Your Next Squid Game: 17 Foreign Gems To Binge Including Alice In Borderland, Borgen, Who Killed Sara? And More

When writer/director Bong Joon-ho won the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language film in 2019 for Parasite, he extended a very important message to English-speaking media consumers: "Once you overcome the one-inch-tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films."

The same, of course, can be said for television.

Have you ever scrolled on by after realizing a show was foreign, and thus subtitled? (It's OK. We won't tell.) Well, we're here to convince you to listen to Bong, because there's a treasure trove of quality TV series simmering behind that "one-inch-tall barrier," waiting to become your next binge.

If you're bored with the usual fare on your streaming platform of choice (or have already gunned through the highly acclaimed South Korean hit Squid Game), we've compiled this list of our favorite foreign hidden gems that are not only deserving of the kudos, but also your time. From the comical showbiz antics of France's Call My Agent! to Belgium's airborne thrill-ride Into the Night, we cover the gamut (and the globe) from drama, horror, martial arts, reality TV and everything in between.

Scroll through our list of best foreign TV recommendations, then be sure to hit the Comments to chime in with any of your favorites!

Comedy doesn't always translate, but even subtitles can't get in the way of the hilarious showbiz antics on this Netflix series set at a high-end talent agency. There are definite Entourage vibes here, as the agents bend over backwards to keep their demanding star clients happy, and Camille Cottin is a delight as ruthless star wrangler Andréa. Plus, keep an eye out for celebrity cameos from the likes of Sigourney Weaver, Jean Reno, Monica Bellucci and Juliette Binoche.

Fans of The West Wing and House of Cards (you know, before it got too loopy) might want to cast their vote for this riveting political drama — now streaming on Netflix — that stars Westworld's Sidse Babett Knudsen as Denmark's first female Prime Minister. OK, you might need a quick primer on the Danish parliamentary system to keep track of who's who, but the tense political intrigue and high-stakes ideological battles transcend any language barrier. (And hey, Pilou Asbaek, aka Game of Thrones' Euron Greyjoy, is a cast member!)

This compelling sci-fi drama centers on an ill king and a plague that's causing people to mysteriously rise from the dead. It's a perfect blend of bloody zombie lore and juicy political intrigue, as the prince fights to keep his father's waning health a secret and the queen vies for control of the undead — all against the backdrop of an impending apocalypse. It's beautifully shot, well-acted and a must watch.

Bleak dystopian thrillers tend to blur together, but this four-season Netflix series is a compelling, fast-moving take on the genre. Set in the not-too-distant future, the drama follows a group of impoverished young men and women who are given a chance to escape to an affluent paradise called The Offshore. The process they must complete to reach The Offshore — a series of puzzles and challenges quite literally called "The Process" — is an engaging plot device, and the show is tightly paced, making it an easy, addictive binge.

Adapted from the Manga series of the same name, Alice in Borderland follows a group of friends that gets trapped in an empty, bizarro version of Tokyo, where they're forced to compete in dangerous games or die trying. Failure to participate or win gets them executed by red laser beams that shoot down from the sky. The series is an action-packed thrill-ride that demands to be binged. And while it does share certain survivalist similarities to South Korean surprise hit Squid Game, Borderland's life-threatening games feel just a bit more unpredictable, intense and mysterious.

Thanks to effortlessly dashing star Omar Sy, stealing never looked so cool. Sy headlines the Netflix crime caper as master thief Assane Diop, who uses his considerable charms to sneak around and nab priceless treasures — all part of a plan to avenge the death of his father. The series delivers high-octane action and nail-biting tension worthy of a Hollywood blockbuster, along with a magnetic lead performance from Sy. No wonder it's already become an international sensation. (Catch up on TVLine's coverage.)

The thriller has the kind of ambitious, intense premise that screams "American remake must be imminent": A NATO soldier hijacks a red-eye flight with a small group of international passengers on board and forces the pilot to keep flying into the night while a catastrophic global event kills everyone and everything touched by sunlight. As the plane's survivors try to figure out how to obtain more fuel and food without being exposed to daylight, the bodies start dropping like flies and the tension mounts between the unlikely allies in this race against the sun. And at just 12 half-hour-ish episodes over two seasons thus far, you won't even have time to realize you're holding your breath.

Set in Lagos, Nigeria, this familial law drama follows married couple Remi (Dakore Akande) and Tega (Richard Mofe-Damijo) Castle as they take on a variety of scintillating cases they think will benefit their law firm and themselves. As a result, the occasionally high-profile cases begin to take a toll on their previously happy marriage, and all sorts of betrayal and trust issues come to the fore.

