17 Of The Best Foreign Horror Shows Streaming Right Now

Netflix's "Black Spot" is a spooky Belgian series that takes place in the "Twin Peaks"-ish town of Villefranche. Surrounded by vast and mysterious forests, the town is quiet and remote, making the fact that the town's murder rate is six times the national average something of an alarming anomaly. The head of the town's police, Major Laurène Weiss (Suliane Brahim), is doing what she can to solve the murders and break the mounting tensions between the residents, but she has the added complication of newcomer Prosecutor Franck Siriani (Laurent Capelluto). While poking around where he isn't wanted, Siriani uncovers some distressing things from Weiss's past that seem to indicate that the town's troubles are long-standing and more disturbing than anyone realizes.

"Black Spot" is top-notch in delivering a moody, intense atmosphere. Everything in Villefranche seems to be hostile to visitors including the bedraggled locals, the damp, depressing weather, a creepy environmental cult, the lack of cell phone coverage, and whatever that creepy creature is in the forest. The show is packed with mysteries and spooky supernatural elements that will leave you wondering whether there's a serial killer on the loose or maybe, just maybe, the forest itself is just fed up with the town and its citizens.

While there are only two seasons presently, there's some speculation that Netflix will eventually greenlight a third season. We hope they do, as plenty of questions are left to be answered in the dangerous little town of Villefranche.

Loosely based on Slavic mythology, "Cracow Monsters" is about the cursed city of Kraków, Poland. The show posits that in ancient times, an entity called Chworz terrorized the city and forced the people to sacrifice children to it. Eventually, a hero rose up from the masses and managed to kill the monster and end its reign of terror ... or so everyone thought.

In the modern day, we meet a group of medical students, led by the mysterious professor Zawadzki (Andrzej Chyra), that are collecting people with magical and otherworldly powers. They discover Alex (Barbara Liberek), the ancestor of the hero that took down Chworz, and seek to help her understand her hidden powers. Unfortunately, due to cosmic coincidence,  a construction worker accidentally digs up an ancient artifact that takes control of him and guides him to serve Chworz, who has returned in the body of a young boy and is regaining its strength. The fight between the students and Chworz's servants leads Alex to learn more about her powers and the strange, glowing creature that keeps saving her life.

The series has some fantastic otherworldly moments and creatures that remind us of the work of Guillermo del Toro. Directors Kasia Adamik and Olga Chajdas mix the beautiful with the grotesque to give viewers a dark folklore that contrasts well with the snarky, punk rock life of the show's characters. At this time, we're eagerly awaiting a Season 2 renewal. 

Nanno (Kitty Chicha), the lead character in the Thai series "Girl from Nowhere," seems like a normal transfer student. She's pretty, affable, and quick to make friends. So why is it that she transfers to a new school each episode? Well, the problem with Nanno is that she is less of a student and more of a malignancy that targets troubled students and gives them the opportunity to be their worst selves.

Each episode begins with Nanno starting at a new school and finding someone to terrorize. It usually begins with her insinuating herself into their friendship and then encouraging them in different ways, fostering their worst impulses and eventually helping them destroy themselves in the process. While Nanno might seem human to begin with (albeit a uniquely awful one), viewers will quickly realize that she might be something much more sinister, capable of spreading ruin wherever she goes.

"Girl from Nowhere" is a great show for anyone who loves a good revenge plot. Occasionally the people Nanno targets don't seem to really deserve her attention, but all-in-all the series is satisfying in its exploration of how people can succumb to the troubling desires of their hearts and what happens when they are made to face the ugly consequences of giving in to their worst impulses. Make sure to check out our Season 2 ending explanation here so you can be ready to watch "Girl from Nowhere" Season 3 when it kicks off. 

"Post Mortem: No One Dies in Skarnes" is a dark comedy from Norway. The main character, Live Hallangen (Kathrine Thorborg Johansen), is found dead in a field and, without thinking, the police phone the local undertaker, her brother Odd (Elias Holmen Sørensen), to come and pick her up (talk about an embarrassing faux pas). Fortunately for Live, she awakens on the autopsy table with no memory of what happened. Everyone is overjoyed at her second chance at life; everyone, that is, except for her father. He begins acting strangely around Live and eventually knocks her out with chloroform and tries to burn her alive in the crematorium. Live escapes, accidentally killing her father in the process, and returns home, unable to make sense of what just happened.

Alongside Live, we watch as she tries to understand her father's motives and slowly becomes aware of some dark, sinister truths about her mother's supernatural nature, which she now shares. Saddled with the knowledge of her origin (and a thirst for blood), Live spends the rest of the show exploring the events that led up to her "death," as well as the challenge of navigating the real world as a supernatural predator. Much of the show's horror is intercut with humor from the ridiculous situations the characters find themselves in; if you love horror but want something a little on the lighter side, "Post Mortem: No One Dies In Skarnes" could be a great fit.

"Ju-On: Origins," a Japanese series that presents itself as the "true story" behind the events of the original films, sets the stage for the iconic horror franchise. The show builds slowly, but the brutal violence mixed with the spooky supernatural elements make for an intriguing watch.

