Learn Spanish with Netflix with these 15 Movies
Netflix offers access to massive amounts of Spanish-language content, featuring dialects from all over the Spanish speaking world. Spanish is one of the fastest growing languages worldwide. Whether you’re interested in Iberian Spanish or one of the many Latin American varieties, you’re sure to find the interesting content that you need to learn Spanish with Netflix.
In this post, we’ll recommend a handful of Spanish-language films available on Netflix. The films mentioned below not only enrich your language-learning experience, but also expand your familiarity with different varieties of Spanish.
Is watching Netflix enough to learn Spanish?
Consistent exposure and engagement with the language, such as watching Spanish-language films on Netflix, is necessary to progress towards fluency. However, combining Netflix with platforms designed specifically for the language learner, such as LingQ, can ensure that you engage with the content optimally.
Here’s how to make a Spanish lesson with a Spanish movie…
Step 1
Download the LingQ Importer browser extension (available for Chrome, Safari, Edge and Firefox). Once you have it, add it to your toolbar.
Step 2
Open your movie, select the LingQ extension and click import. That’s it! Now you can read and listen while translating the Spanish words and phrases.
Mexican Films
The Mexican accent is particularly prevalent throughout Latin America, and is often regarded as the default accent in media and popular culture. This is due to Mexico’s ample production of TV and film. Consider adding these recent standouts to your watch list.
1. Where the Tracks End (El Último Vagón)
Get a glimpse into rural Mexico with Where the Tracks End, a light-hearted drama from 2023. The film tells the story of a teacher, Georgina, who finds ways to inspire and motivate her bright young students despite a lack of resources.
2. Prayers for the Stolen (Noche de Fuego)
Set in the mountains of Jalisco, this 2021 film follows the experience of three young girls as they endure and face the realities of growing up under the rule of local drug cartels.
3. Tell Me When (Dime Cuándo Tú)
If you’re looking for more lighthearted content, check out the romantic comedy Tell Me When (2020). As you watch leading man Will fall in love while connecting with his Mexican roots, you’ll also fall in love with the iconic sights of Mexico City.
4. Disappear Completely (Desaparecer por completo)
Horror enthusiasts will find themselves captivated by the 2022 thriller Disappear Completely. An apathetic tabloid photojournalist experiences a living nightmare, losing his senses one by one after releasing pictures of a gruesome crime.
5. The Great Seduction (La gran seducción)
Despite its name, The Great Seduction (2023) is less of a romance and more of a comedic tale centered around a remote fishing village. The economic fate of the villagers relies on their ability to convince a city doctor to relocate to their secluded island.
Spanish Films
Across the Atlantic, we’re now venturing into Spanish films. To bolster your Spanish language learning, consider adding more Iberian content to your Netflix repertoire. There are a wide variety of dialects and regional languages within Spain itself, and these films provide a glimpse into this linguistic diversity.
6. Nowhere
The 2023 drama Nowhere will have you on the edge of your seat. Mia, pregnant and alone on a shipping container, tries to survive in the middle of the ocean.
7. God’s Crooked Lines (Los renglones torcidos de Dios)
If you like psychological thrillers with unexpected twists and turns, you’ll definitely enjoy God’s Crooked Lines. The story follows a detective who checks herself into a psychiatric ward with the intent of investigating a patient’s mysterious death. However, in the process, she ends up questioning her own sanity.
8. Below Zero (Bajocero)
Action. Survival. Suspense. Below Zero (2021) has everything. In this thriller, a police officer drives a prisoner transfer van. After an attempted hijacking on an isolated, icy road, he must defend his position.
9. The Endless Trench (La trinchera infinita)
Set in Andalusia, The Endless Trench (2019) takes place during the Spanish Civil War. Republican Higinio, critical of the Nationalist government, must stay hidden in a hole beneath his home to avoid prosecution.
10. Sounds Like Love (Fuimos Canciones)
Fans of “Sex and the City” will also enjoy the 2021 romantic comedy Sounds Like Love. Follow the main character, Maca, around Madrid as she makes the most of life despite a disappointing job and the sudden reappearance of her ex.
Films in Other Spanish Dialects
Although most Spanish-language content on Netflix showcases the Spanish or Mexican varieties, there are many more dialects for you to explore. Learn Spanish with Netflix by browsing this final batch of recommendation, featuring el español rioplatense as well as accents unique to Colombia, Panamá, and Chile.
11. Today We Fix the World (Hoy se arregla el mundo)
Today We Fix the World (2022). is a sentimental, funny, and sweet film. Follow David, a workaholic, and 9-year-old Benito as they search for the boy’s biological father.
12. The Kings of the World (Los reyes del mundo)
A gritty yet hopeful drama from 2022, The Kings of the World takes you on a journey with five young men searching for a better life. No longer on the streets of Medellín, these men begin their search on the Colombian countryside.
13. Society of the Snow (La sociedad de la nieve)
Society of the Snow (2023) is a thrilling film of adventure and survival based on the true story of a devastating 1972 plane crash involving the Uruguayan rugby team. The movie is set in the Andes and features Uruguayan and Argentinian actors.
14. Nobody Knows I’m Here (Nadie sabe que estoy aquí)
Fans of the hit show “Lost” will recognize Jorge Garcia as the leading man of 2020’s Nobody Knows I’m Here. The poignant film shows Memo, a former child singer, living a reclusive life on a remote farm in Chile. Thanks to the support of a new friend, Memo finds the courage to reconcile the traumatic events of his childhood.
15. Plaza Catedral
Finally, Plaza Catedral (2021) tells the story of an unlikely bond formed between 42-year-old Alicia and a troubled teenager. As Alicia grieves the recent death of her son, we witness the difficulties and danger wtihin Panama City.
Final Thoughts
To learn Spanish with Netflix, it’s important to stay curious and consistently search for content that you’re legitimately interested in. For the Spanish language learner, there is a wide variety of content available on Netflix. Hopefully this post gives you a needed boost or a strong start in your learning! Listening to multiple dialects not only broadens your listening comprehension, but also expands your cultural perspective.
For more information on the key characteristics of several Spanish varieties, check out our post on Spanish accents from around the world.