Now that the weather is becoming colder, it’s the perfect time to curl up on couch to watch a good murder mystery (once the kids are in bed). Most people turn to Netflix for their mystery streaming pleasure. Among the Canadian, American, and British mysteries there are several mystery series from Europe and Asia. Here is a list of Mosaic Times’ top 5 foreign language mystery series on Netflix.
5. The Forest
Small towns and murder investigations make for good television. This French series is no exception. The Forest follows the investigation in to the disappearance of a teenage girl last seen in the forest that borders this small French town. Police Chief Gaspard Decker and Officer Virginie Musso (whose daughter also goes missing) are helped in their investigation by an enigmatic school teacher with deep ties to the forest. Their investigation not only leads them to the killer, but to many of the townsfolk’s secrets as well. You can see the trailer here.
4. Stranger
This South Korean series is engaging and full of intrigue. Prosecutor Hwang Si-mok underwent brain surgery as a teen that left him unable to express emotion. He teams up with Han Yeo-jin, a quirky and observant police lieutenant, to solve the murder of a man who had information about corruption in the prosecutor’s office. This investigation leads Hwang and Han down a dangerous path that uncovers corruption and a scheme that could affect all of South Korea. The acting in Stranger is very good and the whole series is a treat to watch. You can see it here.
3. Sacred Games
This gritty Indian series follows two timelines. One follows the rise and fall of Ganesh Gaitonde, a boy who grew up in a poor and religious family to become one of the most powerful and ruthless crime bosses in Mumbai. The second timeline follows Inspector Sartaj Singh, a low level police detective trying to prove himself. Gaitonde contacts Singh and warns him of a threat to Mumbai, and Inspector Singh races to find out what the threat is and how to neutralize it. Gripping and dark, this series will have you pressing “next episode” into the wee hours of the morning. You can see the trailer here.
2. Trapped
This Icelandic series is not only engrossing, but it is also beautiful to watch. Set in rural Iceland, Police Chief Andri Olafsson must find out the identity of a dismembered body dumped in the ocean and as well as the victim’s killer. During the investigation, there is a severe snow storm that isolates the town by making any kind of travel impossible. Olafsson must find the killer and deal with his own complicated family drama. The cinematography in Trapped is gorgeous. If you didn’t want to visit Iceland before, you will after watching this series. You can see it here.
1. La Mante
Look up the definition of “binge watch” and you will find La Mante. This French series is excellent. The police are on the hunt for a copycat serial killer who was inspired by a series of murders committed many years ago by a female serial killer known as La Mante (the mantis). La Mante agrees to help, on the condition that she liaise with one police officer in particular, Damien Carrot, her son. Throughout the investigation, Damien must come to terms with his conflicting feelings about his mother and figure out whether or not she is helping the new serial killer. The writers of this series have created complex and multi-layered characters and story to match. We can’t recommend this series highly enough! You can see the trailer here.
There is so much great foreign language content on Netflix. Are any of your favourite foreign language mysteries missing from our list?
