Willie O’Reilly: Subtitles come of age where streaming knows no borders

A new string of mega-successful offerings on TV and streaming services have shown that subtitles and dubbing are no longer a barrier to viewer enjoyment

Squid Game on Netflix: the huge hit is best watched in Korean with subtitles to enhance the cultural experience

The success of Squid Game, now airing on Netflix, has upended one of my cherished beliefs: that it’s impossible to make popular TV when using subtitles or, worse still, dubbing.

How can you immerse yourself in a cinematic experience if, while watching the action, you have to dip your vision to understand what’s going on or suffer the asynchronicity of dubbed content? I accept that people will watch video set in other cultures, but surely ...