Outside views · Asia
8 Best Movies Set in or About Pakistan
Compare how outside filmmakers have used Pakistan as a sustained setting or subject.
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Compare the route at a glance
Runtime, mood, and entry level help narrow the list without replacing the editorial ranking.
| Film | Runtime | Genre | Mood | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bajrangi Bhaijaan | Not verified | |||
| In This World | Not verified | |||
| Tigers | Not verified | |||
| Among the Believers | Not verified | |||
| When the Moon Was Full | Not verified | |||
| Displaced Perssons | Not verified | |||
| Peshavar Waltz | Not verified | |||
| Army of One | Not verified |
8 Movies Set in or About Pakistan
Foreign-led films whose sustained setting or subject remains centered on Pakistan.
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1. Bajrangi Bhaijaan
A big-hearted, devout Indian man takes it upon himself to reunite a lost, mute little Pakistani girl with her family across the border, undertaking a difficult and dangerous journey. A hugely popular, feel-good Bollywood drama.
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2. In This World
Two young Afghan refugees leave a camp in Pakistan and set off on a perilous, clandestine overland journey toward Europe in search of a better life. Michael Winterbottom's urgent, documentary-style drama.
Film notes -
3. Tigers
A pharmaceutical salesman in Pakistan turns whistleblower against the multinational corporation he works for after realizing its baby formula is killing infants, risking everything to expose the truth. A tense drama based on real events.
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4. Among the Believers
This documentary goes inside Pakistan's radical Red Mosque and its network of madrassas, following a firebrand cleric who indoctrinates children for jihad, and the educators fighting to offer another path. A chilling, eye-opening portrait.
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5. When the Moon Was Full
Based on a true story, an Iranian woman marries a charming man from the Baluchistan border region, only to discover her new husband and his family are entangled with a violent extremist group. A harrowing drama.
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6. Displaced Perssons
A Swede who left home decades ago and raised two daughters in Pakistan returns with his family to Sweden, where their new life in a caravan on the outskirts exposes the strains of belonging nowhere. A bittersweet drama.
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7. Peshavar Waltz
During the Soviet-Afghan war, at a brutal POW camp near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, captured prisoners plot a desperate uprising while a journalist and a medic document their plight. A grim, intense war drama.
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8. Army of One
An unemployed ex-con, convinced God has told him to capture Osama bin Laden, travels to Pakistan armed with little more than a sword to hunt the world's most wanted man. A quirky comedy based on a true story.
Film notes
Hear the country first
10 Best Movies from Pakistan to Watch First
Start with films made from within Pakistan, then follow the country's own creative voice through the complete ranking.
- Dajjal The Slayer and His Followers 2019
- Jiban Thekey Neya 1970
- Maula Jatt 1979
Selected by the Films Around the World editorial desk
Selections require an outside creative lead and a story or subject substantially centered on Pakistan. Decision labels are concise editorial aids, and content notes are non-exhaustive. Read the methodology.
Editorial review: 2026-07-13
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