Recently, I’ve been binging “Young Royals” with my friends and it made me nostalgic for some other foreign films I’ve watched. While I’ve seen plenty of shows and movies, these are my top five favorites.
- “Skam” (2015-2017)
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Ok, this is my all-time favorite series ever. Set in Oslo, the series follows a group of teenagers in high school and deals with friendship, romance, and other teenage realities. When I first watched this series, I was living in Spain and a close friend of mine recommended that we begin watching it. So, I immediately began watching and we became obsessed with this series. Last spring, when I was bored and couldn’t find anything to watch, I quickly held onto this show and felt myself falling in love with the series all over again. Also, if you want some Muslim representation, check out season four — which focuses on Sana, who’s probably my favorite character in the whole series.
- “Quicksand” (2019)
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After watching “Skam”, I was craving some more Norwegian/Swedish films and series. That’s when I found “Quicksand”, a crime drama based on a novel of the same name by Malin Persson Giolito. The series follows a girl who is facing trial for murder after her prep school is hit with tragedy. I would offer more, but I don’t want to give too much away. If you like crime dramas and want to see a series that hits deep, definitely head over to Netflix and watch this show.
- “El Silencio de Otros” (2018)
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To be honest, I cried watching this documentary. Set in Spain, the documentary captures the heart-wrenching experience that families endured during Franco’s regime. While I’ve talked about living in Spain before, no one talked much about this period of time. Until I watched this documentary, I didn’t realize how atrocious Franco’s crimes were. To put it simply, I hated him because he was a fascist dictator — but, now, I hold immense sorrow for the people he hurt and killed. As someone who was close to a family that dealt with Franco and has now heard more stories about his crimes, I realize that Spain needs to come clean about their history. I urge whoever reads this article to watch “El Silencio de Otros” because your life will change after seeing this.
- “Squid Game” (2021-Present)
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Call me basic, but I love this series and I can’t wait for season two to come out. If you haven’t seen it, “Squid Game” follows people riddled with severe debt who take part in some games to help them pay off the sharks — however, the stakes are higher than they realized. It’s set in South Korea and follows a fascinating group of players, all of whom you’ll either love, hate, or both. Personally, I was worried that the hype wouldn’t pay off, but this show was amazing. The entire first season is wild and, honestly, I didn’t exactly see the twist coming. Definitely check this out before season two is released — you won’t regret it.
- “Die Welle” (2008)
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Maybe it’s the fact that I’m transported back to my favorite psychology class or maybe it’s the fact the movie was absolutely wild, but Die Welle is a top-five film to watch. Based on Ron Jones’ social experiment and Todd Strasser’s novel “The Wave”, “Die Welle” is set in a German classroom and follows how a group of students can quickly dive into a state of fascism — led by their teacher. The entire movie is a statement about how, even in modern times, a dictatorship can quickly take over an entire society. If you’re looking for something to open your eyes, check this out.
So, if you’re looking for something new to watch and regular American shows aren’t piquing your interest, check out these five foreign pieces of cinema. Who knows, maybe you’ll end up scrolling through Netflix’s international section for the next great show.