What’s wonderful about Netflix is the abundance of genres, topics, and concepts that exist within the thousands of shows and movies on the platform. Netflix does a great job giving platforms to other countries, allowing for people outside that country to learn about new actors, directors, and or storylines and customs that might be specific to a country. Exposing many audiences to the talent of other countries has allowed me as a viewer to be appreciative of the effort Netflix puts in promoting shows and movies from all over the world. It’s important to expose yourself to a multitude of art from other countries, so here are four Netflix shows to add to your list!
1. “Queen Sono”
Plot: “Queen Sono” is a show about an adult secret agent who works for a spy agency dedicated to protecting the African continent from corruption. Queen’s loyalties, however, are tested when she starts to question the death of her mother, a late political activist beloved by many in Africa.
This South African show from Netflix was aired on February 28, 2020, with six episodes. The show stars South African Pearl Thusi as Queen Sono. It was written and directed by Kagiso Lediga, “an award-winning stand-up comedian in South Africa.” The show takes place in multiple places in Africa and showcases different languages, like Afrikaans and Zulu.
Growing up, my family watched Nollywood movies despite not being from Nigeria or Africa. For the most part, if Hollywood did notice the potential in telling the stories of African Americans, it was always the same tired and repetitive plot about struggle, poverty, racism, and sadness. Even those stories are incredibly important as those stories do belong to people, it becomes the only view of Africa, and that’s not okay. That’s why Queen Sono is so groundbreaking in its release. It’s the first original African series to be aired on Netflix and shows that there is some serious value in portraying African Americans as capable of experiencing multiple stories. Even though Queen Sono is not the first show to expose an audience to the many ways they can exist in creative and fun universes, (shout out Black Panther!) it is an incredible first step in making accessible to a wider audience the talent that Africa has to offer.
2. “Elite”
Plot: “Elite” is about the clash between students of the rich and poor class at a prestigious private school in Spain. Tensions rise when a classmate is murdered, and everyone is a suspect.
The teen drama was created by Spanish T.V. writers Carlos Montero and Darío Madrona, with the first season following the story of Samuel, Nadia, and Christian, the three new students at the high school Las Encinas. The show gets compared a lot to previous teen dramas like “Gossip Girl”, “Riverdale”, and “13 Reasons Why”, but the show definitely stands on its own as a new teen drama classic.
The show I think can be added to the list of leading teen dramas because of the way the show manages to talk about homophobia, islamophobia, sexuality, class, mental health, love, loss, and many other important topics while keeping the focal point on the murder mystery and the characters personal lives. “Elite” is sure to be your next binge-worthy show. The show is now on its second season with the third season airing now.
3. “Luna Nera”
Plot: “Luna Nera” is based in 17th century Italy and is about a teenager learning about destiny among a family of witches, while her boyfriend’s father hunts her down for witchcraft.
“Luna Nera”, or “Black Moon” in English was produced by Fandango, created by Francesca Manieri, Laura Paolucci, and Tiziana Triana. The show is based on a transcript of the same name for a novel by Tiziana Triana, which was available to the public in book stores in the fall of 2019.
Despite the show taking place during a time that was extremely dangerous for independent women, this show highlights the importance of solidarity and community and the strength that can manifest when one takes the time to be unapologetic about who they are.
4. “Hello, My Twenties!”
Plot: With different personalities, life goals and taste in men, five female college students become housemates in a shared residence called Belle Epoque.
Directed by Lee Tae-Gon, the show was first aired on JTBC, a Korean television program in July of 2016, but has been available on Netflix since 2017. The show currently has two seasons.
This Korean drama is one of the best dramas I have ever watched, which says a lot considering South Korea is not short of amazing and entertaining shows. What is interesting is the way the show does not focus on one character and allows the audience to get to know all five characters intimately, building a connection with each one. Each character goes through different and difficult situations, with abuse, finances, self-love, sexism, and romance being some of the leading themes in the show. “Hello, My Twenties!” is sure to be a show that adds to the way college women experience adulthood.
It can be difficult for audiences who don’t like subtitles to give these four shows a chance, but as the results of Best Picture at the 2020 Oscars showed us “Once you overcome the one-inch-tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films”, or in this case, shows!
All images are credited to the Her Campus Media Library.