Let’s face it – the entertainment landscape has changed dramatically. Gone are the days when Hollywood was the undisputed king of global storytelling. Now, international hits are stealing the spotlight, and we can’t get enough.
Remember when RRR burst onto the scene in 2022? That Telugu-language epic raked in a cool $140 million worldwide, proving that you don’t need Hollywood stars to make bank at the box office. And let’s not forget the Squid Game phenomenon – suddenly everyone and their nan was talking about Korean dramas and debating whether they’d risk it all for a giant piggy bank full of won.
Take the Spanish series Culpa Mía, for instance. This YA romance drama became a viral sensation on Amazon Prime Video in 2023, despite mixed reviews. Its success was so massive that Amazon greenlit not just one, but two sequels, Culpa Tuya and Culpa Nuestra, with the latter set to release in 2025. And if that wasn’t enough, they even made an English-language remake called My Fault: London, which has blown up on TikTok and won many awards in my household.
So what’s the go? Are we all just tired of the same old Hollywood formula, or is there something more to this international content craze?
The appeal of the unfamiliar
Monika Shergill, VP of Content at Netflix India, reckons it’s the “charm of the new” that’s got us hooked.
I find that when people talk about why we’re drawn to story telling, they usually refer to universal themes — love, heartbreak, jealousy, fear. It’s why shows like Normal People pop off and artists like Taylor Swift have careers. While this is partly true, Shergill argues that it’s the cultural specificity that truly captivates audiences when it comes to non-English content.
“When you have stories which are very culturally rooted, they belong to a certain milieu which is very fresh for the audience,” she says. This cultural richness is what transforms these stories into global phenomena. It’s like travelling — everything’s new, exciting, and just a bit confusing in the best way possible.
Take Squid Game, for example. It wasn’t just a cooked game with violence galore, it was a deep dive into Korean society, complete with references that had us Googling like mad. It’s this blend of the familiar and the unknown that makes international content so compelling.
And it’s not just limited to film and TV, the music industry has seen a similar shift. In the first half of 2023, English language music’s share of the Top 10,000 total on-demand tracks globally fell to 56.4 per cent, down from 67.2 per cent in 2021, per Music Business Worlwide.
Meanwhile, artists like Bad Bunny are breaking records left and right. He became Spotify’s most-streamed artist globally in 2020 and 2021, marking the first time a non-English language artist topped the year-end list. He, too, doesn’t shy away from putting his culture first in his music — his latest album (DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS) is literally about gentrification in Puerto Rico and went viral on TikTok.
Breaking down the language barrier
Remember when reading subtitles felt like homework? Well, not anymore. Netflix is going hard on making international content accessible, with Shergill revealing they’re “subbing in more than 35 languages” and even dubbing shows like Heeramandi in 13 languages. It’s no wonder that over 70 per cent of Netflix viewing now involves subtitles or dubbing.
As the legendary Bong Joon-ho (director of Parasite) said at the 2020 Golden Globes, “Once you overcome the one-inch tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films.” Truer words have never been spoken.
Having friends dabble in Bollywood classics through streaming has been the most cathartic thing ever. As a South-Asian girlie living in the Western world, so often people’s references to my culture is through the diaspora experience — think Never Have I Ever, The Mindy Project.
While these are incredibly valuable pieces of media to have in helping bridge that cultural gap, having a white person be excited about a piece of art that doesn’t have to relate to the white gaze at all is pretty liberating. Also I have many thoughts on how Mindy Kaling frames the Asian experience (why does the brown girl only ever fall in love with a white man?) in general but we simply don’t have time to get into that.
It’s not about being “global”
Interestingly, Netflix isn’t actually trying to make “global” shows. Shergill spills the tea: “There is nothing called a global show. We don’t set out to make any global story or stories — shows and movies are made global by the audiences who embrace them.”
It’s like that indie band you ‘discovered’ before they hit TikTok – the authenticity is what makes it special, not some calculated attempt to please everyone.
Take the show Mo –– although not entirely foreign language, it does feature three different languages and in no way shies away from the reality of each culture.
There’s also the Japanese reality TV showThe Boyfriend which flips the dating show archetype on its head. And no I’m talking about the fact that it’s a queer dating show (which is an obvious slay), but because it’s really fucking wholesome and incorporates the nuances of dating culture in Japan.
The future of storytelling
As we dive deeper into this world of global content, it feels like we’re on the brink of something big. Monika’s got stars in her eyes about it: “I have a huge dream of really making the [global] content offering on Netflix to be the most brand defining, trend setting, most emotionally comforting and to be the biggest spectacle.”
In 2025, Netflix India is ramping up its game with a diverse slate that includes everything from Bollywood blockbusters to regional hits, all aimed at delivering innovative storytelling that resonates both locally and globally.
It’s not just about entertainment anymore – it’s about broadening our horizons and maybe, just maybe, understanding each other a bit better. As Monika puts it, “Great stories can come from anywhere and travel to anywhere.” With the rise of international content, we’re seeing a shift in how we consume media, and I can’t help but be excited thinking about what’s next.
So, is Western media getting boring? Maybe not entirely, but it’s definitely got some stiff competition. And honestly, with the world of entertainment opening up like never before, we’re the real winners here. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m gonna go binge The Boyfriend again!
Lead image: RRR / Netflix / Prime
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