Netflix UK: 15 best foreign TV dramas you can start binge-watching now

While the biggest selling point of Netflix is often its original shows like House of Cards or Narcos, the sheer wealth of foreign TV drama available gets overlooked.

If you’re looking for your next series to binge watch, these shows are well worth the subtitles.

Hibana: Spark

Country: Japan
For fans of: Louie

What is it? Aspiring stand-up comedian Tokunaga hopes to make it big on the Tokyo comedy scene in this Japanese mini-series.

Tokunaga teams up with Abbott & Costello-style Manzai artist Kamiya as the duo launch their act onto the circuit.

It’s a heart-warming comedy drama and at just 10 episodes, fairly bite-size.

Historia de un Clan

Country: Argentina
For fans of: The Sopranos, Boardwalk Empire

What is it? The Pucchios are a crime family to rival The Sopranos, and star in this biographical crime drama.

This is a spectacular look at the history of the fabled Argentinian crime family, responsible for a series of kidnappings and murders in the 1980s.

Intricate, shocking and disturbing, it’s a real mafia story.

Fauda

Country: Israel
For fans of: The Shield, Homeland

What is it? Hard-hitting Israeli political thriller. Action-packed Fauda tells the story of the ongoing Israel – Palestine conflict from both sides of the Gaza strip.

One half of the series follows undercover Special Forces cop Doman, on his secret mission deep into enemy territory. The other follows the target of Doman’s mission, jihadist and Palestinian fighter Abu-Ahmed.

Intense and gripping, edge-of-the-seat Fauda will appeal to fans of Homeland.

Club de Cuervos

Country: Mexico
For fans of: Friday Night Lights, Orange is the New Black

What is it? Premiering in 2015, this Mexican comedy-drama was Netflix’s first Spanish-language original series.

Following the death of their father, the Iglesias children squabble over who should take his place as chairman of the local football team, Cuervos FC.

With plans to make the small-outfit the “Real Madrid of Latin America”, the adventures of the Iglesias family deliver as many laughs as poignant drama.

The Break

Country: Belgium
For fans of: Fortitude, Broadchurch

What is it? La Trêve, or The Break, follows police detective Yoann Peeters, who moves his family to the insular town of Heiderfeld to start afresh.

Things take a turn for the worst however when the body of a teenage African footballer is pulled from the river.

Peeters embarks on a twisting tale of deception into the underworld of racial crime. Does the closed-off village have more to hide behind its charming exterior?

The Killing (2007)

Country: Denmark
For fans of: The Killing (US), Fargo

What is it? The series that brought Scandi-noir crime dramas to the masses. The Killing revolves around the hunt for the killer of schoolgirl Nana Birk Larsen.

Full of plot twists and darkness, the brilliant detective drama that helped pioneer the now ubiquitous season-long storyline has since been followed by an acclaimed American adaptation.

Grabol as Sarah Lund in ‘The Killing’ – the role that made her internationally famous (Photo: Danmarks Radio)

3%

Country: Brazil
For fans of: The 100, The Man in the High Castle

What is it? A dystopian Brazilian drama with undertones of The Hunger Games, 3% is set in the near future where 20-year-olds compete against each other for a place in an idyllic society known as ‘The Offshore’.

As the title would suggest, places are limited, and for the latest group of youngsters entering the competition, securing a place could be a matter of life and death.

Hopeful candidates vie for a place in the elite 3% (Photo: Netflix)

Stranger (Forest of Secrets)

Country: South Korea
For fans of: American Crime Story

What is it? Starring Doona Bae of Cloud Atlas and Sense8 fame, this big budget Korean legal drama comes critically acclaimed for its gripping plot and strong performances.

Bae stars as an upcoming female police officer, who teams up with a sociopathic prosecutor to unravel a murder mystery that leads up to the highest level of political office.

The Returned (2012)

Country: France
For fans of: Resurrection

What is it? Les Revenants, the original 2012 hit has since crossed the Atlantic for a US adaptation. It’s an eerie mystery drama set in a small mountain town that is turned upside down when the dead begin reappearing in family homes with no knowledge of their demise.

Ostracised by their former families, the living-deceased must uncover the mystery behind their re-animation.

The already sombre atmosphere is enhanced by a moody Mogwai soundtrack.

Wallander

Country: Sweden
For fans of: Hinterland, Broadchurch

What is it? The original Swedish cop drama. Wallander stars Krister Henriksson as Kurt Wallander, a disgruntled officer working a small Baltic coastal town.

This intelligent, dark and deeply humanist drama spawned a US adaptation starring Kenneth Branagh.

Call My Agent!

Country: France
For fans of: 30 Rock, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip

What is it? Comedy drama with a soap style feel. In the suburbs of Paris, the staff of an all-star movie agency battle to keep their firm afloat after the passing of their inscrutable boss.

Big personalities collide over the firm’s direction, and the staff become embroiled in all manner of hijinks.

Brilliant writing and sparkling comedy give Call My Agent! a feel-good air reminiscent of Tina Fey’s 30 Rock.

Braquo

Country: France
For fans of: The Killing (US), Spiral

What is it? When one of their colleagues commits suicide for his apparent part in a failed case, four police officers set out to clear his name.

A gripping crime thriller, Braquo dives into the French underworld for a tale of corruption and deceit.

French television series Braquo follows four police officers as they look to avenge their friend. (Photo: Netflix)

El Marginal

Country: Argentina
For fans of: Oz, Prison Break

What is it? Miguel, a one-time cop, infiltrates a notorious Argentinian prison in a bid to source the kidnapper of a noted judge’s daughter.

To survive inside, Miguel must join the ranks of the prison’s mafia, and earn his keep amongst the many dangerous inmates.

With more characters than Game of Thrones, the intricate web of storylines and plot points is enough to keep even the most discerning viewer hooked.

Estocolmo

Country: Argentina
For fans of: Narcos

What is it? More Argentinian crime drama: Estocolmo pits three very different characters against an infamous human trafficking ring.

Taking their talents as an undercover agent, a prosecutor and a journalist, the trio find themselves embroiled in a long battle to bring the ringleaders to justice.

A bare-all look at the human trafficking underworld, this heavy Spanish language drama is a slow-burner but worth the pay-off.

El Chapo

Country: USA (Spanish language)
For fans of: Narcos, The Wire

What is it? Inspired by the success of Netflix’s very own Narcos, this drug drama follows the story of a very different cartel.

A biographical crime thriller, El Chapo looks at the life of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, head of the Mexican Sinaloa cartel.

A potent drama that uncovers the brutality of the Mexican crime-world. Similar to the Escobar fuelled earlier series of Narcos, this raw expose of the titular kingpin is perfect for when you’ve binged the latest season of its sister drama.