"Ju-On: Origins" jumps around in the timeline, but the basic premise is that an actress, Haruka Honjo (Yuina Kuroshima), has experienced a haunting that she believes started with her boyfriend, Tetsuya (Kai Inowaki). In trying to find a home for them both, Tetsuya visits a house where he is confronted by the ghost of a woman wearing white, a color often associated with both purity and death in Japanese horror. From that moment, he becomes haunted by it. Brutal things happen in that house and it appears that anyone who visits it winds up cursed in some way. 

To solve the mystery behind the curse, Haruka teams up with paranormal investigator Yasuo Odajima (Yoshiyoshi Arakawa), and a child protection agent, Kimie Ariyasu (Kana Kurashina). Unfortunately for our protagonists, the curse is a powerful, sinister force and the show pulls no punches on just how bad things can get. "Ju-On: Origins" can be a hard watch if you are triggered by domestic violence and rape, but it serves to illustrate that the story of Ju-On is much, much worse than the films first indicated. A second season seems very unlikely.

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

Asia gave us some of the most inventive, terrifying horror from the last couple of decades, and the HBO anthology "Folklore" illustrates that fact. Directors from different countries, including Indonesia, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, South Korea, Taiwan, and the Philippines, helm each episode (two seasons and counting). Created by Singaporean director Eric Khoo, the episodes deliver enough allure to be binge-able but also enough diversity to enjoy as distinct entities.

Though each episode is distinct, the main themes explored include family, revenge, karma, and generational trauma. As Inkoo Kang writes in Slate, "Ghost stories are often tales of injustice." This represents another throughline over the series' two seasons, as many episodes look at the social problems that create these ghoulish frights.

Like most anthologies, not every episode rates equally in quality, but they're all intriguing and give you something to chew on. One of the best of the group? The very first episode, "A Mother's Love," which follows a single mom struggling to support her son. She decides to squat in an old mansion she's been hired to clean and discovers something much worse than a haunted house. "Folklore" takes ancient stories and applies them to modern situations, a blend of storytelling conventions as frightening as it is thought-provoking.

Television shows and films present zombies as a relatively modern phenomenon. But why should that be the case? "Kingdom," Netflix's first original Korean series, investigates this assumption, setting the drama in the 16th century. The story starts with the death of the King. The King dies of an unknown illness, and his son, Crown Prince Lee Chang (Ju Ji-hoon), sets out to investigate the mystery of his father's death. He discovers the onset of a deadly epidemic that threatens to wipe out the entire country.

The way "Kingdom" blends zombie horror with political intrigue makes it ingenious. The revelation that the illness that has been ravaging the country is just zombie-ism isn't much of a surprise, but the reveal at the end of the first episode is well done. The story gains weight with the addition of the political narrative, which involves Lee Chang's fight to stay alive after being thrown out of his own kingdom. Two forces work against the prince — the zombies and the machinations of the crown — and both are deadly. The combination of brutal zombie attacks, beautifully choreographed sword fights, and political action elevate this one to must-see status.

The apocalyptic show "Sweet Home" distinguishes itself from its contemporaries through its unique take on social isolation and desperation. The Korean Netflix show follows Cha Hyun-soo (Song Kang), a despondent young man who moves into a dilapidated apartment complex called Green Home. Hyun-soo has lost the will to live, but a series of strange events that occur around the complex force him to fight for his survival.

The other residents of Green Home seem just as lonely as Hyun-soo, and they soon discover the apartment is overrun by monsters looking to pick them off one by one. What's most interesting about these monsters is that they are all unique. We learn that each creature used to be a human who gave into their innermost desire, and the look of the monster reflects whatever desire that was. Unlike most zombie or alien invasion stories, these monsters all have their own stories to tell.

The other central component of the series centers on the journey of the survivors. Green Home attracts those fleeing tragedy or loss, and most of its residents are wrapped up in their own grief or longing. To defeat the monsters, they must work together while also deciding if survival is really something worth fighting for. It's an emotional story about human nature set in a monster-filled environment, and both elements — the grounded narrative and the supernatural components — have a good deal to offer. With one season currently streaming and two more on the way, it's time to sink your teeth into this one.

At the time of its release, the Korean series "Squid Game" became the most-watched series in Netflix history. That record was surpassed by another Korean series, "Hellbound," which premiered just two months later. If you thought the premise of "Squid Game" was dark, "Hellbound" may change your understanding of the word. From "Train to Busan" director Yeon Sang-ho, the series depicts a world where people get sent to Hell in the most horrific, public fashion imaginable.

Golden holograms known as angels show up and tell people the date and time they will be taken to hell. Then, when that moment comes, three enormous gray demons beat the poor soul to a pulp before burning them alive. A horrifying premise, yes, but the series concerns itself more with the events' effects on the nation as a whole than the public demonstrations themselves.

Two cults — the New Truth Society and the Arrowhead — capitalize on the fear these incidents have created, and everyone copes with the threat of eternal damnation in their own way. The demonstrations have altered the very fabric of society, and no one is free from blame. From those who capitalize on this hellfire to those who condemn the supposedly guilty, Hell seeps into every nook and cranny. Yeon doesn't hold back, and the series is as graphic as it is haunting.