Who says one can't go globetrotting amid the coronavirus lockdown? Well, you can at least virtually with the stellar international content on Netflix that you probably missed out on while hopping on to the bandwagon of ‘Money Heist’ and its likes.
But worry not, because we've got your covered. Buckle up. Grab your popcorn bowls and stream these shows! Here they are - The Magnificent Seven!
SHOW: Caliphate
COUNTRY: Sweden
IMDB rating: 8.1
RELEASE DATE: March 18, 2020
Picture this: A woman (Pervin) stuck in Raqqa, Syria, tries to escape the ISIS caliphate with her infant daughter by offering vital information on terror attacks in exchange to a Swedish Security Agent named Fatima. Thrilling enough? Now, add a few impressionable Muslim teenagers vulnerable to radicalisation with overarching consequences, and that’s Caliphate for you.
Originally Kalifat, the Swedish drama-thriller series that first premiered on ‘Svergies Television’ in January this year, is available for streaming in Swedish and English.
Likelihood of a second season: Definitely. The show keeps you on the edge of your seat till the very end and talks of another season have already begun, although no date has been announced yet.
SHOW: Into The Night
COUNTRY: Belgium
IMDB rating: 7.3
RELEASE DATE: May 1, 2020
Into the Night is a six-episode-long apocalyptic sci-fi thriller, which is Belgium’s first original collaboration with Netflix.
Released in French and dubbed in English, the show starts with a man hijacking an airplane originally bound for Moscow, claiming that the flight must instead head west to avoid sunrise as it will kill them.
Intrigued much? Here’s the trailer to help you with that.
Likelihood of a second season: A big yes. The first one ends with a cliffhanger, (no spoilers here) paving the way for another to follow and leave you with the urge to "know more".
SHOW: Unorthodox
COUNTRY: Germany, USA
IMDB rating: 8.1
RELEASE DATE: March 26, 2020
The four-episode Unorthodox is a German-American drama miniseries based on Deborah Feldman's 2012 novel Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots.
It is Netflix’s first Yiddish show, and boy, does it resonate!
If you're a drama fan, you will not only enjoy the concise yet riveting storytelling, but also find yourself rooting for the protagonist (Esty), a 19-year-old Jewish woman, born and brought up in an ultra-orthodox Hasidic Jewish community in New York city's Williamsburg.
Born in the 'land of the free', why this teenager, also married, decides to flee to Berlin of all places to begin her new life, definitely adds to the intrigue factor. Watch to find out. The show is also available for streaming in English and German.
Likelihood of a second season: While no official statement has been released so far, the idea may not be far-fetched as the first one was a smashing success and popular demand can work wonders.
SHOW: The Trial
COUNTRY: Italy
IMDB rating: 7
RELEASE DATE: 2019
The Trial or Il Processo is a classic whodunit.
When a 17-year-old Angelica Petroni gets murdered in Rome, public prosecutor Elena Guerra is determined to find the culprit. But why?
This eight-episode-long courtroom drama promises twists and turns with every episode that will awaken the mystery lover in you.
Likelihood of a second season: Probably not. There have been speculations of multiple 'spinoffs', however, they remain fan-fuelled desires for now.
SHOW: Fauda
COUNTRY: Israel
IMDB rating: 8.3
RELEASE DATE: April 16, 2020
Spanning three seasons, Fauda (Chaos in Arabic) is an Israeli action cum political-espionage thriller focussing on the human stories on either side of the highly controversial Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Premiering first in 2015, the series began to be filmed during the 2014 Israel-Gaza conflict and has won critical acclaim from many, including The New York Times, which voted it the 'Best International Show of 2017'.
If you’re a history buff who craves a political drama, this one's for you. Fauda can be streamed in Hebrew, English.
SHOW: Valhalla Murders
COUNTRY: Iceland
IMDB rating: 7.1
RELEASE DATE: December 26, 2019
What could provide a better setting for a mystery than a cold Icelandic town falling victim to a string of murders with the victims' eyes gouged out? Eerie enough?
Here's more - An Oslo detective decides to help out a local policeman solve the case, except, there’s only one photograph from a boys' school named 'Valhalla' that is the closest all of them have to a clue.
Valhalla Murders is an eight-episode-long series and the first Icelandic show to have been released on Netflix. It is loosely based on a real-life story.
Crime-thriller lovers, binge away.
Likelihood of a second season: So far, Netflix has not made any such announcement.
SHOW: The Spy
COUNTRY: Israel
IMDB rating: 7.9
RELEASE DATE: September 6, 2019
Last on the list is another Israeli espionage thriller. The Spy is a six-episode miniseries, which stars Sacha Baron Cohen and is based on the book L'espion qui venait d'Israël (The Spy Who Came From Israel).
The show follows the life of Israel’s most prominent spy Eli Cohen who infiltrated the Syrian government during the years leading to the 1967 six-day war between the two countries.
Although the show has received favourable reviews, it also came under the scanner for 'historical inaccuracies'.
However, it makes for an engaging watch and went on to earn Sacha a nomination for 'Best Actor- Miniseries or Television Film' at the 77th Golden Globe Awards.
With a bucketful of such unnoticed gems to stream from, choose your pick and make the most of the remainder of the lockdown. Netflix and chill, but also, stay safe!