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Following on from the success of Squid Game, and now high-school zombie thriller All of Us Are Dead, more and more Netflix subscribers are turning to the streaming service’s international offerings for their next dose of blood and guts. Thankfully for fans of all things horror, Netflix has a number of series available to watch from all over the globe that will scratch that itch for you.
We’ve compiled a list of 10 killer suggestions for you from the horror, fantasy, and thriller genre that all contain similar themes to either Squid Game or All of Us Are Dead. There’s still a ton of other Netflix productions from all around the world that are worth your time and attention. Whether you’re in the mood for another zombie series like Kingdom, or a sci-fi mystery like The Silent Sea, we’ve got you covered.
Extracurricular
A series that’s often hard to watch, Extracurricular follows a group of troubled teens who commit crimes to earn money. The series starts as ringleader Oh Ji-soo, a model student, doesn’t have the funds to get into university and so engages in illegal activity to earn some cash and things eventually catch up with him. This dark and morbid show has enough blood and guts to scratch your Squid Game itch – and will inevitably cause the same level of anxiety you had when watching the glass bridge game.
Sweet Home
An interesting twist on the post-apocalyptic genre, Sweet Home answers the age-old question of what would happen if all your neighbours turned into blood-thirsty monsters. Cha Hyun-soo, a newcomer to the decrepit Green Home apartment complex, doesn’t have a great outlook on life after losing his family in a tragic accident. To make things worse, a virus has seemingly broken out in the block and is causing all of the people to mutate…
It’s up to the remaining residents to work together – or plot against each other – in order to survive and hopefully escape the apartment block, which has been mysteriously locked from the outside. Sweet Home shares the supernatural aspects of Hellbound, making this perfect for anyone who has just finished that series.
Hellbound
Set in the near future where your sins can come back to haunt – and literally pulverise you into the ground – Hellbound combines the tense feelings of Squid Game with the horrors of All of Us Are Dead and makes you question every bad thing you’ve ever done. The series follows several people as they are either affected by, or try to investigate the cause of, a decree which is delivered by demonic looking creatures who condemn individuals to hell at a specific time and date.
As you’d expect from this kind of situation, a religious group known as The New Truth begins growing in numbers and attempts to capitalize from people’s fear of dying. This show runs for only six episodes with the first three focusing on a police detective whose daughter begins getting involved with The New Truth, and the second half following the story of a young couple whose newborn baby has received a decree. Upon its release, Hellbound quickly found its way at the top of Netflix’s charts.
Alice in Borderland
Alice in Borderland can rival Squid Game with its sadistic survival games. This Japanese series takes place on the bustling streets of Shibuya, Tokyo, and follows three friends – Arisu, Karube, and Chota – who manage to escape police custody after causing some disruption. After hiding for a few minutes, the three friends return outside and are met with empty streets and a mysterious broadcast which tells them to join ‘The Game’ which they do. However, it’s not until the trio take part in the first challenge that they realise that their prize for winning is making it out alive.
Kingdom
Another South Korean horror offering, Kingdom is set in a fictional medieval-inspired village during Korea’s Joseon dynasty and features Sense 8’s Bae Doo-na among other talented cast members. Following the King’s death from a mysterious illness, the Crown Prince seeks answers for his father’s sudden passing. In his efforts to uncover the truth, Prince Lee Chang instead discovers an unnatural plague that resurrects the dead and brings them back as zombies who go on to terrorise the kingdom. There’s also a movie tie-in called Kingdom: Ashin of the North available to watch!
The Silent Sea
Don’t be put off by the sci-fi setting of this series. Like All of Us Are Dead, The Silent Sea also has more than its fair share of graphic death scenes. Set in the dystopian future, the world is experiencing a severe drought which has led to a group of scientists on a mission to the moon to retrieve a mysterious water sample which will supposedly end the water shortage on earth.
Shortly after arriving at the space station though, the astronauts quickly realise that something isn’t right as they discover all of the scientists previously stationed there had been killed by an unknown cause. To make things even worse, it soon comes to light that the astronauts aren’t the only people in the space station who are in need of the special Luna water. You may notice The Silent Sea has a few familiar faces from this list as the series stars Gong Yoo – aka the train station guy from Squid Game – as well as Bae Doo-na from Kingdom.
