Top 10 international web series of 2020: The Queen’s Gambit, Upload and more
From The Crown Season 4 to Upload, here is a list of ten best international web series that premiered this year.
From the latest season of Netflix's The Crown to Amazon Prime Video's Upload, here's what kept the audience hooked this year. (Photo: Netflix and Amazon Prime Video)2021 marked the rise of the OTT platforms in India which churned quality content at an unprecedented pace. And on the streaming services, web series from around the world had much to offer in terms of entertainment and introspection.
While Emmy-nominated artiste and comedian Ramy Youssef challenged himself and stereotypical perception of millennials via his thoughtful and funny Hulu series Ramy, Amazon Prime Video original The Boys fought the ultimate good vs evil battle in the second installement of their superhero series. German show Dark thrilled the audience with its plot twists and revelations and Cate Blanchett-starrer Mrs America showed us how far we have come and how far we have to go, in terms of women’s rights.
Here is a list of ten best international web series that premiered this year.
1. The Crown Season 4
Created by Peter Morgan for Netflix, The Crown traces the journey of Queen Elizabeth II, right from the time she is called up to ascend the throne after her father’s death. While The Crown is mainly about the royal family and their interactions with each other, it also throws some light on the changing political landscape of Britain.
The Crown has given us a great show season after season. And when the fourth season premiered on November 15 this year, it surpassed its predecessors quite ably. Of course, the inclusion of the Princess Diana chapter helped draw the crowd.
You can watch all the seasons of The Crown on Netflix.
2.Ramy Season 2
This Hulu series has been lauded for its grounded, ‘real’ portrayal of modern American Muslims, who are usually seen essaying the more darker parts in shows and films. Its refreshing change of pace and the way the protagonist (also called Ramy) tries to find some meaning amidst all the cultural hotchpotch is new and exciting. Acclaimed actor Mahershala Ali plays a pivotal role in the second season of the show as a radical Sufi Sheikh.
Ramy is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
3.Mrs America
Created and co-written by Davhi Waller, FX series Mrs America first aired on FX’s streaming service FX for Hulu in April. The historical drama is based on the political crusade to pass the Equal Rights Amendment in the 1970s. Lifted by a balanced, well-written screenplay and the stupendous performance of the main cast, Mrs America is equal parts engaging and entertaining. The show stars Cate Blanchett, Rose Byrne, Uzo Aduba, Tracey Ullman and Sarah Paulson among others in significant roles.
Mrs America is currently streaming on Disney Plus Hotstar.
4.Little Fires Everywhere
The Hulu series starring Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington is a piercing tale of motherhood. It shows the audience that mothers are humans too and capable of making mistakes. It asks its viewers to view these mothers as not just mothers, but as living breathing humans who love, lie and do their best to carry out what the world asks of them. While the plot of Little Fires Everywhere is decent enough, it is its lead stars who pack the punch.
Little Fires Everywhere is streaming on Disney Plus Hotstar.
5 . Dark Season 3
Anyone who has not watched Dark, I have this one piece of friendly suggestion — Don’t binge-watch the show. A German series, Dark is a science-fiction thriller that offers a one-of-a-kind immersive experience. Its narrative is complex, satisfying and takes time to sit well. After a couple of children go missing in a German town, four set of families are forced to face some truly mystifying questions about life as they know it. The third season was received well by critics and the audience alike.
All the seasons of Dark are available to stream on Netflix.
6. Upload
To create a whole new world with new terms and technology is no easy feat. And something which creator Gregg Daniels did very well with the Robbie Amell and Andy Allo-starrer Upload. There is a virtual afterlife, hologram entities and the whole drill. Upload is a unique sci-fi comedy series, which while evoking laughter also asks deeper questions about human existence. A job well done.
Upload is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
7. Unorthodox
Adapted from the memoir of the same name, Unorthodox is a German-American web series about a young woman who leaves her family’s rigid traditions behind to begin a new life in Berlin. Unorthodox is unassuming and powerful with a heartfelt performance by the wonderful Shira Haas.
You can watch Unorthodox on Netflix.
8. The Queen’s Gambit
Not for no reason is The Queen’s Gambit the most viewed show on Netflix in recent times. Anya Taylor-Joy is Beth, a girl stuck in a Kentucky orphanage in the 1950s, who discovers that she has a special talent for chess. The Queen’s Gambit is a riveting, inventive tale of power, class, competition and obsession in a patriarchal world.
The Queen’s Gambit is streaming on Netflix.
9. The Boys Season 2
The Eric Kripke series is irreverent in the best sense of the term. The Boys is a smart subversion of the superhero trope where the so-called cape crusaders are caught abusing their special powers. A team of men are employed to expose the truth of these guys, and yes, you guessed it right, all hell breaks loose. The Boys is not a children-friendly series, so don’t watch this with your entire family. There is blood, gore and all things adult in store. You have been warned.
You can watch both the seasons of The Boys on Amazon Prime Video
10. The Haunting of Bly Manor
The second chapter of the anthology horror series created by Mike Flanagan, The Haunting of Bly Manor fell a little short of its predecessor The Haunting of the Hill House, especially in the scares department. However, it was its creative storytelling style and the heart it came with that made all the difference in the end. The Haunting of Bly Manor is not your quintessential horror show. In fact, it is a gothic romance that is quietly terrifying and heartbreaking. Watch it for Victoria Pedretti, who is very, very good
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