The minute someone tells you this drama, which is also known as 30 Monedas, is a horror mystery series that deals with the coins Judas received for double crossing Christ and the demonic cult world that surrounds them, you have two choices. You can run away and sleep easy, or you can tune into this creepy and unnerving series that will haunt your dreams and compel you to keep watching. You have been warned.

In Netflix's German original series, two missing children unearth a small town's hidden secrets, exposing the many fractured relationships among four different families as they all try to crack the case. Mixing drama and mystery with supernatural elements, the show weaves multiple stories (and timelines!) together to provide a layered and complex portrait of characters whose lives are forever changed by the events. To say any more would veer into spoiler territory, but sit down, strap in and brace yourself for some wild twists and turns.

If you love opposites-attract rom-coms, we've got a wild one for you: A paragliding accident leads a South Korean businesswoman and heiress (played by Son Ye-jin) to crash-land in the Korean Demilitarized Zone, where a North Korean military officer (Hyun Bin) finds the interloper. He helps her hide, and they — you guessed it — fall in love in the process, despite the divide between their respective countries. With a premise like that, is it any wonder that the series is a huge hit overseas?

This twisty and sexy Mexican soap sets up the mystery of who killed a beautiful schizophrenic teen named Sara, who wasn't always so nice, but certainly didn't deserve to be murdered. The drama deals with class, lies, conspiracies, sexuality, pregnancies, false imprisonment, and of course, homicide. (And there is A LOT of homicide.) In the end, Alex (star Manolo Cardona) just wants to know who claimed his sister's life and he'll stop at nothing to learn the truth. As a fan, you will undoubtedly feel the same way. (Catch up on TVLine's coverage.)

Doron Kavillio (star Lior Raz), a former Israeli agent-turned-vineyard owner comes out of retirement when he learns that a terrorist he thought he and his unit successfully killed is still very much alive. Doron tries to capture him, but his team's actions set off a domino effect of death, destruction and revenge that plays out over the course three seasons. Some viewers and critics applaud the drama's raw honesty and perspective on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict while others feel it is gratuitously violent and one-sided.

The Spanish drama aka La Casa de Papel roared into homes across the globe in 2017 and immediately captivated fans with a sexy and outrageous heist story about a Professor (Alvaro Morte) and the mishmash band of Dali mask-wearing bandits he rounded up. Each robber is named after an international city (Tokyo, Helsinki, Nairobi) and in Seasons 1 and 2, they rob the Royal Mint of Spain. In Season 3, the successful survivors enjoy their riches until unfortunate circumstances force them to rob again. And in Seasons 4 and 5, the group sets out to rob the Bank of Spain for a final score. Pro tip: Make sure you binge it all before the second half of the fifth and final season premieres Dec. 3. (Catch up on TVLine's coverage.)

In this reality TV series turned global Netflix phenomenon, six strangers are picked to live in a house and have their lives taped. Sound familiar? Trust us, it's not. These particular twenty-somethings go grocery shopping and cook meals. They take outings to the beach and local festivals. They go on dates, and act like polite, civil members of society, as they encourage each other to be their best. You'll quickly fall in love with the culture of it all and the quiet personalities that you'll undoubtedly start rooting for. Plus, cast members can move out as they please, which ushers in new roommates and changes the house dynamic. A panel of Japanese celebrity hosts watch the series with us, cracking jokes and commenting on house happenings. Terrace House will frequently warm your heart, but at times, it just might break it too.

Full disclosure: This excellent French horror tale from 2019 was sadly a one-and-done series, but don't let that stop you from entering this bleak world filled with absolute terror. The story revolves around Emma Larsimon (Victoire Du Bois), a horror novelist who discovers the demon from her books is haunting her loved ones in the real world. The malevolent spirit threatens her to continuing writing, but when her friends and family start dropping, Emma must find a way to rid them all of the evil presence before it's too late. Not only is Marianne bolstered by Du Bois' captivating performance, but the series has some truly terrifying moments that are sure to send chills down your spine. Watch it alone and in the dark. We dare you.

South Korean actress So-hee Han masterfully stars as Hyejin Oh, a young woman who vows to find and kill the man who murdered her father. Hyejin turns to her late father's gangster boss Mu-jin Choi (Hee-soon Park) for aid, and he turns her into a trained killer. Mu-jin then helps Hyejin obtain a new identity so she can join the police force and find the murderer, who appears to be a cop. Quite a few fans compared the cinematic limited series to Nikita because of its kickass fight choreography and violence, while others say it reminds them of Revenge — but with martial arts. (Catch up on TVLine's coverage.)