Mom-centric movies to watch this Mother's Day (International edition)

Mother's Day is here and there are plenty of great  movies you can watch at home that are ideal for celebrating the  holiday with your mother. Many memorable films, both old and new, honouring the joys and troubles of motherhood are available for you to watch with your mother.

These international films are our picks for you and your mother to enjoy this Mother's Day-

Akeelah and the Bee

This inspirational story follows a young girl's journey to the National Spelling Bee. Akeelah Anderson,  played by Keke Palmer, is the 11-year-old daughter of a widowed mother  (Angela Bassett) in South Los Angeles who has a poor academic record  but a knack for spellings.

The mother-daughter relationship grows throughout the film, despite their initial disagreements about Akeelah's goals. 'Akeelah and the Bee' is an inspiring film for both children and parents, with life  lessons for people of all ages to learn.

'Coco'

'Coco' is ananimated film set in Santa Cecilia, Mexico, and follows the story of Miguel, a young musician who grows up in a family that despises music.  He accidentally enters the Land of the Dead on Dia de Muertos, or 'Day of the Dead'. He then sets out on an adventure that reveals new  information about his family, including his great-grandmother Mama Coco.

'Coco' delves into the Mexican families' dynamic of aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, and great grandparents all under one roof and is more than just a good watch for grandmothers and moms with their kids. It's an excellent movie for the whole family, and it's even available in Spanish to stream.

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again

'Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again' is a musical rom-com sequel to 2008 film 'Mamma Mia!' with many returning cast members and a few new additions.  Sophie Sheridan (Amanda Seyfried) is grieving the loss of her adventurous and fun-loving mother, Donna, five years after the  first film (Meryl Streep).

'Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again' alternates between flashbacks and the present, detailing Donna's (Lily James) early adventures and Sophie's  current struggles as she grieves and tries to move on. It's an emotional journey which will surely take you on a rollercoaster ride of emotions.

Roma

The struggles of two very different women living in the same middle-class home are depicted in this film. Cleo Gutiérrez, an Indigenous live-in maid, working for Sofa's (Marina de Tavira) household, is played by Yalitza Aparicio. Cleo is a soon-to-be single mother, while Marina is a mother of four trapped in a troubled marriage.

The film's panning shots and deliberate lighting result in alluring images that make you feel like you're peering directly into the daily lives of these mothers, even though it's shot entirely in black and white.

Room
 

' Room' is a drama about Joy (Brie Larson), a young woman held captive and her 5-year-old son Jack by their kidnapper. Joy and Jack become entangled in a web of complex emotions after pulling off an elaborate  escape.

It's a heavy film with suspenseful moments, and it's a full  mom-centric watch that examines Joy's and her mother's experiences as  mothers under duress.

A Quiet Place Part II; 

The sequel to 'A Quiet Place' continues the story of a family trying  to survive in a post-apocalyptic world from the first film. Evelyn Abbott, played by Emily Blunt, is a mother who tries to protect her three children from dangerous creatures. Regan, the eldest child, is a deaf character played by Millicent Simmonds, a deaf actress.

Though a horror film may not be your first choice for a Mother's Day movie, 'A Quiet Place Part II' depicts a mother's determination to protect her children in a dangerous world intent on stealing them.