Best Foreign TV Shows on Netflix

Out of options on Netflix? Tired of watching rewatching the same TV shows time and time again? In the mood for something new and different? Here is a list of five critically-acclaimed foreign television series for you to get stuck into, all available on Netflix.

Featured image by Anika Molnar/Netflix (Unorthodox). 

Dark (German)

2 Seasons | IMDb: 8.7/10

If you want to explore a world beyond regular mysteries and thrillers, this German show is the best place to start. 

Dark centres on four families whose lives and dark acts are brought to light after two children disappear in the woods. This show touches upon concepts that are beyond the grasps of a human mind. 

Netflix’s first German original may seem familiar in the beginning but it is far from its identity as “the new Stranger Things” and better. The cherry on the top is that it’s third and the final season is coming on 27th June 2020, so you won’t have to wait long. 

Money Heist (Spanish)

4 Season | IMDb: 8.4/10 

As soon as Netflix bought the rights to Money Heist, it became a global hit. 

This Spanish-language heist series traditionally named La Casa De Papel follows a group of robbers, named after cities, who carry out a meticulously planned, multi-day assault on a bank in Spain. 

Most of the drama revolves around the group of criminals leading a hostage situation and trying to steal billions on their way out of the country. 

Money Heist is one of the best heist thrillers that keep the audience at the edge of the seat. A near-perfect storyline (at least the first two seasons), the complex characters and most of all the questions about morality make this series worth the watch. 

Sacred Games (Indian)

2 Seasons | IMDb: 8.7/10

Netflix’s first original Indian series defies the preconceived notions about Bollywood. Sacred Games is a cat-and-mouse cop thriller based on the 2006 novel by Vikram Chandra. 

Even though this series works off with a well-known storyline of a determined cop hunting down a high-profile drug kingpin, there is more to it than meets the eye. Set in Mumbai, this series touches on ideas of corruption, LGBTQ+ community and politics. 

Unorthodox (German-American)

1 Season | IMDb: 8.1/10

Unorthodox is a German-American Netflix limited series. It follows a girl who tries to escape an arranged marriage as the Jewish Orthodox New York community around her judge her for being unable to become pregnant. 

Loosely based on Deborah Feldman’s 2012 autobiography Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection Of My Hasidic Roots, this series follows Etsy’s journey to Berlin until her husband comes looking for her. 

 Unorthodox is a take on a culture that many are not familiar with and it is also a universal story of self-discovery.

Crash Landing on You (South Korean)

1 Season | IMDb: 8.8/10

If you are tired of the serious and heavy to handle TV series and are in a mood for something light-hearted yet gripping, this Korean Drama is the perfect option for you. 

Crash Landing on You reunites Son Ye-Jin and Hyun Bin with a perfect mix of romance, comedy and action. The story is about a wealthy businesswoman Yoon Se-Ri who crash lands in North Korea from a paragliding accident and meets North Korean soldier Ri Jeong-Hyeok. 

Trying to hide from the North Korean government, they overcome various barriers, from family drama, previous relationships, and the literal border between North and South. 

What makes this series worth a watch is the accurate cultural references and the portrayal of life in North Korea.