The Netflix Dark Thriller That’s Become A Massive Hit

Nowhere is a Spanish-language production that is the first feature film project from Rock & Ruz, a film company based in Madrid, Spain. The film, which tells a harrowing story based on deep, instinctive motivations, is a huge success and a remarkable debut for the fledgling company. It is receiving rave reviews and high ratings, despite its relative lack of marketing and advertising, making it an even more impressive success.

Nowhere has made incredible strides in viewership in a number of categories, including being the most-watched non-English movie on Netflix of 2023—a feat it accomplished in only two months of viewership. In that same two months, it has also amazingly reached the status of being one of the most-watched non-English movies in the history of the streaming service. With an impressive total of 77.9 million views in just its first 91 days, as of November 12th, the film is clearly attracting a great deal of attention with no signs that will be stopping anytime soon.

Nowhere is outpaced so far by only two other films: Troll, which has 103 million views, and The Platform, coming in at 82.8 million views. According to producer Miguel Ruz in an interview with Variety, it is the emotional basis of the storytelling of this film that allows it to not only connect with audiences but transcend the dystopian, survival-based nature of its genre to connect more broadly with people who might otherwise consider those aspects too bleak.

In Nowhere, Mia must abandon her entire life and home, struggling to escape a country that has been overrun by a power-hungry regime. Separated from her husband by force, she is alone and fighting to survive when her plan to escape goes awry. The shipping container is swept off into the ocean by a massive storm, leaving her afloat with little chance of making it out of “Nowhere” alive.

Nowhere is directed by Albert Pintó, who has previously done work for Netflix on other Spanish-language productions, including the series Sky Rojo and Money Heist. This is his third feature film, following Killing God (Matar a Dios) from 2017 and Malasaña 32, which was released in 2020. His work has primarily been focused in the horror genre and has included multiple shorts as well as his two well-known Netflix series.

Nowhere was written by Indiana Lista, Ernest Riera, Miguel Ruz, Seanne Winslow, and Teresa Rosendoy, based on Lista’s story. He wrote it as a spec script for Netflix, and it represents his first feature film as well as his first professional work in film and television. Its powerful story of the struggle to survive against seemingly insurmountable odds has made it remarkably compelling viewing for audiences around the world.

Rock & Ruz, the production company for Nowhere, consists of producer Miguel Ruz and his partner Jordi Roca, who served as executive producer on the film. Shot largely in the port of Tarragona, the movie opened on Netflix on September 29 and quickly began racking up views. Within just three days on the streaming platform, it had already amassed a viewership of over 24 million.

The imagery of Nowhere is almost biblical, with the journey of a pregnant mother recalling the travels of the Virgin Mary and the shipping container afloat on the sea harkening back to the Ark of Noah, a desperate attempt at the preservation of life.

These ideas of escaping persecution, protecting the next generation, shielding innocent life, and standing up against forces of both nature and the evils of human machinations are broadly universal and transcend linguistic and cultural boundaries. If you’re interested in a moving drama based on a survival scenario that is receiving wide praise, you can stream Nowhere on Netflix right now.