10 Best Foreign Shows on Spectrum on Demand Right Now

Disproving the notion that American animation is only for kids, the latest project from Genndy Tartakovsky (most known for Dexter’s Laboratory and Samurai Jack) is an uncompromising action epic that puts most multimillion-dollar live-action blockbusters to shame. Though Tartakovsky has stated that Primal will continue on as an anthology series, the first two seasons tell a surprisingly character-driven story about a caveman and a mother Tyrannosaurus teaming up to survive in the prehistoric wild—with nearly zero dialogue.

It’s a highly entertaining riff on the man vs. nature story that ends up creating a fleshed-out world full of monsters and magic and families destroyed by all this chaos. And this initial set-up only becomes stronger in its second season, as the warmongering nature of man becomes the real threat. It’s all wrapped up in a beautiful technical package that makes a case for traditional (2-D) animation as a vital art form.

The latest addition to the murder mini-series genre is the incredible thriller “The Staircase.” It originally aired in 2004, but the producers took the same director and allowed him to add new episodes in 2018 to complete the story. 

The plot: A famous American novelist’s wife is found dead, and he is accused of killing her. His life comes under scrutiny as everyone asks whether she died in an accident or was murdered. If you liked their other hit, “Making a Murderer,” you will love this. You should also definitely check out “The Keepers” or Netflix’s binge-worthy crime documentary, “Evil Genius.”

This wonderful Italian epic made by HBO was a huge hit in Italy but remains little-known elsewhere. It’s based on four famous books that tell the coming-of-age story of two brilliant girls who grow up in a poor suburb on Naples in the 1950s. It also has scenes from the current time where one of them mysteriously disappears. Amazing production value, acting, and story make this show so easy to get hooked to.

Mesmerizing as its idol, Oshi No Ko is a spellbinding adaptation of the original manga hit. Centered around an idol’s secret twin children, this binge-worthy anime brilliantly takes the reincarnation trope to tackle the Japanese entertainment industry. The premise alone is brilliant, but stunning animation and catchy tracks elevate the source material. The show isn’t afraid to go in-depth– as the twins progress through their careers, certain scenes effectively explain quirks in the industry that regular viewers wouldn’t know. However, the show remains mindful of its young characters, ensuring a careful discussion without going too far. Oshi No Ko uncovers what makes stars so captivating, without sacrificing the glitz and glamor in its explanation.

The first Norwegian series made by HBO is a crazy and fun detective thriller. People from three different centuries start washing up at our time in the Oslo bay: from the Stone Age, the Viking Age, and the 19th century. Before you know it, downtown Oslo is full of people drying up hunted animals and camping in the gardens of official buildings. And seven years later, one woman, from the Viking Age, becomes the first modern-day “multi-temporal” cop. Together with a modern-day detective, they try to solve new crimes which involve people from different time periods.

If all of this sounds silly, don’t worry: Beforeigners pulls it all off. All the multi-century premise does is bring originality to the otherwise over-exploited buddy-cop show genre. It hits the perfect balance between familiar and different.

With teenage insomnia rates increasing worldwide, it’s a wonder how a story like this hasn’t been made until now. Insomniacs After School takes a charming approach to this issue– viewing it not as a reason to shame the youth over but just as an unfortunate circumstance that requires support. In this case, it’s heartwarming to see how support comes from the school community. While restarting the astronomy club may not be sound medical advice, it’s clear how valuable the school observatory is as a safe space for Nakami and Magari. It’s uplifting to see the school nurse, alumni, student council, and fellow classmates root for the club and their events. Most of all, it’s comforting to see Nakami and Magari help each other with their insomnia. Their shared comfort and support, along with the backdrop of Japan’s most photographable night skies, make this slow-burn romance anime incredible.

The last time Junji Ito’s work was animated by a Western studio, it wasn’t terrible, but it didn’t match up to the terror of his original stories. Nevertheless, animators persisted, and Production I.G. and Adult Swim’s attempt is a mini-series adaptation of the three volume manga Uzumaki. Uzumaki: Spiral Into Horror is a peculiar horror series, one that may not be downright terrifying with its small-town tale, but it’s much scarier than other Western adaptations with its faithfulness to Ito’s black-and-white intricate line work. There’s probably no other way to depict this particular story– after all, it’s all about spirals– but director Hiroshi Nagahama adds dizzying movement and composer Colin Stetson adds eerie extended techniques that match the terror Kirie and Shuichi share as they struggle against the neverending spiral spell that takes over their town.

When teens are superheroes, it can be tough to balance the regular teen drama along with saving the city (or maybe the world), but it’s a fairly common premise for a teen show. Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir may take some familiar super teen tropes, like the secret identities, awesome suit-up moments, and cool powers, but unlike most shows, the enemies they fight are teens just like them, trying to deal with regular teen problems… except they’ve been given power and bad influence from Hawk Moth, an overdramatic supervillain that somehow keeps up-to-date to the latest drama in Marinette and Adrien’s Parisian high school. Playing with new powers and switching up the tropes, Miraculous is a fun gem of a kid’s show, one that pays genuine attention to kid’s issues, even if they solve it with the most ludicrous of powers and catchiest of songs.

Making a bucket list at the height of a zombie outbreak seems ridiculous, yet totally reasonable when you’ve spent the last three years overworked and undervalued. In real life, our workforce already feels zombified as higher-ups enslave the working class to high production and insufficient pay, so it’s nice to see Zom 100 exemplify that notion. Zom 100 also immediately captures that essential reminder to “live now,” which has become especially relevant as the Covid-19 pandemic found most people rekindling old hobbies and discovering new ones as death and sickness felt ever near.

Though there isn’t a lot of character-building in episode one, the titular 100-item bucket list promises an eye-opening, personal journey with our protagonist Akira. Thankfully, the opening didn’t shy away from the gore and electrifying tension of the zombie attacks, making this an interesting horror/slice-of-life/coming-of-age/drama to keep an eye on. 

City of God: The Fight Rages On is a traditional sequel. It takes place years after the events of the first movie and follows some of the same characters—mainly Rocket, who is starting to doubt his calling as a photographer. “I was selling innocent blood for shit salary,” he says as we see him take part in the media exploitation of mostly Black deaths in the city. The series’ social commentary is its strongest point. It remains sharp and poignant, this time focusing as much on capital-powered unethical journalism as on political corruption and state-sanctioned violence. It’s also just as vibrant and mesmerizing as ever, capturing the diversity and passion that electrifies the city. But the series also repeats its plot, only this time it’s more cynical because we no longer see things unfold through Rocket and his friends’ then-naive eyes. The teens in this series seem equally hardened, so it’s a shame to lose that freewheeling spirit that made the film feel so compelling. Still, the series is worth watching if not for the same twists and dizzying style, then for the thoughtful social criticism it offers.