Nowhere, the unbearably tense new thriller from Netflix, has turned out to be a huge hit. As if our recommendation earlier this week wasn't enough of an accolade, the film has just become Netflix's most viewed non-English title of 2023.
With 77.9 million views so far, it's the second most viewed non-English film the best streaming service has ever streamed. It's already racked up more than half the views of the current most viewed non-English film, Troll, and that one's been streaming for a year. Nowhere has only been streaming since the end of September.
The film is a genuine phenomenon, and that's all the more impressive when you consider that it's hardly a feel-good romp. Nowhere starts off bleak and then somehow manages to get even bleaker. Barbie it isn't.
What is Nowhere about?
Set in a near-future Spain, Nowhere's world is a dystopian one. An extreme shortage of essentials across Europe has led to a terrifying situation where the very old, the very young and the very pregnant are considered a burden that everyone would be better off without. Desperate to escape, one couple pays a smuggling gang to get them out – but they end up separated, and the heavily pregnant Mia finds herself lost at sea in a shipping container full of apparently useless trinkets. You'll never think of rubber ducks in the same way again.
The film is currently gathering mixed reviews because it's often a very tense and even difficult watch. Praise for Anna Castillo in the lead role is almost universal, but the nail-biting claustrophobia means that for some viewers it's a film to endure rather than enjoy. But it's safe to say that the somewhat ambiguous ending will be making Netflix happy. It leaves enough room for a sequel, and given the numbers that Nowhere is currently doing that's something I'm sure Netflix and the filmmakers will want to explore.
Nowhere is streaming now on Netflix.
