and series that are still in progress. Feel free to add your own recommendations.

Only Murders in the Building (Hulu; currently on season 3)

Murder mystery dramedy set in a wealthy NYC apartment complex

Staring Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomes as three residents who decide to make a podcast about the murder

The cast has great chemistry and the twists are compelling

Gravity Falls (Hulu/Disney; ended after 2 seasons in 2014)

An animated show about a pair of fraternal twins who spend the summer with their con-man great uncle in a weird, monster filled town

Absolutely iconic children's show.

Dead End: Paranormal Park (Netflix; cancelled after 2 seasons in 2023)

Animated YA show about two teens, an exiled demon, and a pug, that all work at a haunted theme park and are investigating the disappearances of some of the staff

Similar in style to Gravity Falls

Sadly cancelled by Netflix, but there's also the graphic novels to enjoy

Reservation Dogs (Hulu, ended after season 3 in 2023)

Coming of age dramedy about four Indigenous teens living on a reservation in Oklahoma as they mourn a friend who died and dream of running away to California together

Made by an all Indigenous writers, directors, and main cast

Scrubs (Hulu; ended after 8 seasons 2010)

Workplace comedy about staff at a California hospital

Praised as the one of most medically accurate medical show

Very much a 2000s comedy. Humor can be jarring/mean by today's standards

What We Do in the Shadows (Hulu, currently on season 5)

A mockumentary following 4 vampires and their familiar that live on Staten Island as they go about their boring, pathetic lives

Makes fun of the "cool, sexy, edgy" vampire trope

Based on a 2014 movie of the same name

Dead to Me (Netflix, ended after 3 seasons in 2022)

A traumedy (trauma comedy) following a woman who's husband was killed in a hit-and-run and the perpetrator who lost her own partner and secretly befriends her

It's funny about what happens but does deal with some heavy topics so definitely look into that before watching

The Owl House (Disney; ended after 3-ish seasons in 2023)

About a young girl who wanders into the Demon Realm and decides to stay there and become of witch instead of going to summer camp

Celebrates being the weirdo and being kind to people

Made by many of the same people who did Gravity Falls

The Office (Peacock; ended after 9 seasons in 2013)

Workplace mockumentary about some bizarre people who work in a boring office space

Features a lot of cringe/second-hand embarrassment based humor

Based on the British limited series of the same name

Very much a 2000s comedy that can at times be just plain mean. Season 1 is the worst season by far so if you can get through it the character become way more likeable

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (Netflix, ended after 5 seasons in 2020)

An animated fantasy about a young soldier who simultaneously discovers that her side is the aggressor in the war and that the planet has chosen her to be it's legendary protector. This forces her to leave the only home she's known and her childhood friend to fight for the rebellion, who she thought were her enemies

A remake of the 1985 He-Man spinoff series

Very "defeat them with power of friendship and also this sword you found in the woods"

BoJack Horseman (Netflix, ended after 6 seasons in 2020)

An adult animated comedy about a self-centered, washed-up 90s sitcom actor (who is a horse) as he struggles to become famous again and break out of his destructive habits

Satirizes Hollywood, media culture, and American politics

One of those shows where you aren't supposed to admire the main characters

Big trigger warnings for this one. Seriously.

Good Omens (Amazon Prime, currently on season 2)

Follows the misadventures of a demon and an angel, a witch's descendent, two unskilled witch hunters, a sex-worker, and the antichrist and his friends as the antichrist grows into his power and brings about Armageddon, all set to Queen songs

Based on the 1990 book by Neil Gaiman and Sir Terry Pratchett

The fandom focuses a lot of the shipping side of the show but forget all of that if you plan to watch it

Season 2 wrecked me

Gentleman Jack (HBO Max & the BBC; cancelled after season 2 in 2022)

Based on the real diaries of Anne Lister, a wealthy lesbian in 1830s England who is looking for a wife and to expand her business enterprises

Sadly HBO pulled away and the BBC couldn't afford to make another season without them. What was made is still worth checking out.

Our Flag Means Death (HBO Max; currently on season 1)

A pirate workplace comedy/romcom that loosely follows the real life of Stede Bonnet, a wealthy landowner who ran away to become a pirate due to a mid-life crisis. He wants so badly to be a pirate captain but is far from qualified for the role.

