10 Best Movies from Sri Lanka to Watch First

10 Essential Films from Sri Lanka

Ranked native cinema in Sri Lanka’s own creative voice.

1. 

   1. Gamani

   ගාමනි · 2011

   Based on a true incident, this war drama depicts the massacre of villagers by terrorists in a remote Sri Lankan community, and the army officer who fights to protect them. A patriotic action film.

2. 

   2. Suhada Koka

   සුහද කොකා · 2015

   A defeated politician and his cronies scheme to reclaim power after learning that the winning candidate has been hospitalized, in a comedy of political skulduggery. A Sri Lankan satire.

3. 

   3. A Common Man

   2013

   A mysterious man plants bombs across Colombo and threatens to detonate them unless imprisoned militants are released, forcing the authorities into a tense, ticking-clock standoff. A remake-thriller starring Ben Kingsley.

4. 

   4. Komaali Kings

   2018

   The quiet, ordinary life of a Tamil man is turned upside down when a distant, boisterous relative and his family from London descend on his home for a wedding, unleashing comic chaos. A popular Tamil comedy.

5. 

   5. Rekava

   රේඛාව · 1956

   In a Sri Lankan village, a boy is believed to have miraculous healing powers after his blind friend seems to regain her sight, and the community's superstition swells around him. Lester James Peries's lyrical debut, a landmark of Sinhala cinema.

6. 

   6. Aba

   අබා · 2008

   This historical epic dramatizes the youth of Pandukabhaya, the resourceful ancient prince who overcame exile and conspiracy to become one of the founding kings of Sri Lanka. A sweeping period adventure.

7. 

   7. Aloko Udapadi

   ආලෝකෝ උදපාදි · 2017

   This Sinhalese historical epic recounts the reign of King Valagamba of Anuradhapura and the pivotal moment when Buddhist teachings were first committed to writing in ancient Sri Lanka. A grand religious-historical drama.

8. 

   8. Awaragira

   අවරගිර · 1990

   A Sri Lankan drama exploring the lives and moral struggles of its characters, from the acclaimed director Lester James Peries. A character study of village and society.

9. 

   9. Bambaru Avith

   Bambaru Awith · 1978

   When ambitious urban entrepreneurs arrive in a poor Sri Lankan fishing village already dominated by a manipulative local exploiter, the intrusion disrupts the fragile order and exposes deep social fault lines. A landmark of political Sinhala cinema.

10. 

    10. Sri Siddhartha Gautama

    ශ්‍රී සිද්ධාර්ථ ගෞතම · 2013

    This reverent epic dramatizes the life of Prince Siddhartha, from his sheltered royal upbringing through his renunciation of the world in his quest for enlightenment and his path to becoming the Buddha. A lavish religious drama.