The popularity of foreign language content has varied over the years. Award-winning films like Parasite have turned the spotlight toward content outside of the English language. The Academy and audiences across the country are waking up to the wealth of stories that are missed when English-language media is the sole focus.
Streaming services have, in large part, pioneered the dissemination of international content to viewers. Among streaming providers, Netflix has a large library of content from various countries. These shows are just a few of the Netflix foreign language films and TV available to inspire your virtual globetrotting.
Spain
Money Heist
First up is one of the most well-loved Netflix foreign language shows, Spanish or otherwise. Money Heist was such a big hit that it inspired a Korean spin-off called Money Heist: Korea — Joint Economic Area. The show follows The Professor, an enigma of a criminal who puts together a crew to infiltrate Spain’s Royal Mint. The original show boasts 5 seasons of crime and suspense to keep you glued to your screen.
Cable Girls
Travel back in time to 1920s Spain and witness a revolution told through the eyes of four women. Working at the telephone company in Madrid means something different for each character. But for all of them, it means opportunity and a chance to forge their own paths in a society that dictates otherwise. Amid their hardships, they form a bond that carries them through.
Elite
Fans of American teen dramas will be glad to know that other countries contribute their fair share to the genre. Elite is a rollercoaster from start to finish. The show hits the ground running with a murder that rocks Las Encinas, the elite academy at the center of the story. From that point on, an investigation kicks off that introduces viewers to a group of intertwined friends and enemies.
High Seas
High Seas takes audiences back in time again, though not so far as Cable Girls. In 1940s Spain, two sisters set off on a trip to Brazil. However, their decision to sneak a woman on board proves to be a mistake when she’s thrown overboard. The investigation that breaks out mid-ocean brings to light not only the murder but some well-kept family secrets.
Mexico
Pedro Páramo
This Netflix film takes a timeless classic and adapts it for screens everywhere. The movie follows the same premise as the 1955 novel by Juan Rulfo. Juan Preciado arrives in Comala, looking for Pedro Páramo, only to find that his father has died and much of the town along with him. With each resident that he meets, Juan becomes privy to new stories about the figure that was Pedro Páramo. As he does, the lines between the physical and the spiritual become blurred.
I’m No Longer Here
What happens when you’re caught between two worlds, forced into a foreign place with no one to lean on? This is 17-year-old Ulises’s life. After a misunderstanding gets him in big trouble with a local cartel, Ulises is forced to flee to the United States. He settles in Queens, New York, alone and with nothing but his love for music to guide him. This is a moving story of culture and identity.
Roma
The beauty of Roma has reached far beyond Netflix to touch the hearts of the Academy. This masterpiece by director Alfonso Cuarón received Oscars for Best International Feature Film, Best Director, and Best Cinematography. The quiet melancholy of Roma’s black-and-white shots set the backdrop for a powerhouse performance by Yalitza Aparicio. Aparicio plays Cleo, a domestic worker working for a wealthy family in 1970s Mexico City. Cuarón paints a realistic portrait of the tension between class division and family ties.
Colombia
One Hundred Years of Solitude
After watching Pedro Páramo, this Netflix series is a natural continuation. Juan Rulfo’s 1955 novel inspired Gabriel García Márquez to write his renowned work, One Hundred Years of Solitude. The television series is a vibrant adaptation of the intricate narrative that Márquez imagined. Entering the town of Macondo, viewers fall into the lives of successive generations of the Buendía family. Set against the backdrop of war and isolation, the story’s magical realism elements bring scenes to life masterfully.
Eva Lasting
Bogotá’s all-boys high school was not ready for Eva Samper, the first girl to make her way inside the institution’s walls. Eva is a smart, bold girl who soon finds herself with an eclectic group of new friends. Eva Lasting brings a pop of color to the Netflix catalog with its portrayal of a 1970s-era Colombia. It’s the perfect mix of quirky and heartwarming.
Blood Ties
This political drama was all the rage on Colombian television screens, so it deserves its moment on US viewers’ screens. Coming from a well-off family, sisters Carolina, Leonor, and Isabela would never have imagined themselves caught up in a war. But their mother’s murder spurs them into action. Under the training of their father, they become spies. Together, they take on dangerous missions to avenge their late mother.
Sweden
Young Royals
Most Netflix watchers will be familiar with Young Royals. This Swedish teen drama garnered massive amounts of fans from around the world. The story follows Prince Wilhelm as he enters Hillerska. At the boarding school, he meets Simon, and the two fall into a whirlwind romance with consequences that reach far beyond them. Each character in this show is a raw portrait of what it means to be a teen and find yourself amid the chaos surrounding you.
Snabba Cash
Sweden is a one-stop shop for all things crime drama. Snabba Cash is one of the most well-known to come out of the country. The Netflix adaptation of the hit novels and films follows a single mother named Leya who falls into a criminal underworld in a fit of desperation. This series hits the nose on the head, unveiling the ambitions that connect the business world and the criminal world.
