Given the shutdown of cinemas and the stay-at-home orders, 2020 was a great year for OTT platforms and web content.
Not only did viewers take to streaming platforms to catch up on the latest seasons of their favourite shows, they were also open to exploring new genres and web series.
From comedy to romance to horror, OTT platforms offered a wide array of web series from around the world to satisfy viewers’ need for entertainment.
Here’s our list of 10 International web series that definitely left a mark:
10. Upload
Available on: Amazon Prime Video
Seasons: 1
Cast: Robbie Amell, Andly Allo, Allegra Edwards, Zainab Johnson, Kevin Bigley
It’s the year 2033 and humans can “upload” themselves into a virtual afterlife of their choice. When Nathan (Robbie Amell) dies an untimely death, he is uploaded to the Lake View, but his living-girlfriend Ingrid makes his life difficult. Will Nathan be able to make it in this digital heaven?
9. The Boys
Available on: Amazone Prime Video
Seasons: 2
Cast: Karl Urban, Jack Quaid, Antony Starr
It’s hard to admit but superheroes do not always use their powers for good and ‘The Boys’ explores just that. The action web series follows a group of vigilantes who make it their mission to expose superheroes who abuse their powers as well as their managers, who do all in their might to hide their dirty deeds.
8. The Mandalorian
Available on: Disney+ Hotstar
Seasons: 2
Cast: Pedro Pascal, Gina Carano, Carl Weathers
The web series chronicles the adventures of a lone bounty hunter, Din Djarin, who has been hired to find the child Grogu (Baby Yoda). The Mandalorian instead goes off on another mission with the infant, and is determined to protect him and reunite him with his family.
7. The Umbrella Academy
Available on: Netflix
Seasons: 2
Cast: Elliot Page, Tom Hopper, David Castañeda,
‘The Umbrella Academy’ is a dysfunctional family of adopted sibling superheroes who come together to solve the mystery that is their father’s death. More trouble ensues for the Hargreeves when one of their own becomes a supervillain. Will the Hargreeves clan be able to survive this and the many more problems that are in store for them?
6. Lucifer
Available on: Netflix
Seasons: 5
Cast: Tom Ellis, Lauren German, Kevin Alejandro
Lucifer Morningstar (Tom Ellis) is a devil who comes to reside in LA after he is bored of his life in Hell. He soon gets involved in a murder investigation and starts helping Detective Chloe Decker (Lauren German) with tricky cases thereafter.
But life in LA starts changing Lucifer in ways his demon self doesn’t like. Will the devil choose love over all else?
5. Sex Education
Available on: Netflix
Seasons: 2
Cast: Asa Butterfield, Gillian Anderson, Emma Mackey, Ncuti Gatwa, Kedar Williams-Stirling
Otis Milburn (Asa Butterfield) is a socially awkward and insecure teenager whose mother is a sex therapist. When his classmates learn about his home situation, Otis decides to leverage the knowledge he’s acquired, thanks to his mom, and sets up a business. As he tries to solve others’ problems, Otis realises he needs to deal with some issues of his own.
4. Money Heist
Available on: Netflix
Seasons: 2 (4 parts)
Cast: Úrsula Corberó, Álvaro Morte, Itziar Ituño, Pedro Alonso, Alba Flores, Miguel Herrán, Jaime Lorente
A criminal mastermind who goes by “The Professor” gathers a team of equally skilled thieves to execute two of history’s biggest heists, one on the Royal Mint of Spain, and the other on the Bank of Spain.
It remains to be seen if his Dali mask-wearing robbers can pull off the carefully planned heists without letting their emotions get the better of them.
3. Dark
Available on: Netflix
Seasons: 3
Cast: Louis Hofmann, Oliver Masucci, Jördis Triebel, Maja Schöne, Karoline Eichhorn, Sebastian Rudolph
After children start vanishing from the German town of Winden, four families take it upon themselves to uncover the truth. What they discover are horrifying secrets about their past and present that bring their whole existence into question.
2. The Crown
Available on: Netflix
Seasons: 4
Cast: Olivia Colman, Tobias Menzies, Calire Foy, Josh O’Connor, Emma Corrin
‘The Crown’ traces the life and journey of Queen Elizabeth II from the time she took over the throne following her father’s death. It gives viewers a glimpse of the Royal life, the politics and the rivalries that come with it, the relationships forged and more.
1. The Queen’s Gambit
Available on: Netflix
Seasons: 1
Cast: Anya Taylor-Joy, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Harry Melling, Jacob Fortune-Lloyd, Chloe Pirrie, Bill Camp
The limited web series is set in the 1950s-60s and follows an orphan chess prodigy, Beth Harmon (Anya Taylor-Joy), who struggles with addiction and alcoholism as she’s on her way to become a world champion.
With its fascinating storyline and powerful performances, ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ became Netflix’s most-watched scripted miniseries.
Also Read: Death to 2020 on Netflix: Dissecting the unfortunate year