Does Netflix have too many foreign shows for U.S. viewers?

As Netflix subscriber growth slows in the U.S. and Canada – its two most mature markets – the streaming video service is devoting more attention to gaining subscribers overseas. This has led to a surge in foreign-language content being presented to English-speaking subscribers in North America.
Some analysts are starting to wonder if this surge of non-English language content could be a turnoff for Netflix customers in the U.S. Subscribers can watch these shows with subtitles or dubbed into English.
While some international shows such as “Squid Game” from South Korea break through to find a global audience, there are many other foreign-language shows crowding subscribers’ menu screens.
While I’m not against watching foreign programming, often I just want to watch U.S. movies and TV shows. I detest dubbing and sometimes I’m not in the mood to read subtitles.
At some point, U.S. Netflix subscribers might get fed up with seeing too much foreign content presented to them. They might quit the service to find more U.S.-produced content with familiar stars.
However, other services like HBO Max and Apple TV+ are adding foreign-language content as well. So, U.S. subscribers might just have to get used to seeing a diversity of languages on their video services.

Good foreign movies on Netflix:

Below Zero (Spain)
Black Crab (Sweden)
Blood Red Sky (Germany)
Cadaver (Norway)
Just Another Christmas (Brazil)
Lost Bullet (France)
Oxygen (France)
The Platform (Spain)
The Swarm (France)

Good foreign TV series on Netflix:

Alice in Borderland (Japan)
Borderliner (Norway)
Case (Iceland)
Dark (Germany)
Deadwind (Finland)
Into the Night (Belgium)
Katla (Iceland)
My Name (South Korea)
Quicksand (Sweden)
Ragnarok (Norway)
Squid Game (South Korea)
Sweet Home (South Korea)
The Chestnut Man (Denmark)
The Rain (Denmark)
The Valhalla Murders (Iceland)
To the Lake (Russia)
Tribes of Europa (Germany)

‘DMZ’ kicks off new round of dystopian and post-apocalyptic TV series

“DMZ” on HBO Max is the first new television show of 2022 to be set in a dystopian or post-apocalyptic world. The four-episode miniseries premiered on March 17.
Based on a DC graphic novel, “DMZ” takes place in the demilitarized zone of Manhattan Island during a second American civil war. It stars Rosario Dawson and Benjamin Bratt.
Next up in the post-apocalyptic genre is “Tales of the Walking Dead,” premiering in mid-2022 on AMC. The anthology series is the fourth television series in “The Walking Dead” zombie apocalypse franchise.
The six-episode run of “Tales of the Walking Dead” will feature actors Anthony Edwards, Terry Crews, Parker Posey, and Olivia Munn in standalone stories.
Next year will see the fifth series in the franchise, “Isle of the Dead.” It will star Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Lauren Cohan as their characters Negan and Maggie.
A sixth series also is due to premiere next year. It’s an untitled spin-off series starring Norman Reedus and Melissa McBride as their characters Daryl and Carol.
In the meantime, there will be other dystopian and post-apocalyptic television series.
Netflix has set a premiere date of July 14 for “Resident Evil,” based on the long-running video game series. The eight-episode series takes place 14 years after a deadly virus caused a global apocalypse that overran the world with blood-thirsty creatures. It will star Lance Reddick and Ella Balinska.
HBO is making a TV series based on the acclaimed video game franchise “The Last of Us.” The series, starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, is expected to debut in 2023. The story takes place in a world destroyed by an outbreak of a mutant Cordyceps fungus. The fungus turns human hosts into aggressive creatures known as the Infected.
Amazon Prime is working on a TV series based on the “Fallout” video game series. Walton Goggins has been cast in a lead role. The “Fallout” series is set in an alternate future United States after a nuclear apocalypse.
Apple TV+ is developing a dystopian sci-fi drama called “Wool.” The show will star Rebecca Ferguson, Tim Robbins and David Oyelowo. It is based on the “Silo” trilogy of novels by Hugh Howey.
“Wool” takes place on a post-apocalyptic Earth where the air is poisonous. What’s left of humanity lives in The Silo, a subterranean city 144 stories below the surface.
Netflix is planning a spin-off series of “Into the Night,” which completed its second season last fall. The series takes place after radiation from the Sun kills all life on the surface of the Earth. Survivors must live underground during the day.
The spin-off is called “Into the Deep” and is set on a submarine.

Related articles:

Comprehensive list of live-action post-apocalyptic TV series

Netflix is keeping post-apocalyptic themed TV going (March 13, 2022)

The post-apocalypse is thriving on television (July 11, 2021)

Post-apocalyptic TV series entertain in troubled times (Sept. 14, 2020)

Netflix is keeping post-apocalyptic themed TV going

Since Netflix began producing original content, it has aired 11 post-apocalyptic themed television series. That’s considerably more than other TV channels and streaming services.
Those Netflix shows and miniseries have included “The Rain,” “3%,” “Black Summer,” “Daybreak,” “Into the Night,” “Reality Z,” “To the Lake,” “Sweet Home,” “Tribes of Europa,” “Sweet Tooth” and “The Silent Sea.” Only three of those are in English.
Netflix likely makes post-apocalyptic shows because they play well in international markets.
However, Netflix often stays mum on whether its shows will continue or are canceled. So, it’s hard to know how many of those series are still in production for new episodes. I personally hope to see new episodes of “Black Summer,” “Into the Night,” “To the Lake” and “Tribes of Europa.”
By my count, there are 13 post-apocalyptic themed TV shows still producing new episodes across all broadcast, cable and streaming channels.
And new shows in the genre are on the way such as “Tales of the Walking Dead” this summer on AMC. Coming later are “The Last of Us” on HBO, “Fallout” on Amazon Prime and “Isle of the Dead” on AMC.

See also: “Comprehensive list of live-action post-apocalyptic TV series.”

Photo: Season two poster for Netflix zombie-apocalypse series “Black Summer.”

Global destruction in movies continues with ‘Black Crab’ on Netflix

Filmmakers never tire of depicting “the end of the world” and what comes after it.
Recent movies have shown the Earth destroyed by climate change, solar flares, aliens, robot rebellions and even the Moon. Those flicks include “The Colony,” “Finch,” “A Quiet Place Part 2,” “Mother/Android” and “Moonfall.”
And one such movie – comet apocalypse flick “Don’t Look Up” – has even been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture.
More death and destruction on a global scale is on the way.
Up next is “Black Crab” on Netflix on March 18. The Swedish action thriller is set in a post-apocalyptic world torn apart by war. The movie stars Noomi Rapace.
Other post-apocalyptic movies this year include Austrian film “Rubikon,” where the Earth is covered in a toxic fog.
Still to come in the next year or so are sequels and spin-offs from the franchises “Mad Max,” “A Quiet Place,” “Bird Box” and “Wyrmwood.”

See also: “The complete post-apocalyptic movie list.”

Photo: Movie poster from “Black Crab” (Netflix)