Feel like you are watching the same series on repeat? Darcey Sergison provides a guide to the foreign language films and series you should add to your list to watch this Christmas.
With the past few months spent at home, it is inevitable that you will have exhausted Netflix. Like many of you, I turned to Netflix to fill my time. Watching a vast selection of series and films, I found that they were all merging into one. I found that the series I watched were easy options, so I decided to venture further to all corners of Netflix.
Foreign language films and series have always interested me, but I have never gone out of my way to find them. I decided now was the perfect time to watch them, and boy am I glad that I did! Netflix has an amazing collection of foreign language films and series which provide gripping storylines and amazing characters.
I found it highly rewarding immersing myself in different cultures through foreign language and learning more about different cultures within each film or series I watched. I noticed that despite each country having unique customs, the world has a lot in common. I found issues of the teenagers in Love 101 no different to schools around the UK, with the problems of love being universal. Similarly, the drama of family tensions in The Wasp Network can be seen in any household, minus the Cold War tensions! Ultimately, I highly encourage you to take a jump out of your comfort zone and try one of the six films or series I have recommended.
UNORTHODOX
This is the story of a girl leaving the community she was brought up in in New York and travelling to a new world in Berlin. From a strict Jewish community, she yearns for the life of a modern woman. This series is inspiring in the journey it takes you on, travelling the world from your own home. However, it takes unexpected turns, proving no one can entirely recreate themselves. Experiencing the freedom of life for the first time, it is not long till the past restrictions of life come to haunt her. This emotional TV series is ideal for anyone looking for an exploration of the tale of two communities and whether the past and present can coexist.
QUICKSAND
Based on the best-selling book, this Scandi psychological drama will have you on the edge of your seat. A teenage girl is entangled in a murder trial as tragedy hits the local suburban school. This story of murder is also dishevelled with first love and how quickly this relationship can dissolve into something darker as the drama unfolds. My favourite part about this series is the level of mystery throughout. It starts with a shocking opening which takes you to the heart of the crime committed, gripping you in the distorted mess. I enjoyed how I felt as though I was part of the mystery, just as covered in confusion as everyone else.
DIVINES
Set in the outskirts of Paris, two unlikely friends set out to be tough and become rich. But honest money was never part of the plan. Earning their way as runners for a drug dealer, it all changes when one girl, played by Oulaya Amamra, meets a dancer. Opening a whole new world for her, he shows how you don’t always have to be tough in a world of more possibility than is shown by a drug dealer.
Even though it’s set in Paris, I loved the universal values this series represented. Anyone from around the world can relate to the love and friendship within this series, which prevails even at the darkest of times.
WASP NETWORK
This star-studded film is set in the 1990s in Cuba at the height of tensions within the communist state. Labelled traitors but to some heroes, the film follows a group of elite spies whose aim it is to infiltrate exile groups to prevent attacks on Cuba. Based on a true story, this film builds the suspense and tension between service to your nation as well as your family. I love the twists and turns that this film has and how even though at first it may seem like a somewhat historical account of an event, it delves deeper to reveal personal turmoil creating this high drama film. If you are looking for an action-packed movie to enthral yourself in Cold War drama of traitors and heroes, this is the one for you.
LOVE 101
A classic school romance takes a twist in this Turkish drama. When four misfits and one ideal student unite forces to make their favourite teacher fall in love with a basketball coach, all hell breaks loose as the witty Headmaster is determined to expel them. Perfect for any teenager, or any age in fact, this series will have you rooting for the romantic ending every teenager at school dreams of. This series had me immersed in the age-old tale of the drama of high school love, both unrequited or united. With love uniting everyone, this Turkish drama has something we can all relate to. Now with season two confirmed to make a return, Love 101 is the perfect series to watch now.
THE DRUG KING
With the lead actor of Parasite, Song Kang-ho, you cannot miss this film. This is the wild story of a smuggler rising through the ranks to become the king of drug dealers in the 1970s. Song Kang-ho’s character is well and truly the star of the film, as despite smugglers normally being depicted as the villain of the film, his character is one which you will want to get behind. With the comedic value he adds you will be rooting for his success, even in the black trade market. This is one of my favourite Korean films and I am sure it will be one of yours too after watching it.