The Breakthrough
A 16-year-old murder case is on the verge of going cold. That is before the innovative work of a genealogist catches the eye of the lead investigator on the case. The two team up to track down the culprit once and for all and find justice for the victims. Another addition to Netflix’s catalog of Nordic Noir, this is not one to miss.
Kenya
Nairobi Half Life
Nairobi Half Life was the first ever film submitted by Kenya to the Best Foreign Language Film category at the Oscars. The film follows a young man living in rural Kenya. However, his dreams of becoming an actor push him out of the countryside and into Nairobi where he relies on his passion to lead him down his new path. Despite his family’s concerns, Mwas is determined to succeed.
Lusala
Lusala is a 22-year-old man whose dark past haunts him as he tries to start anew. His childhood was wrought with abuse and neglect. After being adopted into a wealthy family, Lusala’s life seemed to be on the mend. But after years together, Lusala is forced to move out and start his own life. He’s thrown into an unfamiliar world where he must learn to start over yet again.
African Folktales Reimagined
This anthology series is not solely from Kenya. In fact, each of the six episodes lays out a different African folktale, from different countries, told in different languages. The third installment in the series comes from Kenyan director, Voline Ogutu, and a mother and her children who use story as a means of escape.
Thailand
Girl From Nowhere
Nanno comes from nowhere, quite literally. No one knows where this mysterious girl comes from or who she really is. What they do know is that wherever she goes, she leaves chaos in her wake. With each school she enters, Nanno digs deep, exposing the students and faculty within for who they really are. And if her methods of justice are a bit unconventional, who’s to say?
Analog Squad
You’ve heard of the fake relationship trope, but have you heard of a fake family? Analog Squad is a weird tale of found family that will make you laugh and cry. The show follows a man who puts together a fake family in order to make his dying father proud. With an ex-girlfriend and an employee in the mix, this ragtag group starts to feel more like a real family than anything else.
India
Ray
Netflix tends to do well with its anthology series and Ray is no exception. This four-part Indian series features episodes based on the short stories of Satyajit Ray. Some of the stories will make you laugh, others will make you shiver, but each one has a unique take on a coveted author’s works.
Cobalt Blue
Family bonds and traditions alike are tested in this Hindu-language film. Tanay and his sister, Anuja’s relationship is tested by the arrival of a new guest in their home. This man becomes the object of both of their affections, leading them into conflict with each other and the society they live in. Cobalt Blue lays bare the tensions between desires and obligations.
Dabba Cartel
Can’t get enough of the crime world? Well, not to worry. India is serving up the suspense of an undercover drug operation, fresh from the tiffin. This show’s unique premise centers on five women who start up their own drug cartel under the guise of a regular tiffin service.
Korea
Parasite
Bong Joon Ho’s stunning depiction of class inequality and human exploitation made it the first foreign language movie to win the Oscar for Best Picture. Parasite follows a poor family whose members slowly scheme their way into the lives of a wealthy family. The movie is dark and suspenseful, but also human at its core.
The Glory
K-dramas are some of the most popular pieces of foreign language content available to stream on Netflix and elsewhere. Netflix has been pumping out dramas of all sorts with The Glory quickly becoming one of its most popular releases. Revenge is Moon Dong-eun’s one goal. After enduring endless bullying during her school days, she grew up to become a teacher. When one of her students turns out to be the child of the one who tormented her the most, she sets her plan in motion.
Hospital Playlist
If you’re looking for a K-drama with a little less thrill and a little more comedy, Hospital Playlist is a great choice. This show is reminiscent of Grey‘s Anatomy, following a group of doctors who have been friends since college. Now colleagues at a shared hospital, all manner of post-grad shenanigans ensue.
Japan
Alice in Borderland
Now is the perfect time to catch up on the series adaptation of this popular manga. Alice in Borderland season three is set to release in September of this year. The first season follows an aimless, game-addicted boy named Arisu, whose normal life in Tokyo is transformed into a dangerous death game in the blink of an eye. This show is a test of survival reminiscent of Battle Royale.
Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop
Netflix features a plethora of anime series and movies alongside their live-action Japanese content. Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop is an underrated but beautiful addition to the catalog. The film centers on the romance between a boy and a girl, with different personalities but matching insecurities. The story is heartwarming and the vividness of the cinematography pops straight off the screen.
Grave of the Fireflies
Compared to other streaming services like Max, Netflix’s catalog of Studio Ghibli films is unfortunately limited. However, if you’re looking to get a taste, this World War Two animated Ghibli film is as good a place to start as any. The story follows two young siblings forced apart from their parents by the brutal realities of war. The stunning visuals only add to what is an already heart wrenching tale.
