Netflix is the undisputed leader of the video streaming market worldwide. Boasting of over 1.25 crore subscribers, its 2018 budget for original programming itself is over $12 billion. As India (at long last) gets faster internet, video streaming has finally taken off. Netflix too realizes the potential of global programming. That’s why it has specially created shows for different countries in their own languages, which are also resonating with a global audience. This edition, we look at the best global shows on Netflix
The drama depicts the 1980’s Medellin cocaine cartel in Columbia run by the biggest drug lord in world history, Pablo Escobar (Wagner Moura) and the efforts of DEA agents Steve Murphy (Boyd Holbrook) and Javier Peña (Pedro Pascal) to capture Escobar. Using real footage from the time, including that of the real Escobar, the makers have fashioned a fascinating portrait of the tide of corruption that swept from South America to the US. Narcos is a monstrous hit and it highlighted the appeal of the show set in their native language to a global audience if the content is excellent.
Sacred Games is Netflix’s first foray into the Indian market. Adapted from Vikram Chandra's 928-page tome and shot in both English and Hindi, it chronicles the meteoric rise of Ganesh Gaitonde (Nawazuddin Siddiqui), a mob boss with delusions of grandeur, operating out of a Mumbai ghetto called Gopalmath. His paths intersect with Sartaj Singh (Saif Ali Khan), a cop whose righteousness is at conflict with the questionable moralities of the police force. The performances of both Khan and Siddiqui are exceptional, and the drama currently holds a Rotten Tomatoes approval rating of 100%, which is incredible. This show in itself is worth the price of a Netflix subscription.
Netflix’s first original German series, is marketed as a Sci-Fi thriller, but that undersells its legitimacy as a haunting and deeply watchable series. The dramatically foggy and dimly-lit scenery sets the ominous tone for Dark’s supernaturalism, tied to the degradation and bleakness of the intertwined characters. The grim atmosphere and crisp editing makes this one of the most compelling shows to watch on Netflix.
This French-language drama will feel familiar to anyone who's spent time watching mystery police procedurals like The Killing, CSI, or The Missing. The story of a cynical detective (Yoann Blanc) returning to his hometown and stumbling into the murder of a young African football player sounds formulaic, but it is extremely well executed. All the essential elements are here: mist-filled visuals, a potential political conspiracy, and a mentally unstable protagonist. But the killer performances, clever writing, and cultural specifics make it worth the binge.
By Neeraj Varty
