23
It’s the gory survival drama
that gripped social media and
overtook Bridgerton to become
Netflix’s most-watched show.
Competitors play children’s games
for cash prizes, and if they lose they
die. Beneath the surface of this
series is a wider look at South
Korea’s wealth inequality that packs
a punch, or a stare from
a laser-eyed doll. A second
series is pending, with
another group of
players expected
to enter the
dreaded
arena.SQUID GAME* SOUTH KOREA
NETFLIX (1 SERIES, 2021-)WHEN THE DUST SETTLES*
DENMARK WP/ALL 4 (1 SERIES, 2020)THE PLAGUE* SPAIN
NOW (2 SERIES, 2018-19)KINGDOM* SOUTH KOREA
NETFLIX (2 SERIES, 2019-)*OJING-EO GEIM
22
Starting with a terror attack in
Copenhagen, this eschews
the hunt for the perpetrators,
instead flashing back and forth as it
explores how it happened and its
impact on survivors
and bereaved
families. It’s nuanced.
Baker says: “Everything
is complex, from
the hideous yet
grieving justice
minister to the
damaged chef
from Greenland.”21
Set in late-16th-century Seville,
this drama is a fresh twist on
the whodunnit. Laced with a touch
of horror, it follows Mateo (Pablo
Molinero, below), a former soldier, in
search of a late friend’s missing son.
“It immerses
viewers in the
fascinating,
suffocating
plague-ridden
city,” Deeks says.
“And it throws in
an intriguing
murder mystery
for good
measure.”20
Netflix’s first original Korean
series has blood, terror and
zombies. It takes place in medieval
Korea during the Joseon dynasty
where a king is resurrected from the
dead and a mysterious plague
spreads throughout the kingdom.
There’s a lot of gore but not so much
that it loses all its humanity. After two
brilliant seasons, a special 92-minute
episode was released last year and
another one-off is scheduled for
next year.FAUDA* ISRAEL
NETFLIX (3 SERIES, 2015-)17
The exhilarating thriller follows
an undercover Israeli unit as they
hunt down Hamas terrorists. The
show, celebrated for its depiction of
the Palestinian conflict, skilfully
maintains the action (episodes are
only 35 minutes long) while adding
in sobering moments that humanise
its characters. Terrorists have families
— children and loved ones. There is
more at play here
than merely good
versus evil. It is
about to become
Israel’s longest-
running
series.HINTERLAND* WALES
NETFLIX (3 SERIES, 2013-16)18
The first BBC drama filmed
in both Welsh and English-
language versions has been
bought by 150 countries. It’s
about an outsider, the former Met
DCI Tom Mathias, right, who has no
idea where to start when he is sent
to the picturesque
Ceredigion coast. He
becomes dependent
on the skills of the local
cop Mared Rhys
to unravel
the local
community’s
grim secrets.ETHOS* TURKEY
NETFLIX (1 SERIES, 2020-)19
Islamic traditions clash with the
secular world of women’s rights
and homosexuality in this series set
in modern-day Istanbul. Meryem,
below, from a conservative family,
goes to therapy and encounters
another Turkey, one that is well-off.
The twist is that most episodes end
with a musical number. “It plays like
a European arthouse
film then slips into
camp,” Baker says. “It
blends Dennis Potter
influences with deep
character study
and sumptuous
cinematography.”
*BIR BASKADIR*Y GWYLL
*FAUDA
TRAPPED* ICELAND
AMAZON (3 SERIES, 2015-)14
Murder, corruption, arson
and human trafficking all
plague the tiny town of
Seydisfjordur, but the bearlike
police chief Andri (Olafur Darri
Olafsson, below) takes it
in his stride — until his
family are affected. A
third season
premiered in Iceland
last year and will be
with us soon. Deeks
marks it out for its
“gripping storyline,
stunning scenery
and majestic
performances”.THE BORDER* POLAND
WALTER PRESENTS/C4 (2 SERIES, 2014-)15
This bleakly brilliant Polish
crime drama follows a border
patrol unit charged with controlling
the trafficking of drugs, slave
labour and refugees on the
southernmost border between
Poland and Ukraine.
There are beautiful
shots of the
mountain
wilderness and
heartbreaking
performances,
as a border
guard is framed
for murder.MADE IN HEAVEN* INDIA
AMAZON (1 SERIES, 2019-)16
Set amid the wealth and
snobbery of modern Delhi, this
nine-part series follows the fractious,
fantastic lives of two headstrong
wedding planners to the rich and
famous. Praised by the Hindustan
Times for revealing “the shiny lies of
big fat Indian weddings”, this
is a show where
high-end soap
opera meets
brutal satire.
A second
season
is just
around the
corner.*WATAHA
*OFAERD
*NAR STOVET HAR LAGT SIG
LA PESTE KINGDEOM
*MADE IN HEAVEN
AMAS TO WATCH NOW
6 February 2022 5