Channel 4 is home to some of the best foreign dramas available to stream anywhere. Here are 20 of the best including a short synopsis of each and similar titles so you know what to watch next.
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Bordertown S3 (2020) – [Crime/Drama]
For fans of: The Bridge, Trapped, Wallander
Ville Virtanen returns as Kari Sorjonen, a brilliant but socially awkward detective navigating violent crimes in a Finnish border town. Season 3 deepens the psychological toll and family stakes as the cases grow darker. It’s cerebral, cold, and quietly devastating.
Incognito (2024) – [Thriller/Crime]
For fans of: The Bureau, Red Light, The Spy
A Dutch undercover agent infiltrates a terrorist cell, risking identity and sanity in this taut, high-stakes thriller. It’s lean, tense, and full of moral ambiguity. Trust no one—not even yourself.
Ice Cold Murders: Rocco Schiavone (2016–2023) – [Crime/Drama]
For fans of: Inspector Montalbano, Fargo, Bosch
Marco Giallini plays Rocco Schiavone, a sardonic Roman detective exiled to the snowy Alps, solving murders with wit and weariness. The cases are brutal, the scenery breathtaking, and the mood delightfully bitter. Italy’s answer to noir—with snow boots.
The Wall: The Orchard (2023) – [Crime/Thriller]
For fans of: Cardinal, The Killing, The Fall
Céline Trudeau returns to a remote Quebec town where a murder reopens wounds she thought buried. It’s atmospheric, emotionally raw, and steeped in psychological tension. The orchard hides more than fruit.
Bardot (2023) – [Biopic/Drama]
For fans of: Dalida, Becoming Elizabeth, The Serpent Queen
This French biographical drama traces Brigitte Bardot’s rise to fame and cultural icon status, from ingénue to international sensation. Julia de Nunez captures her charisma and contradictions with striking depth. Glamour, scandal, and cinematic legacy collide.
Codename: Annika (2022) – [Crime/Thriller]
For fans of: The Valhalla Murders, Before We Die, The Bridge
A rookie Finnish cop goes undercover in the art smuggling world, facing corruption and identity crises. Satu Tuuli Karhu leads this stylish, fast-paced thriller with grit and vulnerability. Crime meets canvas in a world where nothing is authentic.
Start Over (2023) – [Sci-Fi/Crime]
For fans of: Dark, The Returned, Parallels
A French detective wakes up in the past with one chance to stop a murder before it happens. Time bends, memories blur, and justice hangs in the balance. It’s a genre mashup with emotional resonance and noir flair.
Inspector Gerri (2024) – [Crime/Psychological]
For fans of: Freud, The Silence of the Water, Luther
An intuitive Italian cop haunted by childhood trauma investigates a series of disturbing murders. It’s moody, cerebral, and steeped in psychological tension. The past isn’t just prologue—it’s motive.
Isolated (2024) – [Supernatural/Drama]
For fans of: Fortitude, The Rig, Midnight Mass
A remote Finnish community is cut off from the outside world—and something ancient awakens. Supernatural forces and human desperation collide in this eerie survival drama. Isolation breeds monsters, real and imagined.
Omerta 6/12 (2021) – [Action/Thriller]
For fans of: Jack Ryan, Bodyguard, Fauda
Jasper Pääkkönen stars as agent Max Tanner, racing to stop a terrorist attack on Finland’s Independence Day. It’s slick, explosive, and full of geopolitical tension. National security has never looked so cinematic.
Freezing Embrace S2 (2023) – [Crime/Drama]
For fans of: Deadwind, Bordertown, The Killing
A peaceful Finnish town hides a killer with a chilling secret in this slow-burn procedural. Season 2 deepens the emotional stakes and community fractures. Cold cases, colder hearts.
Hellground (2024) – [Crime/Thriller]
For fans of: Dogs of Berlin, Babylon Berlin, The Crimson Rivers
A picturesque German village masks a string of brutal murders in this dark, fast-moving thriller. Secrets fester beneath the cobblestones, and justice is anything but clean. Paradise is a crime scene.
Promethea (2024) – [Supernatural/Crime]
For fans of: The Returned, Marianne, Equinox
A French detective begins seeing visions that may be memories—or clues to a crime. It’s haunting, poetic, and full of metaphysical dread. Truth flickers between dream and nightmare.
Classified (2024) – [Thriller/Drama]
For fans of: The Americans, Le Bureau, Homeland
A French-Canadian spy suspects his wife is also a spy—and not on his side. Paranoia, betrayal, and marital tension fuel this sleek espionage drama. Love is the most dangerous cover.
Detective Surprenant (2023) – [Crime/Drama]
For fans of: Cardinal, Twin Peaks, Broadchurch
In a remote Quebec town, a murder exposes long-buried secrets and fractured relationships. Surprenant is methodical, melancholic, and quietly brilliant. Small towns make big crimes.
Under Fire (2022– ) – [Drama/Procedural]
For fans of: Station 19, Chicago Fire, Rescue Me
A Belgian firefighting team struggles to rebuild after a fatal mistake threatens their unity and reputation. It’s emotional, character-driven, and full of real-world stakes. Flames aren’t the only thing they’re fighting.
The Sommerdahl Murders (2020– ) – [Crime/Drama]
For fans of: Midsomer Murders, Borgen, Wallander
Set in a Danish coastal town, this procedural follows DCI Dan Sommerdahl as his work obsession strains his marriage and friendships. It’s sunlit, sharp, and quietly tragic. Murder never takes a holiday.
Arcadia (2023) – [Sci-Fi/Drama]
For fans of: Black Mirror, 3%, The Handmaid’s Tale
In a dystopian Belgium, citizens are ranked by morality scores in a heavily surveilled society. Secrets, rebellion, and family loyalty drive this chilling vision of control. Utopia has rules—and consequences.
The Devil’s Leap (2024) – [Thriller/Drama]
For fans of: Tell No One, The Night of the 12th, Run
A father-daughter hiking trip turns deadly in this fast-paced French thriller. Nature becomes a trap, and survival reveals buried truths. It’s lean, tense, and emotionally raw.
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