The 18 best foreign language films & TV shows on Netflix to level-up your binge-watching sessions
So, you've spent your Sunday binge-watching Netflix's offering of stand-up comedy and have officially completed the rom-coms category.
Now you may be starting to wonder, is there anything out there that I can binge-watch and test my brain at the same time or bring me a little extra intellectual clout?
Well, of course there are the best Scandi crime dramas and the best crime documentaries but if you really want to get some IQ-testing and brain-boosting points, it might be time to watch something with subtitles so you can put your phone down and actually escape this crazy world we find ourselves in.
To help you out, we have delved into Netflix’s plentiful offering to find the best foreign language films and TV shows which will have you hooked from start to finish.
One film we can't stop talking about is 2019's Atlantics, set in Dakar, the capital of Senegal and primarily in French and Wolof (spoken in Senegal, the Gambia and Mauritania). First-time Senegalese director Mati Diop raked in high praise from critics with her story of Ada, a young woman whose lover Souleiman becomes lost at sea.
Plus, if you haven't yet watched Unorthodox, now is the time. The German-American drama series, which is primarily in Yiddish, follows a girl who tells the story of young ultra-Orthodox Jewish woman, Esther Shapiro (Shira Haas), who after a disastrous year of marriage, attempts to escape her arranged husband. After making her escape, Esther attempts to make contact with another former escapee, her mother who now resides in Berlin. The suspense...
If you loved Homeland, then you will be addicted to the three seasons of Fauda. The Israeli show follows Doron, a retired Israel Defence Force officer who is taking some time out to work on his vineyard. But soon enough he is pulled back in for active duty after he learns that an enemy he thought was no longer at large is in fact alive and kicking and has his sights set on attending a family wedding. Naturally, Doron can’t resist going undercover and a series of chaotic events occur. It's gripping TV at its finest.
So, put your phone down, get on the sofa and enjoy our selection of the best foreign films and tv shows on Netflix right now…
1. Film: Atlantics (2019)
What: From first-time Senegalese director Mati Diop comes a haunting, otherworldly film about Ada, a young woman betrothed to a rich man but whose heart belongs to Souleiman. A construction worker on a futuristic tower in suburban Dakar, Souleiman and his colleagues decide to leave the country for a better future – but are soon lost at sea.
Who: Mame Bineta Sane, Amadou Mbow and Traore
Language: Wolof and French
2. TV Show: Atelier (2015)
What: A coming-of-age drama about a young woman who lands a job at a high-class lingerie manufacturer 'Emotion' in Ginza, and her struggle to fit in.
Who: Mao Daichi, Mayuko Kawakita and Mirei Kiritani
Language: Japanese
Netflix3. TV Show: Unorthodox (2020)
What: This German-American drama is the Netflix show of the moment. The limited series follows a girl who tries to escape an arranged marriage as the Orthodox New York community around her judge her for being unable to fall pregnant. Will she make it to her mother, who also escaped the community, to her new home of Berlin?
Who: Shira Haas, Aaron Altaras, Alex Reid and Yousef Sweid
Language: Yiddish and German
Netflix4. Film: The Invisible Guest (2016)
What: Well this is dark. A young chap wakes up in a hotel room next to the body of his dead lover and the room is locked. To try and prove his innocence he employs a famous lawyer to help him out and the pair, over the course of one night, attempt to uncover the truth.
Who: Mario Casas (dribbling), Ana Wagener and Barbara Lennie
Language: Spanish
Netflix5. Film: Train To Busan (2016)
What: Set in South Korea, a father and daughter find themselves on a train to Busan to visit the child's mother. But a zombie outbreak occurs en route. Absolute carnage ensues and this is one of the best South Korean thrillers out there, with a 93% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Who: Gong Yoo, Yeon Sang-ho, Jung Yu-mi
Language: Korean
Netflix6. Film: On My Skin (2018)
What: Based on a true story which rocked Italy and has become one of the most controversial Italian court cases ever, this film follows Stefano Cucchi who after being arrested for a minor crime, is found dead after a week in custody.
Who: Alessandro Borghi
Language: Italian
Netflix7. Film: Burning (2018)
What: A story about someone looking after a cat might seem enthralling but Netflix are serving up more Korean drama with Burning. The film follows Jong-soo who reunites with a girl who once used to live near him. The girl, Hae-mi, asks her old pal to look after her cat whilst she temporarily leaves town. Upon her return she introduces him to a mysterious chap called Ben and it all kicks off!
