(Photo by Netflix)
Has your local teen drama–loving friend freaked out over Netflix’s soapy Spanish-language series Elite yet? If not, allow us to pitch you: think Gossip Girl meets Cruel Intentions meets Skins meets Big Little Lies. What we’re trying to say is there’s a lot of sex, drugs, and even some murder involved here. It’s glorious.
The Spanish series and Hindi-English horror offering Ghoul join the ranks of Netflix’s many foreign-language series options at time when streaming services are helping American audiences discover foreign-language shows more than ever before. (Tip: Use the English-language subtitles when you watch, not the dopey English dubbing. And make sure the Elite track you choose is the “original” or “European” Spanish option.)
And the trend is growing: Hulu announced last year that it will soon add even more international titles to its offerings, which currently include series like the Israeli drama Prisoners of War (the basis for Showtime’s Homeland), a lot of Japanese anime, and Swedish thriller Wallander (the one starring starring Krister Henriksson, not the Kenneth Branagh version, which is in English and on Netflix). Competitors Netflix and Amazon, as well as more niche services like Sundance Now, also offer programming for those looking to better their cultural horizons without leaving the couch. (All of that is on top of the British programming imported by services like Acorn TV and BritBox.)
Have a look at more subtitled TV options available on streaming sites that may be worth a binge. Note: We ranked the shows with Tomatometer scores first, and the rest of the series are listed alphabetically.
