Communications in Humanities Research ISSN: 2753-7072
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Research Article

Cross-Cultural Appeal in Contemporary Screen Media: Why Do Certain TV Series and Films Break Through Global Audiences?

Zekang LiCommunication University of China*

* Corresponding author: [email protected]

Abstract

With the global expansion of streaming media platforms, the cross-cultural communication pattern of film and television content has undergone profound changes. More and more non-English dramas have broken through language and cultural barriers and received wide attention around the world. However, the systematic explanation of this phenomenon is still insufficient in existing research. This research has built a cross-cultural attractiveness analysis framework that integrates the three dimensions of "content characteristics - platform mechanism - audience participation". Taking the three global hit dramas Squid Game (South Korea), Money Heist (Spain) and Lupin (France) as a case, the case analysis method is used to systematically examine the intrinsic mechanism of film and television works to achieve cross-cultural breakthroughs. The study found that the organic combination of the universality and cultural specificity of the narrative constitutes the content basis of cross-cultural attractiveness; the algorithm recommendation of the streaming media platform, the global synchronous launch and the localized subtitle strategy provide structural communication conditions; and the audience amplifies the cross-cultural influence of the work through the participatory cultural practice of social media. This research enriches the applicability of cross-cultural communication theory in the context of digital media and provides practical reference for the internationalization strategy of film and television content.

Keywords: Cross-cultural communication; Global circulation of screen media; Cross-cultural appeal; Streaming platforms; Participatory culture
Published: June 29, 2026
DOI: 10.54254/2753-7064/2026.BJ34905
Volume: CHR Vol.114
pp. 75-80
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