Netflix continuously comes out with amazing content. Of course, you’ve heard of and probably already watched some the most popular ones out there- Orange is the New Black, Stranger Things – but every once in a while Netflix will quietly release a hidden gem of a show that slips under the radars of most of us. Unfortunately, most of these shows tend to be from non-English speaking countries, as studies have shown that the majority of North American audiences are averse to foreign-language content. So, here are five international Netflix series for you to binge-watch and brush up on your language skills.
1. Derry Girls
Set in the 1990s, Derry Girls follows the hilarious exploits of teenager Erin Quinn and her group of friends as they navigate life in the town of Derry, Northern Ireland. The language may be English, but the charming Irish inflection of the characters might require you to turn your subtitles on to understand the snappy one-liners that are delivered at break-neck speed.
2. Elite
Take Gossip Girl, add murder, and set it in Spain- you’ve now got Elite. Three students from a working-class background are sent to study at Spain’s most prestigious school, where the wealthiest of Spain send their children. The series follows a flash-forward style narrative in which the events leading up to a shocking murder are slowly revealed.
3. Siempre Bruja (Always a Witch)
When it was released, the Colombian series was praised for having an Afro-Latina lead, a rare occurrence in Latin-American television. The time-jumping story follows a slave-witch named Carmen who is burned at the stake in the 16th century, only to survive and wake up in present-day Colombia. She must learn how to travel back in time in order to return to her century and prevent her lover’s death.
4. Baby
Two wealthy Italian teens become bored with their lives and become involved with Rome’s seedy underground scene. The most shocking part about this series is that it is loosely based on real events that scandalized Italy back in 2014.
5. Boys Over Flowers
The South-Korean teen drama series charmed audiences when it first premiered in 2009 and remains a beloved show to this day. Geum Jan-di is a strong-minded dry cleaner’s daughter who is offered a scholarship to attend one of South Korea’s most prestigious schools. There, she finds herself entangled in the life of Gu Jun-pyo, the school’s most notorious bad boy and his gang of wealthy peers.