"Traditionally, piracy is a culture of abuse...floggings, keelhaulings. And my thought is, "Why?" And also, what if it weren't like that?" really is the thesis of the show

(Edit) omg I cant believe I forgot:

Avatar: the Last Airbender (Netflix; ended after 3 seasons in 2008)

An animated children's fantasy series in which people can manipulate one of the four elements, and their peacekeeper, the Avatar, can manipulate all four. After being frozen in ice for 100 years, the 12 year old Avatar learns that the Fire Nation has begun a war that he must stop by next summer

Literally the blueprint for the modern animation that we enjoy today. IDK what else to say. It's iconic

Hilda (Netflix; ended after 2 seasons and 1 movie in 2021)

An animated children's fantasy series set in a world full of Nordic folk creatures

After spending much of her life living in the woods with her mom and her pet deerfox, Hilda is upset to learn that her mom now wants to move to Trolberg, a walled-off city where Hilda fears there is nothing interesting to do. She quickly discovers that there is just as much magic and wonder in the city as there is in the woods.

She's voiced by Bella Ramsay and the animation is beautiful. It's all all-around good vibes show.

Interview with the Vampire (AMC; currently on season 1)

After the first interview in the 70s that ended in disaster, Louis de Pointe du Lac reached out to Daniel Molloy and demanded a do-over. He goes back to his life as a black businessman in 1910s New Orleans and the complicated relationship between himself and Lestat de Lioncourt.

It's actually gay enough this time you guys.

I'd also like to add:

The Bear (FX/Hulu; currently on season 2)

A dramedy about a New York chef who inherits a failing sandwich shop after his older brother commits suicide.

Sometimes a found family isn't all sunshine and unicorns. Sometimes its a lot of screaming and resentment and cussing each other out.

It's a very stressful to watch so it's not for everyone, but if you're the type who finds that cathartic then you should give it a watch.

The Sandman (Netflix; currently on season 1)

Begins in 1916 with the capture of the god of dreams by a greedy sorcerer. After he escapes he must rebuild his realm and repair the damage done by his absence.

Trying to describe this show is really, really, difficult. It would be easier to describe what this show isn't.

Based on the DC comic of the same name by Neil Gaiman.

[haveyouseenthishorrormovie]

Search movies by genre/subcategory

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[spouseoftherisingsun]

^old finished projects vs recent sketches^

current list of projects under the cut for the curious

Baba Yaga: Out of the Woods

Key words: HOME, COMMUNITY, FOLKLORE, WHIMSY

What is it? Rogue-lite narrative-heavy video game, wherein you play as Baba Yaga trying to escape the suburbs and return to the Russian woods through a combination of crafting quests, NPC encounters, party-building, and puzzle-solving.

What do you need to work on? Additions and second drafts of outline, pitch, bible, screenplay, concept art, and storyboards. Research on twine?

Untitled Arthuriana Project

Key words: NAMES, REBIRTH, THEATER, OTHERWORLDLY

What is it? A project reinterpreting the Arthurian canon particularly with favor to and focus on the extended mythos of Morgan le Fay, the medium for which is undecided, with favored options being: animated series, animated film, book series, comic series.

What do you need to work on? First drafts of outline and pitch. Additions and second drafts of bible, screenplay, concept art, and storyboards. Revisiting medium decision.

Witches of the Four Movements [s.t.c.]

Key words: POWER, HISTORY, MYSTERY, COLORFUL

What is it? An original fantasy project of epic scale, focused on four independent storylines tied together by the relationships of the four secret witches propelling each plot, and the two secret witches yet undiscovered that are unintentionally interfering with them.

What do you need to work on? First draft of outline, pitch, and storyboards. Additions and second drafts of bible, screenplay, and concept art. Revisiting medium decision.

House of God

Key words: POSSESSION, FAITH, HORROR, FIRE

What is it? An eerie trilogy that starts with a team of grad students assigned to the excavation and restoration of an abandoned rectory.

What do you need to work on? First draft of pitch, bible, concept art and storyboards. Additions and second drafts of outline and screenplays. Revisiting decision between film and television.

Primewick

Key words: CARETAKING, TRAPS, EERIE, DOMESTIC

What is it? A speculative thriller about a motorcyclist who crashes and wakes up in the care of an odd woman living in her old friend's massive, secluded estate.

What do you need to work on? First draft of pitch, bible, concept art, and storyboards. Additions and second drafts of outline and screenplays. Revisiting medium decision.

Untitled Ghost Project

Key words: CLARITY, MEMORY, GHOSTS, MUNDANE

What is it? A speculative drama about an amateur independent journalist dropping out of college to return home and investigate a cold case of the disappearance of a local teacher and single mother, and how locals, especially the missing woman's now-grown children, cope with the renewed operation. (This work shares a storyworld and narrative elements with Primewick.)

