How to Get Netflix to Stop Using That Funny English Voiceover on Foreign Shows
Netflix's hit crime drama La Casa de Papel, a.k.a. Money Heist, returned for its third season on July 19.
Since the show's debut, some fans have complained about Netflix's English-language dubbing, and wondered how to watch the show in its original Spanish.
Here's exactly how to turn off dubbing, and turn on subtitles, on Netflix.
If you're anything like us, La Casa de Papel (a.k.a. Money Heist) is your latest Netflix obsession. The story of a gang of charismatic thieves in Spain has always been incredibly addictive and tightly plotted, and season three–which just debuted on July 19–did not disappoint. But there's a critical question which all English-speaking fans of the show have to face: do you watch in English, with dubbed dialogue? Or in Spanish, with English subtitles?
By default, if you're watching on a Netflix account registered in the U.S. (or other predominantly English-speaking countries), foreign shows like La Casa de Papel will play with English dubbing. That is, rather than hearing the actors' original Spanish dialogue, you're hearing a version recorded by English actors which is looped over in place of the original audio. Below you'll find a shot of what the default settings look like on a U.S. account.
If you're intrigued by how this whole dubbing process works on Netflix, the New York Times has a pretty fascinating deep-dive which uses La Casa de Papel as its central example. As the Times points out, dubbing has a historically bad reputation thanks to "decades of schlocky martial arts films and spaghetti Westerns defined by indifferent voice-casting and terrible lip-syncing."
Netflix is raising the bar with its dubbing, and there's no denying that the English voice actors in La Casa de Papel do a pretty phenomenal job. But there's no true substitution for hearing the original actor performing their own dialogue, and many fans are wondering how to do just that.
Here's exactly how to stop Netflix dubbing, and turn on Netflix subtitles instead.
How do you disable dubbing on Netflix?
First, you'll want to access the right side of the toolbar, which looks like this:
On a mobile device, tap anywhere on the screen to bring up the toolbar. If you're on a laptop or PC, just move your mouse over the screen to bring it up.
Next, click on the second button from the right, which looks like a speech bubble. That will bring up the Audio & Subtitles menu. On the left side of that menu, you can choose to view the program you're watching in its original language instead of English audio. In the case of La Casa de Papel, you'll choose European Spanish.
And you're done! The show will now play in its original language, which is perfect if you speak that language. But if you still need the show translated, you'll want to turn on subtitles.
How do you turn on subtitles on Netflix?
Go back to the same speech bubble symbol to access the Audio & Subtitles menu again, but this time, head to the right side of the menu. From the list of options, you can select English or whichever language you prefer, and then go right ahead and watch the show in its original version. Happy bingeing!
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