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Just a girl who watches too many TV shows and loves graphic design.
It’s safe to say nowadays the amount of quality TV Shows available for viewers is vast. From broadcast to streaming, the choices are never-ending. At The Cinema Spot we love to provide you with suggestions for your next binge, so in this article we bring you a couple of shows that you may or not may heard of, twist is, all are non-English speaking.
La Casa de Papel (Money Heist)
Language: Spanish
The show is a about a group of thieves (led by a peculiar leader) that takes over Spain’s Fábrica de Moneda y Timbre to carry out the perfect heist.
You may have heard of it, when it was released on Netflix people went crazy and it became and hit immediately. La Casa de Papel is pretty good and really entertaining. It’s filled with plot twists and leaves you always on the edge of your seat. Characters are in general really interesting and the show lays the basic background story of each, explaining how they got to that specific moment in the first place. If you’re looking for something exciting to watch, this is a solid choice.
Coisa Mais Linda (Most Beautiful Thing)
Language: Portuguese
Tells the story of Maria Luisa, a typical paulista- housewife who moves to Rio de Janeiro to open a restaurant with her husband. Her life takes a turn when he disappears, leaving her alone and penniless. She decides to leave her past life behind and to transform the idea of the restaurant into a bossa nova club, which of course doesn’t go smoothly at all. Think of this show as The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel meets bossa nova. Set in 1959, this is a story about female empowerment, in a time where women were expected to be just wives and mothers, a time where the search for something else, so basic in these days, as a profession, was frowned upon. It’s a fantastic story in a beautiful setting, the photography is breathtaking and the colors vibrant, which really contrast at times with the dark storylines. If you are looking for a good drama, this a great choice.
Si No T’hagués Conegut (If I Hadn’t Met You)
Language: Catalan
Tells the story of Eduard Marina, a middle aged business man, whose life is turned around by a tragic event. He is consumed by guilt and meets a mysterious woman, a scientist. She tells him about an experiment she is conducting in hopes of recruiting him as a test subject. Even though at first the series may present itself as sci-fi, it’s actually a love story, a beautiful one at that. Its appeal lies in that emotional journey that the main character goes through, which is just heartbreaking. If you are looking for a drama to give you feels, this is it.
Okkupert (Occupied)
Language: Norwegian
The story is set in a not so distant future, where Norway stops all of its oil production and distribution to fight climate change. This decision results in an energetic crisis, which leads in Russia (supported by the European Union) invading the Scandinavian country to take over the oil production. What makes it so great is that the show isn’t about a direct confrontation or conflict, it’s about the power struggle, about how to face such an event without any bloodshed. If you’re looking for something a little more about politics and such, this is a fantastic choice, it’s really well written and it also leaves the viewer thinking about the possibility of such events happening in real life.
Babylon Berlin
Language: German
Probably my favorite from this list, Babylon Berlin tells the story of Detective Gereon Rath, who transfers form Cologne to the cosmopolitan Berlin. The story is thrilling, filled with puzzles, that the viewers slowly put together, along with Detective Rath. The characters one is introduced to in the show are interesting and you never know on who’s side they are on. Historical events are used to give the storyline even more depth and this makes the whole show more interesting, the writing is truly amazing. The visuals are beautiful and the setting and along with the soundtrack they transport you to the Weimar Republic. If you like procedurals, history or are just looking for an honest good show, Babylon Berlin is a must watch.
A show that’s equally great but I haven’t included is Dark, you can read about it my Time Travel Shows article.
All of these shows are completely different but each shines on its own accord. Any of these is a pretty good choice for your next binge.
Find me on Twitter @MCLCloss and let me know what you think about these shows. Don’t forget to follow @TheCinemaSpot for more news and reviews.
Just a girl who watches too many TV shows and loves graphic design.