Art & Life

Best foreign shows on Netflix to watch over break

“Goedam” 

  • Language: Korean 
  • Genre(s): Horror, Drama, Urban Legends 
  • Season(s): 1 
  • Episodes: 8 
  • Content Warning: Violence 
  • Goedam centers around urban legends and ghosts. 

“Meteor Garden” 

  • Language: Chinese 
  • Genre(s): Drama, Romance 
  • Seasons: 1 
  • Episodes: 50 
  • Meteor Garden is the perfect teen drama. It follows Shancai, a young girl starting her life as a college student studying nutrition, and her relationship with Mingde University’s popular boy group, F4. This show is a whirlwind of drama, involving heartbreak, kidnapping, even near-death experiences! Despite its length, this show will keep you wanting more. 

“Kingdom” 

  • Language: Korean 
  • Genre(s): Horror, Thriller, Political Drama, Historical Drama 
  • Seasons: 2 
  • Episodes: 12 
  • Content Warning: Violence, Gore, Zombies 
  • Kingdom takes place in 16th century Korea, with a plague spreading across the kingdom. It shows some incredible zombie scenes, as well as tells a deep, plot-twist filled story. 

“Crash Landing on You” 

  • Language: Korean 
  • Genre(s): Drama, Romance, Suspense 
  • Seasons: 1 
  • Episodes: 16 
  • This show is a perfect starting point for anyone interested in watching foreign television shows. It all starts when Yoon Se-ri, a chaebol heiress, gets swept up in a storm while paragliding and ends up in North Korea. While trying to find her way back to South Korea, Se-ri runs into Ri Jeong-hyeok, a North Korean soldier. While figuring out a way to return Se-ri home, the two fall in love. Throughout the series, the couple face a variety of obstacles. This show will have you on the edge of your seat as you wonder if Se-ri and Jeong-hyeok will end up together. 

“Ju-On: Origins” 

  • Language: Japanese 
  • Genre(s): Horror, Mystery, Drama 
  • Seasons: 1 
  • Episodes: 6 
  • Content Warning: Deeply disturbing themes 
  • Ju-On: Origins is based on the Ju-On franchise, which takes place in Nerima, Tokyo, Japan. This series is not for the faint of heart and should be taken seriously. 

“Typewriter”

  • Language: Hindi 
  • Genre(s): Suspenseful, Thriller 
  • Seasons: 1 
  • Episodes: 5 
  • While this show is short, it is no less entertaining. It takes place at the villa of an author who dies mysteriously before he could finish his book. Years later, the author’s granddaughter, Jenny, moves in with her family. Strange and peculiar things seem to surround Jenny at this villa over the course of the series. 

“Girl from Nowhere” 

  • Language: Thai 
  • Genre(s): Mystery, Fantasy, Drama, Thriller 
  • Seasons: 1 
  • Episodes: 10 
  • Content Warning: Disturbing themes 
  • Not as disturbing as Ju-On: Origins 
  • If you enjoy shows like The Twilight Zone, then this is for you. It’s about a girl that shows up at different schools across Thailand and flips students’ worlds upside down to expose them for who they really are. 

“Call My Agent”

  • Language: French 
  • Genre(s): Drama, Comedy 
  • Seasons: 3 
  • Episodes: 18 
  • This popular French television show shows the struggles of talent agents to keep their clients happy, and their business afloat. The actors give passionate performances, immersing you in the show. Call My Agent is perfect for those interested in expanding their Netflix watchlist or want to work on their French. 

“Close Your Eyes Before It’s Dark” 

  • Language: Mandarin (Taiwanese) 
  • Genre(s): Mystery, Drama, Crime, Suspenseful 
  • Seasons: 1 
  • Episodes: 7 
  • Close Your Eyes Before It’s Dark is a wonderful show for those who enjoy deep mysteries. It’s about a group of high school friends who meet up as adults for the first time since their senior year, when something went wrong. It’s an amazing mystery, and it had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. 

“Schitt’s Creek” 

  • Language: English 
  • Genre(s): Comedy, Sitcoms 
  • Seasons: 6 
  • Episodes: 80 
  • This Canadian sitcom received numerous Emmys for its uplifting and fantastic storytelling. This show follows the Roses, a family who is forced to move to the small town of Schitt’s Creek after their business manager steals their money. Throughout the six seasons, the characters grow and become closer than they ever were. While every actor portrays their characters in unforgettable ways, Dan Levy steals the show with his animated and eccentric mannerisms. This show is a must-watch. 

The Stranded” 

  • Language: Thai 
  • Genre(s): Mystery, Fantasy, Drama, Suspenseful 
  • Seasons: 1 
  • Episodes: 7 
  • Content Warning: Tame violence, suggestive themes 
  • The Stranded is about the graduating class of a private high school who are celebrating going to the mainland from the island their high school is on. Horribly, a tsunami hits and the teens are left alone on the island, in a sort of “Lord of the Flies” situation. It’s an amazing mystery and a must-watch for those who enjoy fantasy-mysteries. 

“Inheritors”

  • Language: Korean 
  • Genre(s): Drama, Soapy 
  • Seasons: 1 
  • Episodes: 20 
  • If you liked Gossip Girl, then Inheritors is for you. It follows a group of wealthy, high-class students at a prestigious high school. Eun-sang is a pariah, whose mother ends up working for the parents of a fellow student. While there’s no anonymous Gossip Girl sending out drama-causing blasts, this show is still as tantalizing as the American tv show. 

Categories: Art & Life, Movie Reviews