But there’s another untapped stash of great TV you might not have considered before: international series in a foreign language. It’s never been a better time to get into foreign shows, with buzzy productions like the controversial French movie Cuties trending and the multiple-Emmy nominated Unorthodox from Germany winning for outstanding director of a limited series. And don’t write off foreign language series just because they’re not in English—subtitles are surprisingly easy to get used to, and a lot of the dubbing into English isn’t bad (Netflix allows viewers to choose how to watch). Here’s a look at some of the best foreign shows on Netflix.
1. Elite (Spain, 3 seasons)
Like Gossip Girl with a dash of murder thrown in, this soapy teen thriller takes place at an elite private school where wealthy classmates clash with working class students there on scholarship. With flash forwards, viewers learn one of them was murdered—and it seems like everyone has something to hide. The show, which has a similar sense of guilty-pleasure mystery as Riverdale and Pretty Little Liars, has been greenlit for a fourth season.
2. Dark (Germany, 3 seasons)
This spooky sci-fi series is like Stranger Things, only, well, darker. A boy goes missing, and it turns out he’s actually entered a time-travel portal in the woods. As the characters discover that the events of one time period are linked to another through the portal, things start to get even weirder. The third and final season expands on the ideas of time and space with alternate reality and apocalypse storylines. The winding plot is very intricate, but that’s also what makes it so mind-blowing.
3. Kingdom (South Korea, 2 seasons)
If you like period dramas or The Walking Dead, this lush medieval zombie plague series is a strange mashup of the two that totally works. The Crown Prince must uncover the truth about a strange illness that’s affected his father, the king, and seems to be spreading throughout the country, as he fights for his people—and his throne.
4. The House of Flowers (Mexico, 3 seasons)
This dramedy plays on the Latin American soap opera genre called the “telenovela” as it follows a wealthy family who owns a successful flower shop. When the patriarch’s dirty dealings, secret cabaret and mistress are revealed, the family has to try to keep things quiet—if only they didn’t have so many dark secrets of their own. The series’ creator, Manolo Caro, also has a new three-part Netflix series premiering October 16, Someone Has to Die, about a family in 1950s Spain.
5. Terrace House(Japan, 2 seasons)
More Real World than Big Brother, this reality show features the day-to-day lives of seven housemates and their interpersonal relationships with each other. They have jobs and are free to come and go as they please. Although they may be romantically involved, there’s not much salacious activity happening; but rather, it’s an almost meditative reflection on life. A panel of commentators watches along with viewers, giving their opinions and insight into Japanese cultural norms for the international viewer. Unfortunately, the show’s future is uncertain following the suicide of one of its cast members after she was harassed on social media.
6. Unorthodox(Germany, 1 season)
This outstanding German production in multiple languages including German, Yiddish and English is a truly international show—and an international phenomenon. A huge hit when it premiered on Netflix in March, the limited series follows an Orthodox Jewish woman who rejects her conservative life in Brooklyn as she flees to Berlin to find her estranged mother and carve a new path for herself.
7. Queen Sono(South Africa, 1 season)
Netflix’s first African production may be mainly in English—although many other languages are mixed in as well—but it’s still like nothing American audiences have seen before. Fresh and witty, this stylish, high-energy action series features a Black female spy searching for answers about her mother’s murder. Shot in 37 different locations in Africa, the series shows viewers many sides of the continent they don’t often get to see. Netflix has announced the series will be back for Season 2.
8. Money Heist (Spain, 4 seasons)
The ringleader of the Robin Hood-like robbers in this subversive heist series is The Professor, who puts together a plan to steal from the Royal Mint of Spain. But this darkly funny crime show isn’t just about the action as much as the characters and their relationships. Whether they’re good guys or bad is up for debate—the robbers’ trademark red jumpsuits and Salvador Dali masks have even become popular costumes and a symbol of rebellion worldwide.
9.Selection Day(India, 1 season)
The surprise hit Indian Matchmaking is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to great television coming out of India. Family drama Selection Day may focus on the sport of cricket, which few Americans actually know how to play, but the most compelling aspect of the show is the family dynamic between a father and his sons, whom he desperately wants to become cricket players. For more Indian series, check out the thrilling Ghoul and the wedding planner drama Made in Heaven.
10. Call My Agent!(France, 3 seasons)
Something like a French Entourage, this comedy follows four talent agents as they attempt to keep their clients happy while taking care of all the behind-the-scenes drama of show business—not to mention their own personal lives. We don’t often think of the French as having a great sense of humor, but this show is light, airy and lots of fun.
11. 3%(Brazil, 4 seasons)
This dystopian, Hunger Games-like series takes place in a future where most people live in poverty in the Inland, but a select few who pass a series of tests are allowed to live in the virtual world of the Offshore. How many pass? You guessed it: three percent. For more post-apocalyptic dystopia, check out the Danish thriller seriesThe Rain.
12. Cable Girls(Spain, 5 seasons)
This popular historical series follows the lives and careers of four telephone operators in 1928 Madrid, a time when women were becoming increasingly independent, yet still bound by the constraints of a male-dominated society. Fans of Downton Abbey will appreciate the period costumes and production details of the show, which just ended its five-season run in July (actually six seasons, as Season 5 aired in two parts)—making it Netflix’s longest-running international show.
13. Undercover(Belgium/Netherlands, 1 season)
Inspired by a true story, this binge-worthy Dutch-language crime thriller has two undercover agents getting the dirt on a drug lord by posing as a couple at the campground where he vacations. The show’s second season, premiering November 9, has the pair again going undercover, this time to take down an illegal arms trade.
14. The Valhalla Murders(Iceland, 1 season)
A sub-genre of crime dramas from Scandinavia and other Nordic countries called “Nordic noir” (think The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) have hit our shores thanks to streaming services. There’s just something about the bleak, snowy landscapes that go so well with the icy chill of murder. The Valhalla Murders plays up its atmospheric setting to great effect, as a detective returns to his home country of Iceland to assist in a series of grisly murders. For more Nordic noir, check out the Finnish series Bordertown.
15. Justice (United Arab Emirates, 1 season)
Shows from other countries can challenge what we think we know about them, such as with Justice, a procedural about an Arab female lawyer in the UAE. Although the caseload is familiar to anyone who’s watched American legal shows, this series also provides a window into Islamic culture. Viewers get insights into familial relationships, particularly in lawyer Farah’s bond with her father, who wants her to stay in the family law firm while she wants to go out on her own.
16. Shtisel (Israel, 2 seasons)
You won’t be sure whether to laugh or cry with Akiva Shtisel when you meet him. But we can assure you that you will do both throughout this awkward yet endearing award-winning series about love, loss and religion. Akiva (played by Michael Aloni) is a gentle ultra-Orthodox 20-something whose romantic and artistic desires conflict with his father’s expectations and the society he is a part of. Akiva’s recently widowed father, Shulem is also in search of love—and a good meal—but is haunted by his dead wife. You’ll also get to know Shulem’s daughter, Giti, as she struggles to keep her own family together. Get ready for more fall TV with our guide to all the shows returning, canceled and premiering.
