Cultural Narrative Hybridizations in Spanish Fiction Produced by Netflix

Abstract

How is Netflix’s Global Aestheticization Affecting Spanish Cinematic Fiction? This study sets out to analyze how the platform’s emergence is transforming the Spanish series, focusing on the tension between globalization and the preservation of national cultural identity. A critical analysis methodology is proposed, based on variables drawn from a literature review on Spanish cinema’s cultural identity. In a second phase, these variables are applied to case studies of top-rated and most popular “Netflix Originals from Spain” on IMDb, including La casa de papel, Élite, Las chicas del cable, and Berlín. Discussions reveal the tensions Spanish fiction faces as content is homogenized to appeal to international tastes and incorporates universal themes like diversity. Conclusions show foreign patterns such as tokenism, Anglo soundtracks, faster pacing, or youth-oriented themes, contrasted with distinctively Spanish elements like folkloric and cultural references, the natural imperfection of characters, and local intertextualities that may go unnoticed by international audiences.