Strangers From Hell
Enough actual monsters – Strangers From Hell is a psychological thriller that deals with monsters disguised as people. Similar to Sweet Home, this series starts with a young guy moving into a rundown apartment. Yoon Jong-woo soon notices strange occurrences happening throughout Eden Studios’ walls, including his neighbours’ unsettling behaviours.
This drama stars a number of established actors, with probably the most recognised in the West being Lee Jung-eun who previously played housekeeper Moon-gwang in the Oscar winning Parasite.
The School Nurse Files
If you enjoyed the high school setting of All of Us Are Dead but fancy something a little more light-hearted, we suggest giving The School Nurse Files a try. Also based on a popular webtoon like All of Us Are Dead, The School Nurse Files focuses on, as you’d expect, the school nurse Ahn Eun-young who has the ability to see alien-like jellies, that are born from human feelings and desires.
Although most definitely not part of her job description, Eun-young takes it upon herself to eradicate the school of these jellies with the help of a trusty BB gun and a light stick. The only thing is, since only she can see them, the rest of the school sees a mad-woman running around like a kid with a lightsaber. This isn’t the sort of show you’d watch for a scare, however it does have a mystery in its plot and monsters that could rival the ones from All of Us Are Dead.
The Call
The surprisingly dark psychological thriller The Call centers on Kim Seo-yeon, who loses her cellphone on the way to visit her mother in the rural countryside. She finds an old phone, but upon reconnecting the device, she keeps receiving calls from a young woman who lived in the very same house 20 years prior. Not a present-day phone call, mind, but she’s calling from 20 years ago…
This sparks a friendship between the pair and causes Seo-yeon to ask the woman to make changes in the past to influence her life in the present – sometimes with disastrous consequences. This is the perfect film for those who love a good butterfly effect narrative and multiple surprising plot twists.
Vincenzo
If you’re looking for an action-packed series with a side order of violence, Vincenzo’s the show for you. After being adopted as a child and moving to Italy, Park Joo-hyung, AKA Vincenzo Cassano, is a lawyer and member of the Mafia who returns to his birthplace of South Korea. It doesn’t take him long to make some new enemies. Combining his legal knowledge and skills picked up from being a consigliere, Vincenzo decides to go up against a large and shady corporation that has illegally obtained ownership of a very valuable building.
Don’t worry, this show is full of board meetings, courtrooms, and paperwork – this lawyer isn’t exactly one for following the rules. Rest assured, Vincenzo has its fair share of gunfights, car chases, and explosions, as well as a romantic subplot.
My Name
If you enjoyed Netflix’s Kate, My Name is a perfect companion. My Name sees high school student Yoon Ji-woo forced to deal with the consequences of her father’s gangster lifestyle. On Ji-woo’s birthday, her father is killed, leading her to seek revenge. Turning to a crime boss for guidance, Ji-woo takes on a new identity and enrols in the police force to find the person responsible for her father’s murder. My Name doesn’t shy away from brutal fight scenes or a grizzly murder, so go into this series expecting to see the worst. If you managed Squid Game though, you should have no problem witnessing Ji-woo throw a few punches.
#Alive
#Alive tells the story of tech-obsessed gamer Oh Joon-woo who gets caught up in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. He lives alone in a high rise apartment, and isn’t in too much of a rush to leave. However, once supplies start running low and Joon-woo begins worrying about his family, he decides to team up with his neighbour Kim Yoo-bin to try and escape. #Alive also stars Park Shin-hye from The Call, as well as Yoo Ah-in who appeared in Hellbound. One for fans of another great zombie flick, Train to Busan.
Crash Landing On You
Crash Landing on You is the least violent suggestion here. In this romance/action series, we are transported to North Korea after South Korean business woman Yoon Se-ri gets stranded across the border due to a paragliding accident. North Korea is a strict country, and when an outsider literally crash lands, things do not go down well.
Thankfully for Se-ri though, Captain of the North Korean army Ri Jeong-hyeok is the one who finds her and agrees to help smuggle her out. In the meantime though, Se-ri must integrate into North Korean life – which proves different following her lavish life in the south – and avoid being caught by the authorities.
We have only scratched the surface of Netflix’s international offerings, if you’re looking for more suggestions, make sure you check out the best Netflix shows out now.
