The Best Foreign Supernatural Thrillers and Crime Shows on Netflix
Netflix has become like a video rental store from the 80’s — a handful of cool movies and shows you’ve heard of and a lot of questionable straight-to-video stuff you haven’t. Yet there is also a third category which is a goldmine of international offerings that stand up to any of the stellar original programming that trends on Twitter.
Because I don’t like to provide spoilers, which includes plots, since some of these recommendations have clever premises that are part of the thrill of watching, I’ve kept the descriptions vague. All of these are subtitled (except Glitch) and while many offer dubbed versions, I only watch the subbed ones…and so should you.
Psychological Supernatural Thrillers
Dark (German): Since this first premiered when Stranger Things was getting all the hype, they were occasionally grouped together. The two shows, however, have nothing in common. While Stranger Things is an homage to all things 80’s, Dark is not an homage to anything. It also doesn’t contain any humor, pop culture references, or monsters. Instead it is a grim complex mystery with a clever sci-fi premise that will compel you to try and unravel its brain-hurting riddle over the course of three seasons. It also has an awesome soundtrack.
The Returned (French): People from the past return as you try to figure out how and why over the course of two seasons. This is a dark brooding mystery that is very much in the same vein as Dark. They did an English remake of this show, but stick with the original French version. In 2019 they removed the second season of this show from all streaming services, so hopefully it will surface somewhere.
Glitch (Australian): People from the past return as you try to figure out how and why over the course of two seasons. Yes, that is the same description I used for The Returned. The only difference is this show has more levity and more relatable characters.
The Rain (Danish): In this TV series that wrapped up after three seasons, a corporation found a way to turn rain into a chemical that first infects and then kills people. To avoid the toxic rain, a family hides out in a bunker, but then realizes there are other bunkers to explore as they search for a cure.
Mirage (Spanish): This is the only movie on this list, but it is ideal for fans of Dark, The Returned, and Glitch since all of them deal with manipulation of time in some fashion.
And if you also get Prime Video…
Excursion: This is a movie set in London and Eastern Europe that involves head tripping time travel in an attempt to save socialism.
Crime Dramas
The Break (Belgian): If you are a fan of True Detective, then this is the show for you with two seasons to check out. While the main detective tries to solve a murder case in a small town, every episode presents a different but seemingly probable suspect.
Borderliner (Norwegian): Like The Break, this is a detective show that also devotes it’s single season to untangling a mysterious death in a small town.
Money Heist (Spanish): No, that isn’t the show’s original title, but I guess Netflix thought the Spanish name might be too hard to remember. This is a heist-driven series that involves a criminal mastermind and his crew playing a chess game with the authorities as you try to figure out how they plan to pull off a huge caper. The first episode is a by-the-numbers meet the crew installment where everyone fits a certain trope, but beyond this cliche, the actual cat and mouse game is what makes this so enjoyable.
And if foreign films aren’t your thing, here are my other favorite Netflix original shows: Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Russian Doll, Stranger Things, Black Summer, Glow, Atypical, You, Manhunter, Godless, Ozark, The Innocents, Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, and The Sinner.
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If you enjoyed this and are a fan of post-apocalypse survivalist cinema, check out this definitive round-up of the genre’s best movies and shows.