Who: Steven Yeun, Yoo Ah-in and Jeon Jong-seo
Language: Korean
Netflix8. TV Show: Fauda (2015- present)
What: After two years away from our screens the Homeland-esque thriller, Fauda, is returning to Netflix on 16th April with a third season. If you haven't seen the show before, it follows an undercover team that operate for the Israeli Defense Forces led by Doron Kavillio (Lior Raz). Expect plot twists galore!
Who: Lior Raz, Laetitia Eido and Rona-Lee Shim'on
Language: Arabic and Hebrew
Netflix9. Film: Blue Is The Warmest Colour (2013)
What: Bonjour! This cult French film was a game changing film in Queer culture. Centring on the love story between two women who meet by chance in a bar, the film gained international praise for this very real approach to lesbian relationships. It's a true coming of age story.
Who: Adèle Exarchopoulos and Léa Seydoux
Language: French
10. TV Show: Cable Girls (2017- present)
What: Now in it's sixth season, the period drama set in the 1920s follows four women who are employed in Spain's first-ever national telephone company. It's more than a job however, it's a move towards females have gender equality with men. So feminists, assemble! This is a foreign drama for us!
Who: Bianca Suarez, Maggie Civantos and Ana Fernandez Garcia
Language: Spanish
Netflix11. TV Show: Nobel (2016)
What: An army lieutenant returns home from a tour of Afghanistan and finds himself becoming, unknowingly, a pawn in an international political game. How far will he go to achieve peace?
Who: Askel Hennie and Danica Curcic
Language: Norwegian
Netflix12. TV Show: Suburra: Blood on Rome (2017-2019)
What: Another gripping thing to watch which is based on another real life Italian scandal. The show follows the fight over the development of a costal town near Rome. Every part of society gets involved from the church, criminals and gangs as legalities go out of the window as they all try to seize power and the unravelling situation.
Who: Alessandro Borghi, Giacomo Ferrara and Eduardo Valdarnini
Language: Italian
Netflix13. TV Show: Criminal (2019)
What: In a Netflix first, the streaming company decided to tell 12 separate stories from France, Spain and the UK set in the same Madrid interrogation room. There are no intense car chases here, the heart pumping drama is provided by the dramatic interrogations of the suspected criminals. TRULY AMAZING. Watch the UK ones to ease you in and you will soon be addicted.
Who: Hayley Atwell, David Tennant
Language: English, French and Spanish
Netflix14. Film: Divines (2016)
What: Set on a housing estate on the outskirts of Paris, a teenager who is look for relevance in the community becomes a runner for a drug dealer. But when she comes into contact with a male dancer a whole new world of performance opens up to her.
Who: Oulaya Amamra and Kevin Mishel (again, dribbling)
Language: French
Netflix15. TV Show: Dark (2017-2019)
What: This is a truly dark and troubling German TV series. Two children vanish from a German town and as the community attempts to unravel the mystery, the fractured relationships and all the dirty laundry come out of the wash. There are a lot of twists and turns so make sure you are concentrating on those subtitles. Well worth the watch.
Who: Louis Hofmann, Lisa Vicari and Maja Schone
Language: German
Netflix16. TV Show: Quicksand
What: Love a Scandi crime drama? Well this film give you a one-stop fix of pure drama! After tragedy strikes as a school in Stockholm, a high school student finds herself on trial for murder. Uh Oh. Doesn't look good for poor hun...
Who: Hanna Ardehn, Felix Sandman and Ella Rappich
Language: Swedish
Netflix17. Film: Happy as Lazzaro (2018)
What: With a 90% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, this German film comes with high praise and follows a young poor man called Lazzaro. Things take a strange turn for Lazzaro when a nobleman with a wild imagination asks him to help stage his own kidnapping. Something to do during self-isolation, I guess?
Who: Adriano Tardiolo and Luca Chikovani
Language: German
Netflix18. Film: On Body and Soul (2017)
What: This Hungarian film follows two co-workers discover they have the same dreams at night and decide they are going to make these dreams a reality.
Who: Alexandra Borbely and Geza Morcsanyi
Language: Hungarian
