With innovative tales and concepts, international programmes outperform Hollywood counterparts

The last episodes of the Spanish television series “Money Heist” will air on Netflix on Friday, bringing to a close a Netflix drama that has been praised by both fans and critics. While the finale brings the tale to a close, it also solidifies the series’ legacy as one of the most popular Netflix shows in the world, an achievement made all the more impressive by the fact that it is a foreign language television series. However, “Money Heist” is far from the first non-English series to garner global popularity in the streaming era — and it surely won’t be the last.

Hollywood and American movies have dominated global media since their birth. The most economically successful and highest grossing films in the world, such as “Avatar” and “Titanic,” were produced by major American film companies such as Paramount Pictures and Twentieth Century Fox. From a Disneyland in Shanghai to a fake Hollywood sign in New Zealand, proof of their cultural effect may be seen intangibly in the fabric of the cinematic landscape as well as rather physically.

With a reputation as a worldwide powerhouse for film and television, American cinema has been able to maintain its dominance for decades. However, in recent years, the American cinema industry has been clinging to the last strands of its reign in order to keep spectators enthralled. As more foreign audiences, including Americans, seek entertainment outside of the Hollywood bubble, it is evident that contemporary American film does not merit the high regard it formerly enjoyed when compared to new works from other countries.

Aside from the essential elements of good television, such as excellent writing and interesting acting, what truly distinguishes these foreign language series is the relatability of their subjects, as well as the numerous ways in which such messages are conveyed. Insightful criticisms of class inequality, systemic racism, and political forces are conveyed in the exhilarating environment of a dystopian survival game or a perfectly planned robbery, rather than being delivered as a didactic lecture.