Foreign Netflix drama series High Tides praised as ‘messy and spicy’

High Tides is now available to stream on Netflix in New Zealand. Photo / Netflix

Fans of the new Flemish-Dutch Netflix series High Tides have flocked to social media to share their praises for the show, with people declaring it “10/10.″

High Tides (Knokke Off), directed by Anthony Van Biervliet, is a coming-of-age series following a group of young, wealthy friends discovering the trials and tribulations of love, friendship, and identity as they head to the Belgian coast for the summer.

But if you thought the series was all about a group of young adults dancing and partying in the sun, you’re in for a surprise.

Louise Basteyns (Pommelien Thijs) and her boyfriend Alexandre “Alex” Vandael (Willem De Schryver) are expecting a relaxed, stress-free summer as they head to a quiet coastal town in Belgium with a group of friends.

Yet despite the lavishness and parties, their attractive lifestyle does not deter the group from worrying about the expectations their rich families hold over them.

As the summer drags on, cracks begin to appear in their somewhat ideal lives as the group are forced to grapple with their unique issues in different ways.

Alex deals with anger issues after witnessing a traumatic affair between his father Patrick (Geert Van Rampelberg) and his mother’s best friend, as he fights a constant battle with his thoughts.

High Tides is now available to stream on Netflix in New Zealand. Photo / Netflix

Louise, his girlfriend, is trying to reconcile with her bipolar disorder diagnosis as she figures out whether she needs medication or not.

If that doesn’t make the quaint town of Knokke sound busy enough, Daan (Eliyha Altena) and his mother Melissa (Anna Drijver) appear and throw everything into disarray.

Daan ends up falling into a love triangle with Louise and Alex after he meets them and the group at the surfing club in town.

Louise begins to develop feelings for Daan immediately, which creates tensions with her boyfriend.

Since its release, fans have stormed X (formerly Twitter) to share their thoughts on the show. Most reviews so far have been positive.

“Don’t know what Netflix put in knokke off but it’s really good,” wrote one fan.

High tides on Netflix 10/10.” wrote another fan.

“Knokke Off (High Tides) was surprisingly good. Maybe [Netflix] should think about a season 2!” exclaimed one user.

“High tides on Netflix is actually good and I’m only on episode 4,” another user said, highlighting its immediate appeal, while another conveyed the show’s binge-worthiness: “Knokke Off was online for 2 hours on Netflix and I finished it in 1 night.”

High Tides (Knokke Off) is available to stream on Netflix in New Zealand from December 2023.