What do you need to work on? First draft of pitch, bible, screenplays, and storyboards. Additions and second drafts of outline and concept art. Revisiting medium decision.

Caspar Unlimited [s.t.c.]

Key words: IMAGE, INTIMACY, TRAGEDY, REALITY TV

What is it? A television series taking place in a contemporary world characterized by supernatural and speculative events, combining mockumentary footage following the lives of various employees of corporate empire, Caspar Multinational, and typical drama footage following the documentary crew and cast ostensibly part of it.

What do you need to work on? First draft of outline, concept art, and storyboards. Additions and second drafts of pitch, bible, and screenplays.

Untitled Labyrinth Project

Key words: COLLABORATION, CRAFT, UTOPIA, RUINS

What is it? Slow-burn, esoteric, science fiction mystery about a group of strangers who find each other in a labyrinth of unknown origin.

What do you need to work on? First draft of outline, pitch, bible, and storyboards. Additions and second drafts of screenplays and concept art. Revisiting medium decision.

Untitled Weird Project

Key words: CRIME, HIJINKS, CHASE SCENE, FUTURISTIC

What is it? Animated feature exploring a futuristic city run by silly rules and filled with whimsical characters, including a gang made up of germs and diseases evolved into humanoids; a zombie-vampire pair of lesbian bounty hunters; a skateboarder in his forties wanted by the law for failing to commit to the bit; and his general practitioner, a blue-haired, nine-year-old cyborg obeying disembodied voices of medical talents long passed on.

What do you need to work on? First draft of outline, pitch, bible, screenplays, and storyboards. Additions and second drafts of concept art.

Bad House

Key words: DEBT, FAME, THEATER, FOLK MUSIC

What is it? A comic-concept album-tarot deck combination following a schtick-rock band called Bad Box made up of masked characters in the wake of a scandal that revealed the identities of its two founding members as they tour and promote their latest, and sonically much-toned-down, concept album, which is inspired by and features a few covers of the House of the Rising Sun.

What do you need to work on? First draft of outline, pitch, bible, screenplays, and storyboards. Additions and second drafts of concept art.

Untitled Clue Project

Key words: VIOLENCE, SECRETS, GAMES, GLAMOR

What is it? A television series based on the mechanics and premise of the game Clue/Cluedo, where each season features the same cast of actors assigned a new role, in a new setting, and with new context.

What do you need to work on? First draft of pitch, screenplay, bible, storyboard. Second drafts of outline and concept art.

if you got this far thanks here are some bonus pics of poor quality, pls reply with which project looks most interesting bc i have no basis for inferring atm

[amaiguri]

Hey so... it's here: The Creature Mockumentary! Have you ever craved a documentary about the strange monsters of a fantasy world? Do you wonder about the evolution and biology of mythical things? Come see the project of my heart and last two years: Anatomy of a Monster!

[memingursa]

Mockumentary but it’s about an impractical jokers esque tv show set in an urban fantasy environment.

[elexuscal]

my personal headcanon for 'mockumentary' comedies

and i want to be clear, i don't think it is at ALL canon or intended

i just think it's a VERY funny and enriching way to (re)-watch stuff like Parks & Rec, Brooklyn 99, The Office, and heck, even stuff with a deliberately surreal/fantasy edge like What We Do In the Shadows

it's all being filmed by a magical, inter-dimensional documentary crew

with truth-compelling cameras

explains the question of 'do these documentaries ever actually come out?' [they do. in another dimension]

how are the film crew ALWAYS around, even late at night/in private/200 miles from civilization? [they're aliens/magic/from the future]

why are these (sometimes) competent people spilling their deepest secrets to a film crew, even when they know it's extremely embaressing and/or illegal? [they're being compelled]

so the next time you're watching something and being like, why is X admitted they have a crush on their boss Y, even if that would get them fired if people found out??

just imagine anthropological aliens up in space sitting there being like, 'ahh i see, human social hierchaies are indeed complex'

[adrianicsea]

Hello, I just want to say I'm getting most of my film recs from you. And I was wandering, have you seen any fioms that aren't western that you would recommend. I just don't know where to start. Anyways, have a nice day.

hi!!! that means so much to me— i love sharing the movies i’m passionate about, and it means a lot when people tell me that they check out a movie because of me 🥹

by non-western films, i’m assuming that you mean films not from the US or from western european countries— if that’s not the case, please let me know!!

