During this school year, I’ve definitely had my fair share of days in quarantine. In my combined 2 months of quarantine, I had much free time to spend. With staying inside, my options were limited, so I did the only logical thing: watch Netflix.

I wanted to branch out and watch different shows other than what was trending. This is how I fell into the world of watching international shows after scrolling through different genres. I’ve always used subtitles if they are available because I feel like I can’t hear without them. Therefore, I broadened my watch list and entered a great side of entertainment. Here are some of my favorite shows that I binge watched over my quarantine:

The Originals

Synopsis: Klaus, the original vampire/werewolf hybrid, returns to New Orleans – which his family helped build – to investigate rumors of a plot against him, in this spin-off of `The Vampire Diaries’. His former protege, Marcel, reigns over the city and causes growing tension in the supernatural community. Klaus’ brother, Elijah, joins him as they plan to reclaim the city, while waiting to see if their last remaining sibling, Rebekah, will join them.

This series is quite addicting and not the Twilight copycat many people think it is. It broadens the world of mystical creatures with a level of complexity surrounding their existence. This action filled show will keep you on the edge battling your morals between sympathizing with the bad guys and excusing murder. The acting is incredible and evolved with character development. I watched the entire Vampire Diaries series and am currently watching the second spin-off show, Legacies. However, The Originals had a plot surrounding the importance of family that made it unforgettable and certainly overshadowed the others. I recommend this to those who enjoy the fantasy and action genre. This can be a stand-alone show but The Vampire Diaries provides more insight and background information regarding the history of the Mikaelsons that is very useful.

Control Z

Synopsis: During a school assembly, a hacker exposes a huge secret of one of the students. This causes panic and humiliates a closeted transgender student. The hacker continues revealing students’ secrets which causes many students to turn on one another. Sofía Herrera, an introverted teenager, tries to uncover who this hacker is before the dirt on her becomes public.

This Mexican teen drama caught my attention with its thrilling trailer. I grew up watching Mexican soap operas, but I haven’t seen one that was this modern and intriguing. The plot is interesting with secrets being cast into the air with just a click with each character falling one by one like a domino effect. This show takes you on a journey through each character’s story without leaving any plot holes. Not only that, but this show also integrates important topics into its story such as bullying, gender discrimination, cyber crimes, and self-harm. I also love the title of the show because the actual use of the shortcut key CTRL+Z is to undo your last action and we all know that each character wishes they could undo the damage done by the hacker.

Black Mirror

Synopsis: A dystopian anthology series explores a twisted, high-tech universe where humanity’s greatest innovations and darkest instincts collide. With each stand-alone episode a sharp, suspenseful tale, Black Mirror presents different stories regarding both intended and unintended consequences of new technologies and the effect they have on society and individuals. 

I’ve been watching this show for a while but I like to rewatch some episodes because of how enjoyable they are. Each episode is a stand-alone and has their own story and message to send. The themes can be direct or metaphorically presented which requires you to pay full attention, or else you’ll miss an important detail and be lost. For example, one of my favorite episodes is Nosedive which is about a society where people determine your reputation by rating you like a product review. The lesson is direct: don’t allow social media to run your life and seek validation from other people. Personally, I usually like to read reviews of episodes after I watch them to make sure that I correctly interpreted the message right since there are many layers and details that I might have missed. This may seem like a lot of work for a show but I just go the extra mile so I don’t feel like I wasted time watching something I didn’t understand. Overall, this is a great show to watch to fill up some spare time.

Save Me

Synopsis: Sang-mi’s family has just endured a tragedy, leaving them vulnerable and desperate for closure. Disguised as a church, a religious cult takes advantage of this to lure them in. Three years later, four of Sang-mi’s former classmates have an encounter with her. They are then determined to save her from the clutches of the cult’s leader and expose their crimes.

This is one of the best shows I’ve ever watched. This psychological thriller drama drew me in the first few minutes. Although each episode (16 episodes) is around 1 hour and 15 minutes, time will pass so quickly. The acting is so incredible that you’ll actually have a hard time separating the character from the actor. Each actor embraces their role and conveys the emotions extremely well to the point where you’ll feel the frustration surrounding each episode. This show covers the topics of bullying, suicide, assault, and cultism which are large issues in South Korea. My favorite part of this show is the intelligence and preparation it will take to outsmart the cult and expose them. As many times as Sang-mi attempted to escape, she failed due to the connections the cult had with everyone. Not only that, but she also has to bring her parents to their senses since they’ve been brainwashed. Therefore, this creates a game of tug-of-war with frustration and eagerness to gather as much resources as possible to break free. To conclude, this show is filled with action, horror, and much more that will keep you intrigued and wanting to finish it all in one day.

Crash Landing on You

Synopsis: While paragliding to test her new apparel, a South Korean entrepreneur clashes with an unexpected storm which pushes her into the Korean Demilitarized Zone, or North Korea. She’s found by an army officer who decides he will help her hide until they find a way to return to her homeland.

This show is one of the best romance dramas I’ve watched because of the complexity behind the main characters’ bond. By complex, I don’t mean normal relationship issues, but the legality of their relationship and lives being at risk just for associating with each other. Although the show is fiction, many North Koreans have praised the show for destigmatizing stereotypes and humanizing North Korean citizens since there are many misrepresentations due to their government. Also, I love the fact that they incorporated many true events about the lifestyle of North Koreans to show the simple reality that they’re just regular people. This is a very heavy action filled show that includes many fight scenes that will send you on an adrenaline rush and anticipating what will happen next. Another factor that I enjoy is that this show has no plot holes. The screenwriter of the show, including a North Korean defector, did an amazing job at making this fiction as realistic as possible which made watching it more enjoyable. Along with the plot, this has the perfect amount of comedy relief to balance out the seriousness of the situation.

Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel

Synopsis: Elisa Lam, a 21-year-old Canadian college student, traveled alone to explore Los Angeles. Three weeks later, she was found in a water tank of the Hotel Cecil in downtown L.A. Her death is labeled as an accidental drowning, but till this day, police are still unaware of the events leading to her mysterious death.

Prior to the documentary, I knew of the Elisa Lam case because of the viral elevator security footage where she displayed strange behavior during the last documented minutes of her life. This documentary retells the story of Elisa Lam which includes interviews with the investigators on the case and the hotel manager. Because I’m interested in crime cases, I already knew most of the information discussed in this show. However, this also included some small details that the general public may not know. This story intrigued me for the sole fact that Lam disappeared without a trace and somehow met her end in a water tank. Not only that, but the Cecil Hotel is notorious for strange deaths totaling in sixteen unexplained deaths since its opening. Many conspiracies such as Lam’s death being a cover-up by the hotel was discussed throughout the show by internet sleuths. Due to the lack of evidence, each person can make their own belief on what happened to Elisa Lam. Overall, this is a great documentary to watch about one of the most mysterious deaths in the U.S.