There’s so much binge-watching going on right now that it might seem like you’ve already watched just about everything that’s good. But the Netflix library is actually way deeper than it might seem from a casual scroll of recommended titles. It would be a shame to miss out on some of the exciting and atmospheric shows produced around the world, just because their names aren’t familiar on first glance. It’s a great big world out there, and traveling in both time and space to the worlds of “Babylon Berlin” or “Terrace House” is one way to feel like you’re experiencing a different culture without leaving the house.
Hits like “Parasite” have convinced even the most skeptical viewers that, rather than something to be avoided, subtitles are the gateway to a great big world of engrossing entertainment. So it’s time to dig a little deeper and check out the edgy thrillers, addictive dramas and deliciously different reality shows available on Netflix from Mexico, France, Spain, Korea, Japan, Germany and many more countries. Plus, it never hurts to brush up on those high school language classes and develop some cross-cultural savoir-faire.
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Money Heist (La Casa de Papel)
Image Credit: Courtesy of Netflix The action-packed Spanish heist series is one of Netflix’s most-watched shows around the world, thanks to its stylish approach to telling the story of a carefully plotted plan to rob the country’s Royal Mint and then the Bank of Spain. The Professor is the mastermind of the plan that brings together hackers and safecrackers along with runaway thief Ursula Corbero (Tokyo), the unreliable narrator whose look is right out of “The Professional.” The colorful and kinetic series also has echoes of Tarantino and “Killing Zoe.” – Pat Saperstein
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Call My Agent
Image Credit: Mon Voisins Production Like “Entourage” without the testosterone-fueled leering, “Call My Agent” offers a fascinating glimpse into French workplace culture, specifically in the entertainment industry. While the show gets a little too soapy at times in Season 2 and 3, the first season packs a serious comedic punch, mainly thanks to a beguiling central performance by Camille Cottin (who appears in “Killing Eve” Season 3) as the tempestuous agent Andréa Martel. You could also say that “Call My Agent” is worth watching just for the hilarious variety of celebrities appearing as themselves. The show kicks off with Cécile de France struggling to learn horse riding in time to star in an American feature, and gets even wackier from there. For three seasons now, the great and the good of French cinema (Juliette Binoche, Monica Bellucci, Jean Dujardin, Isabelle Huppert, the list goes on) have been lining up to make fun of themselves on “Call My Agent,” and fans are waiting with bated breath for the fourth and final season to arrive. – Will Thorne
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Crash Landing on You
Image Credit: lim hyo seon This Korean drama is the second highest-rated Korean drama in cable television history, and with good reason. “Crash Landing on You” reunites fan favorites Son Ye-jin and Hyun Bin after 2018 film “The Negotiation,” and is the perfect mix of romance, comedy and action. Wealthy businesswoman Yoon Se-ri crash lands in North Korea from a paragliding accident and meets North Korean soldier Ri Jeong-hyeok. The story unfolds as they overcome various barriers, from family drama, previous relationships, and the literal border between North and South, while providing a heartfelt look into life in North Korea — there’s even a soldier who works with Ri Jeong-hyeok who is a huge South Korean drama fan. The fashion, music and references in this drama make it an unforgettable classic. – Kristine Kwak
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The Rain
Image Credit: Per Arnesen/Netflix This suspenseful Danish sci-fi series seems even eerier if you watch in the midst of a global pandemic. After a poisonous rain kills nearly everyone in the area, a teenager and her younger brother are left to fend for themselves in a well-equipped underground bunker while they wait for their scientist father to return. When the dad left the kids to go outside to fight the deadly virus, he left behind just two pieces of information: “I’m the only one who can stop this“ and “Protect your brother, because he is the key to all of this.” That’s just the beginning of two seasons of post-apocalyptic drama as the pair searches for their father amid a ravaged Scandinavian landscape. – Pat Saperstein
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Terrace House
Japanese reality show “Terrace House” might as well be in a completely different genre than its American counterparts. As opposed to manufactured drama, “Terrace House” fans have fallen in love with its slow pace, nuanced building of relationships and a colorful cast of commentators who make it feel like you’re never watching the show alone. When conflicts among the housemates do arise, they’re usually handled more gently than in American reality shows. Viewers aren’t here for the fights anyway; they’re here to watch young adults fall in love, follow their career ambitions and make impossibly delicious-looking meals. – Alex Stedman
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Dark
Image Credit: Netflix Plenty of comparisons have been drawn between “Dark” and “Stranger Things,” and while they aren’t far off in terms of the basic premise, they really don’t do the German series justice in terms of its depth and tone. “Dark,” as the name suggests, is a more somber take on the “teenager disappears from a small town next to a mysterious power plant” genre. The drama jumps between timelines in a truly unique manner, centering around a teen whose father has committed suicide, a police officer whose brother disappeared 33 years prior and a police detective trying to unravel it all (brilliantly played by Karoline Eichhorn). “Dark” is well worth checking out if “Stranger Things” hasn’t satisfied your sci-fi thriller appetite. – Will Thorne
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Vagabond
While two corporations are bidding for a government contract on fighter planes, a mysterious plane crash kills over 200 civilians, including the nephew of Cha Dal-geon (Lee Seung-gi). He uses his past experience as a stunt man to uncover clues about the accident to seek vengeance, discovering that Jerome (Teo Yoo), a man who was on the same plane, somehow survived. This sets Dal-geon off on a mission to find the truth behind the plane crash as he works with Go Hae-ri (Bae Suzy), an NIS agent who is committed to justice, unlike her counterparts, and keeps viewers on the edge of their seats as the mystery unfurls with mind games and plot twists. – Kristine Kwak