i actually haven’t seen a ton of non-western movies myself, and that’s something i’d like to address!! but as far as non-western films i HAVE seen and enjoyed, here’s some that i’ve recently seen or ones that are still memorable:

promare— japan, anime, action/scifi. follows the adventures of galo, an enthusiastic member of a team of firefighters facing off against a terrorist group of pyromancers known as the mad burnish. as galo learns more about the mysterious leader of the burnish, lio, galo comes to question the way burnish are treated in society and if lio’s actions are truly in the wrong.

perfect blue— japan, anime, horror/thriller. mima, a retired j-pop idol, is being stalked as she pivots to an acting career. she loses her grip on reality as a series of strange, violent events begin to happen around her, including a vision of her own former idol self.

sweet home- japan, horror. when a film documentary crew sets foot in the mansion of a notorious deceased artist to research and create a tv special about his frescoes, they awake a dormant evil. this movie is notable because its tie-in video game was a direct inspiration for the resident evil series!

noroi: the curse— japan, horror. this is kind of a found footage/mockumentary style film that starts as an exploration of a purported “curse” and the strange events surrounding it, and then escalates to become something absolutely wild and ABSOLUTELY terrifying.

beau travail— france/djibouti, drama/thriller. while this film’s director, claire denis, IS french, she grew up in colonial french africa, and this film as well as many of her others explore west african culture and issues. in beau travail, the disgraced french legion sergeant galoup recounts the tale of his fall from grace and his cardinal sin of betraying one of his own, a beautiful, kind, and noble young cadet named sentain. this film is a loose adaptation of herman melville’s story billy budd, and it also explores the ongoing effects of the french legion’s presence in djibouti!

nosferatu— silent film (made in germany), horror. if you’re interested in learning about film history at all, western or otherwise, you can’t NOT look at the german expressionist movement! this is a classic, quintessential vampire story— in fact, nosferatu was made as a dracula ripoff when the director FW murnau was not permitted to make an ACTUAL film adaptation of dracula.

metropolis— silent film (made in germany), scifi. this is another legendary entry in the german expressionist movement! in a far-off, hyperindustrialized future, the richest people in metropolis live high above the ground, oblivious to the constant, dehumanizing labor and miserable conditions that are endured by the workers living down below. a sweet, naive young boy from the upper levels named freder finds his way down into the guts of the city, and he is awakened to the suffering of his fellow man and begins to agitate for a workers’ revolution. the work and effects in this movie are BEYOND impressive, especially for something that’s nearing 100 years old!!!

good manners— brazil, horror/fantasy with some musical elements. in são paulo, a poor nurse named clara manages to secure a job as a house sitter, nurse, and nanny to a rich single soon-to-be mother named ana. as the two of them begin to fall in love, ana recounts the story of her baby’s father, and reveals that both he and her unborn child are werewolves. this is a gorgeous, sensitive, and original take on the werewolf genre, and the creature effects are amazing!

RRR— india, musical/action/epic. this is kind of a fictional “what-if” scenario about the meeting of two real-life indian revolutionaries. bheem is a man from a tribe living traditionally in the jungles of india; raju is living as one of the only indian members of the occupying british forces, a traitor to his own people. by rights, the two should hate each other— but they meet while cooperating to rescue a child and become best friends instead, neither one aware of their true identities or motives.

zindagi na milegi dobra— india, comedy/road trip movie. three childhood friends meet up to go on an adventure before one of them gets married, and along the way, they each find the courage to do something that they’ve always wanted to do, like skydive or run with the bulls in spain!!

monkey man— india, action. an anonymous young man going only by the name Kid undertakes a years-long revenge quest in order to avenge his family and village, long ago destroyed by a fascist quasi-religious leader. this film has a lot of american influences/people working on it, but given that its director and star dev patel has indian heritage and that the film deals so squarely with indian culture and politics, it felt fair to include it here.

flee— denmark/afghanistan, partially animated, drama/biopic. amin, an openly gay man living in denmark, arrived there as an unaccompanied minor from afghanistan when he was a teenager. using a combination of documentary-style interview footage with amin and animated recreations, flee tells the story of his exodus from his home and of his coming to terms with his identity.

i hope that at least one or two of these sounds interesting to you!! and if you meant something different by non-western (ex ANY non-english film, just films that aren’t from the US), please let me know and i might have some alternate recs for you :)