In the last decade, Netflix has championed the production and distribution of international content made for all audiences. These movies and television shows have broken barriers by bringing together production teams from across continents, and the results of their work is stunning. Reaching wider audiences than content made for a single culture, these shows have been some of Netflix’s biggest successes.

The experience of watching a show made for international audiences is wonderfully unique. It turns out Japanese filmmakers have vastly different filmmaking practices and conventions than their German counterparts. Bringing together the most creative minds from different cultures creates stories that speak to a new, worldwide audience that enjoys the same selection of art. Here are the best international Netflix original series, ranked.

Related: Every Best International Feature Film Oscar Winner of the 2010s, Ranked

8 Kingdom

kingdom
Sourced via AStory

Kingdom puts a unique spin on the tired zombie story by placing the conflict in feudal Japan, creating a hybrid political thriller and horror story all in one. The series follows the bastard son of an important leader as a plague lays waste to the fragile peace in this land. A slow burn approach, combined with terse moments of real horror set this apart from the slew of television shows that try to depict the terror of a zombie apocalypse. Additionally, the practical effects do a great job bringing the creatures to life, but the real draw is the brutality of the human characters and the fate of the kingdom that hangs in the balance.

7 The Silent Sea

The Silent Sea Cast
Sourced via Artist Company

Set in a dystopian future, The Silent Sea presents the story of a group of astronauts tasked with recovering an object from a mysterious abandoned space station. Beautifully shot and styled with stunning special effects, the creator's vision of a dark, futuristic space drama is well realized. Although the pacing is uneven with a notable lag in the earlier part of the season, the questions presented by the series become incredibly pressing by its middle point. The intrigue blends well with the dramatic climbing of stakes, and the uneven pacing does nothing to hinder some incredible performances from the main cast.

6 The Crown

Imelda Staunton is going to play Elizabeth II in the new season of The Crown
Netflix

The Crown is one of the most impressive historical dramas ever made, if only just for its scale and the periods of history that it covers. Each season covers a different period of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, the reigning monarch of England. Much of the series is a dramatization of historical events, which have occasionally received criticism for misrepresenting some parts of history. Still, the production value and quality of acting makes this series one of the best historical television stories ever made. The Crown is not a series to be missed.

5 Lupin

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Sourced via Gaumont Television

Lupin follows the son of a Senegalese immigrant in France who becomes inspired by the adventures of the fictional Arsène Lupin to get revenge for crimes against his father. Omar Sy, playing the lead character, oozes charisma and makes the show worth watching just for his sharp screen presence. This series took audiences by storm, and quickly becoming one of Netflix’s most watched non-English TV shows upon its release. The show’s many moments of tension and mystery are put together like a puzzle, and the series proves to be an enthralling experience with many twists and turns.

4 Elite

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Sourced via Zeta Producciones

High school melodramas seem like a thing of the past, until Netflix released Elite, a series centered around a murder that occurs at a fictional prestigious private school in Spain. The series explores the intersection of class conflict, sexual identity, and adolescence through the eyes of these high schoolers. Each of them come from distinct backgrounds with vastly different motivations and allegiances, giving each separate storyline a welcome gravity. Elite makes clever use of its melodramatic roots to spin an enthralling and entertaining yarn.

3 Money Heist

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Sourced via Atresmedia

This Spanish heist thriller packs some serious style and substance across its five season run. It follows the adventures of a group of criminals trying to rob the Spanish Mint, and initially flashes back and forth between the heist itself and its intense planning stages. The series is deeply melodramatic and asks viewers to empathize with these criminals, each of whom have vibrant pasts, loves, and flaws. Money Heist has received universal critical acclaim since its release and recently concluded its run in 2021, and even inspired the production of a Korean-language remake.

2 Squid Game

squidgame
Sourced via Siren Pictures Inc.

Taking the entire world by storm, Squid Game became the most viewed series on Netflix within weeks of its debut in 2021. 456 people, deeply in debt, are invited to participate in a series of monitored children's games for a chance to win a huge cash prize. The games become deadly almost immediately, and the players have to struggle for survival and for the chance to win big. An intriguing critique of capitalism and economic disparity, the series resonated with people of different backgrounds worldwide. The drama of the series builds to a tight crescendo across its nine episode season, concluding on an explosive note with the promise of a second season.

Related: Squid Game: Season 2 Cast, Plot, and Everything Else We Know

1 Dark

Dark_Cave.0
Sourced via Wiedemann & Berg Television

Dark is a German science fiction television show that puts other time travel narratives to shame. Where other time travel narratives shy away from the serious contradictions presented by the concept, Dark embraces them wholeheartedly, beginning and ending its three season run with consistently purposeful choices that build towards a euphoric ending. Its first season masquerades as a European neo-noir thriller about a missing child, until certain unsettling details about the situation become too pressing to ignore. It’s unique ideas are bolstered by the form of the episodes and the season, which are presented out-of-order and yet still fittingly linear. Dark’s journey is often crushing and marked by incredible despair, but these moments are built off of deep human sadness presented slowly and honestly. It's an imaginative, tightly told story, and one of the best series available to stream.