NETFLIX ROUNDUP: 5 Taiwanese Shows/Movies You Can Watch on Netflix

Last week, I was excited to read that Netflix has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA, 文化內容策進院)! TAICCA is an agency that acts as an intermediary between the Taiwanese government and the creative industry to help nurture, fund, and promote Taiwanese content. While Netflix and TAICCA have already worked together in the past by arranging workshops for Taiwanese creatives, this new MOU demonstrates Netflix’s continued interest in Taiwanese content and allows Netflix to benefit from TAICCA’s funding schemes. To celebrate all of the Taiwanese content we’ll be getting on Netflix in the coming months, I’d like to introduce you to some films and series that you can start watching on Netflix right now!

1. Light the Night (TV Series, 2021)

‣ Dark ・Emotional・Suspenseful

Set in 1988, Light the Night is a three-part mystery series about a murder that occurs in Taipei’s Red Light District. The show opens on a group of students stumbling upon a body in the mountains before whisking us back to the months before the murder and leaving us wondering, just who was killed? As the show introduces us to each of the women working in the Japanese-style hostess club, Light (光), we learn their secrets and hidden desires, all as we grow ever closer to the day of the fateful murder. Light the Night was also Taiwan’s most popular production on Netflix for the second half of 2021, reaching the top ten for five countries! Overall, the series is a perfect mix of mystery, drama, and intrigue, while also providing a window into Taipei of the 1980s.

2. Dear Ex (Film, 2018)

‣ Offbeat ・Emotional・Romantic

The winner of three Golden Horse Awards, Dear Ex is a comedy-drama about a family struggling to deal with surprising new truths after a mother and son find out that the father of the family left his insurance money to his male lover after passing away. Caught between the feud between his mother and Jay, 13-year-old Cheng-xi decides to move in with his father’s lover. As the film progresses, the three of them—mother, lover, and son—reflect on the family member they’ve lost and learn to understand each other. Dear Ex is a poignant film that explores Taiwan’s views on LGBTQ+ issues, and how Taiwanese navigate being in a modern family.

3. Your Name Engraved Herein (Film, 2020)

‣ Intimate ・Emotional・Romantic

Your Name Engraved Herein is another film that explores LGBTQ+ issues in Taiwan, and it was both the most-watched Taiwanese movie for 2020 and the best-selling LGBT-themed movie in Taiwan’s history. Set in 1987, the film depicts the fraught romance between A-han and Birdy during their years at an all-boys Catholic school. Your Name Engraved Herein is a heart-breakingly bittersweet coming-of-age love story that shows what Taiwan was like immediately following the end of martial law and how Taiwan has evolved since then. Be prepared for young men coming to terms with their own sexuality, and the youthful exploration, tears, and screams of frustration that accompany the journey!

4. The Victims’ Game (TV Series, 2020)

‣ Mystery ・Crime・Suspenseful

With one season out and another set to release this year, The Victims’ Game is an original Netflix series that follows a forensic scientist and a journalist who team up to solve a series of grisly murders. My interest in the series was first piqued after reading about how a charred corpse on the show was “the most expensive dead body prop in the history of Taiwanese cinema,” and the rest of the show demonstrates just as much attention to detail and realism. Despite the dark tone of the series, the show is also surprisingly heartfelt, with the two main characters struggling to face regrets from their pasts while also becoming unlikely allies.

5. American Girl (Film, 2021)

‣ Heartfelt ・Feel-Good・Intimate

Inspired by Director Feng-I Fiona Roan’s own experiences, American Girl tells the story of a 13-year-old Taiwanese-American girl struggling to come to terms with her new life in Taiwan during the 2003 SARS epidemic. After moving back to Taiwan with her mother and sister after her mother learns she has breast cancer, Fen has difficulty fitting in with her new class due to the Chinese language barrier and is dubbed “American girl” by her classmates. Nominated for six awards at Taipei’s 58th Golden Horse Awards including Best Feature Film, American Girl explores cultural contrasts between Taiwan and the United States and celebrates the bonds of family that bring us together.

Have you seen any of these films already? Or maybe they’re on your list right now? Let me know what you thought and feel free to share your own recommendations in the comments!

(Featured image by Netflix, via TAICCA)