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Elite
Image Credit: Manuel Fernandez-Valdes Three seasons in, the kids at a posh private high school in Spain are still up to the usual teenage activities like sex, drugs and lots of drama. But after the first season’s murder plot, which unraveled the mysterious death of striking Marina, finding her killer gets very complicated in Season 2. Each season adds new characters who must learn to navigate the glamorous social scene, embroiling them in a series of intrigues incorporating cultural tensions, sexual identities, illness and death. – Pat Saperstein
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¡Nailed it! México
Need a break from crime and dystopia? Check out the international versions of the popular “Nailed It” franchise, which has spun off editions in France, Spain and Germany. The Mexican version of the cake-wreck baking show is a raucous good time. Hosted by corny TV comedian Omar Chaparro with “Fondant Lady” Anna Ruiz as the cooking expert, guest judges include Lucha Libre wrestler Psycho Clown, with challenges like tequila-infused cupcakes or a pinata cake, crafted by well-meaning, but hapless contestants from all over Mexico. – Pat Saperstein
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Unorthodox
Image Credit: Anika Molnar/Netflix Though it takes place partly in New York, “Unorthodox” definitely qualifies as an international production. Adapted from the true story of how a young Hasidic Jewish woman parted from her extremely strict sect to try and create a new life in Berlin, the four-part series is directed by German actress-filmmaker Maria Schrader, with dialogue in Yiddish, English and German. Shira Haas is intensely affecting as the naive young woman who leaves her oppressive family, husband and culture behind to find out who she really is, with help from a multicultural group of new friends. – Pat Saperstein
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The Mantis (La Mante)
Image Credit: Netflix Just because female serial killers are extremely scarce in real life doesn’t mean Jeanne Deber, played by Carole Bouquet, isn’t every bit as chilling as Hannibal Lecter. Deber went on a killing spree 25 years ago and is now locked up, but when copycat crimes start happening around Paris, her detective son appeals to his murderous mom, known as the Mantis, to help track down the suspect. With just six episodes, this limited series is sometimes a bit far-fetched, but there’s just enough twists to give you a taste of a female villain who has that unique French touch. – Pat Saperstein
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Itaewon Class
Based on a webtoon series, “Itaewon Class” is a satisfying revenge story that follows Park Saeroyi, a humble and hard-working young man played by Park Seo-jun. Park Saeroyi’s father is killed in an accident by his class bully Jang Geun-won, son of Jang Dae-hee, CEO of Jangga Group — the top food company in Korea. The Jang family mistreats Saeroyi and abuses its power, which motivates Saeroyi to assemble a team to help him run a small restaurant in the hip area of Itaewon and eventually take Jangga down. Jo Yi-seo, a mega-influencer with a keen eye for marketing, joins Saeroyi’s team and helps him grow his restaurant from a small pub to a franchise and corporation. – Kristine Kwak
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The House of Flowers (La Casa de las Flores)
Image Credit: Netflix The Mexican dramedy about a family that runs a flower shop and a cabaret, both called House of Flowers, updates and skewers the popular telenovela genre for a new era. With a nod to the films of Pedro Almodovar, the characters in the three-season long series confront issues revolving around gay and transgender stereotypes, deal with a Scientology-like cult, sell homegrown marijuana and of course, find out deep, dark secrets about their friends and relatives. It’s all completely over-the-top, but it’s also fresh and funny and relentlessly entertaining. – Pat Saperstein
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Babylon Berlin
Image Credit: Netflix It’s hard to imagine a show more brutal, erotic or stylish than “Babylon Berlin,” which makes sense, since the big-budget series is set in the politically combustious Weimar period of 1920s Germany. Starting out with highjacking of a Russian train and a Cologne detective who comes to town to investigate an extortion ring, the plot veers into numerous directions that can be challenging to follow, but are always engrossing and full of lavishly crafted period details. Nazi pageantry, the apparatus of early filmmaking and cabarets dripping with decadence are just some of the backdrops that contrast with the everyday activities of the impoverished working class, making for a multi-layered feast of both story and visuals that unspools over three seasons. – Pat Saperstein
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Samurai Gourmet
Like “Terrace House,” this Japanese series provides a tranquil, meditative antidote to the murder and apocalypse scenarios in many popular shows. Adapted from a genre of manga comics known as “slice of life” stories, “Samurai Gourmet” is the story of a man who retires from his job. Without a plan for his new leisure time, he wanders his town, sampling lunch spots and grabbing beers at izakaya pubs, while his wife goes to yoga and keeps busy in her own way. Along the way, a 17th century samurai appears as his alter ego, inspiring him to be bolder and live life more fully. Though it’s not a food show per se, don’t be surprised if you find yourself scrolling through Japanese takeout menus by the end of each episode. – Pat Saperstein
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Into the Night
Image Credit: Netflix This Belgian sci-fi thriller series has a slick, multi-national feel, possibly because creator Jason George is a veteran of shows like “Narcos” and “Scandal.” When an airplane takes off from Brussels, the cast and crew soon realize that they will have to keep flying into darkness to avoid a deadly solar event that’s decimating every person and place where the sun has hit. But the contentious passengers and beleaguered crew members repeatedly risk crashing the plane until they learn to deal with hot-headed personalities and work together. Each episode of the six-part series has a cliff-hanger ending, and each turn of events will have you holding your breath to see what happens next. — Pat Saperstein