To many Americans, foreign movies evoke boredom, confusion, and that Gitanes-reeking blowhard from freshman year. But if you're reading this, you can handle subtitles. (And if you're wondering what happened to that guy: Hi!) Approach these films the way you would any other cultural pursuit: Go in search of sex, violence, and wisecracks, and stumble into art. The six essential movies in this starter kit, all released since 2000, ascend in order from the accessible to the difficult. Invoke them as needed.

Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN, Diego Luna, Ana Lopez Mercado, 2001
IFC Films/Courtesy Everett Collection

1. Y Tu Mamá También

(Mexico, Alfonso Cuarón, 2001)

Cheat sheet: Two young horndogs (Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna) flee Mexico City with an older woman (Maribel Verdú). Fun fact: The male leads see as much action with each other as they do with Verdú. Rent/buy on Amazon and iTunes.

BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR
Sundance Selects/Courtesy Everett Collection

2. Blue Is the Warmest Color

(France, Abdellatif Kechiche, 2013)

Cheat sheet: Bittersweet coming-of-age story about two young women (Adèle Exarchopoulos and Léa Seydoux) who fall in, then out, of love. Tell parents it's: A sprawling, detailed consideration of love, class, and French Republican identity. Tell friends it has: A nine-minute lesbian sex scene. Rent/buy on Amazon and iTunes.

OLD, BOY, 2003, YOON, JINSEO, AS, LEE, SOOAH, AHN, YEONSUK, YOUNG, WOOJIN, STILL
Snap Stills/REX/Shutterstock

3. Oldboy

(South Korea, Park Chan-wook, 2003)

Cheat sheet: An unjustly imprisoned man seeks vengeance against the people who framed him. Live octopus consumed? Yes. Talking point: Is Park the Korean Tarantino, or is it the other way around? Rent/buy on Amazon and iTunes.

A SEPARATION, (aka NADER AND SIMIN, aka JODAEIYE NADER AZ SIMIN)
Sony Pictures Classics/courtesy Everett Collection

4. A Separation

(Iran, Asghar Farhadi, 2011)

Cheat sheet: A middle-class Tehran couple break up. Talking point: Farhadi won the Oscar in 2017 (his second) for Best Foreign Film but skipped the ceremony to protest Trump's immigration ban. Rent/buy on iTunes.

THE DEATH OF MR.LAZARESCU, (aka MOARTEA DOMNULUI LAZARESCU), Ion Fiscuteanu, 2005,
Courtesy Everett Collection

5. The Death of Mr. Lazarescu

(Romania, Cristi Puiu, 2006)

Cheat sheet: Unsparing tour of the Romanian health-care bureaucracy. Talking point: The first great post-Ceaușescu film. Rent/buy on Amazon.

UNCLE BOONMEE WHO CAN RECALL HIS PAST LIVES, (aka LOONG BOONMEE RALEUK CHAT), Wallapa Mongkolprasert, 2010.
Strand Releasing/Courtesy Everett Collection

6. Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives

(Thailand, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, 2010)

Cheat sheet: Pastoral jungle love story and spiritual head trip. Plus monsters and motorbikes. Insider fact: For non-Thai speakers, the preferred pronunciation of the director's name is "Joe." Rent/buy on Amazon and iTunes.

This article comes from our guide to bullshitting your way through any situation. Read the entire syllabus for an advanced course in the art of B.S. here.