Looking for Spanish movies on Netflix? Don’t miss out on these!
Netflix has an amazing selection of movies from all over the world, including both their original productions and movies they offer through licensing.
Can you learn a language through Netflix?
Absolutely! Netflix is a great tool to improve your language skills!
Benefits of watching Spanish movies on Netflix
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Pause and replay
Spanish spoken by native speakers can often be very fast, and even at an advanced level of Spanish, you’ll often miss things. Of course, when talking to a native speaker you don’t want to stop during a conversation and ask them what everything means, and you can only ask someone to repeat themselves so many times.
One of the best things about watching Spanish movies on Netflix is being able to pause when you don’t understand something.
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Idioms and colloquialisms
Unlike language textbooks, movies are made by native speakers for native speakers. This means the language they use isn’t something you’ll usually come across unless you live in the country.
Idioms and colloquialisms are often translated in the subtitles, so if you are watching something with subtitles in a language you know well, it’s an easy way to find Spanish equivalents for commonly used idioms.
If you aren’t using subtitles in a language you know, I suggest using Spanish subtitles. This way you will not only hear the idioms but also see them spelled out.
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Language immersion
If you aren’t living in a Spanish-speaking country, watching movies is a really easy way to create an immersive environment. This helps you improve your listening skills, reading skills (if you are using subtitles), and will generally help you get a better feel for the language.
This is why watching Spanish movies on Netflix is one of your best options. Netflix offers a wide variety of language options, including subtitles. If you are interested in finding out all the different ways Netflix allows you to find content in your target language, read this post we’ve written on this blog.
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Chrome Extensions
Okay, so there are all general benefits of watching movies, but what makes watching Spanish movies on Netflix so good?
Well, one of the benefits of Netflix being online is that you watch it through a browser, which allows developers to create extensions that can help you learn a language more efficiently.
Some of my favorite are Language Learning through Netflix, which allows you to add double subtitles to the content you are watching, select the type of translation as well as pause and add words to a study list.
Another great one is Super Netflix, which allows you to add custom subtitles to anything you are watching, in case you aren’t able to find the right ones through Netflix.
How can you learn Spanish with Netflix?
While learning a language through Netflix sounds pretty ideal, there are strategies that will help you, and strategies that won’t. Here are some of my favorite strategies, and when/why you should use them.
Let’s assume you speak English, and you want to learn Spanish. This is just used as an example to make the strategies clearer, but these techniques work and apply to every language available.
1. English content with Spanish subtitles
Level – Beginner/Intermediate
Why – Because you already understand English, so there is no need for subtitles. By adding them in Spanish you are getting exposed to the language while listening to a language you already know.
I find this incredibly helpful in the beginning. If you already know a few words, you can quickly pick them out and figure out more words through context.
Don’t be afraid to pause every once in a while, study a sentence, look up words you are unsure about.
You can also write down sentences you think might be helpful. For example, if people use certain expressions and they are translated into Spanish.
The best part about this is that even when it’s hard to find content in Spanish, you can apply this strategy to constantly improve your skills or be exposed to Spanish.
2. Spanish content with English subtitles
Level – Beginner
Why – To get used to the sounds of Spanish while still understanding what’s going on.
I think language exposure is a very underrated tool to help you become fluent in a new language. You don’t have to understand everything, but it helps you develop a feeling for intonation, pronunciation, and rhythm.
When I was younger I spent the same amount of hours a week studying German, French, and English. Only one of those stuck, and it’s because I had had so much exposure. English was everywhere, even when I was small. I couldn’t understand a thing, but when I did start learning it, it felt a lot more familiar than for example French, a language I would mostly hear in class during a listening exercise.
That being said, I would only recommend this if you are too much of a beginner to add subtitles in Spanish. If you are still not at a point where you can read subtitles that are 100% in Spanish, consider doing both.
3. Spanish language content with Spanish subtitles
Level – Intermediate (Advanced)
Why – To connect speech to what is written
Hearing Spanish while also seeing it written on-screen really helps to connect speech to written words. I personally also feel it helps me remember things better, as I am not just hearing or reading it, but doing both at the same time.
This might be one of my favorite things, and it’s a strategy I still apply daily.
I am currently a C1 speaker of English, and I still find new words, new expressions. Better yet – when I was younger I used to watch things without subtitles. Great for my pronunciation, not so great for my spelling.
I learned loads of new words, but I had no idea how to spell them, and we all know English spelling is notoriously unreliable. When I started watching content in English I found myself constantly seeing words I was already using, that were spelled completely different than what I had imagined.
Plus, and this might be a bit of a personal thing, but I find that the more I speak the more phonetic my spelling gets. While I am perfectly aware of the difference between “you’re” and “your”, after a week of mostly speaking English without writing or reading it, I am much more likely to misspell it or to overlook the mistake.
By keeping subtitles on English, even when I am not actively studying it anymore, I find that I keep up my reading brain and am a better speller when it is time to write something.
4. Spanish subtitles without subtitles
Level – Intermediate / Advanced
Why – To practice your listening skills.
If you are interested in practicing your listening skills, this is an amazing way to do so.
It might also benefit your pronunciation, as you are not focusing on how things are written, but purely on how it is pronounced. This means that if native speakers skip letters or are pronouncing certain letters differently than usual, you won’t be distracted by the spelling.
Why are “thought”, “though”, and “tough” all spelled nearly the same but pronounced differently? It doesn’t matter if you are only focussing on how they sound, and it’ll be easier to distinguish them in the future.
In the case of Spanish, it might help you distinguish between different accents.
That being said, as I’ve mentioned before, I think adding subtitles, in general, is a great tool to focus on both listening and reading, and I still use it as a tool to stay on top of my spelling.
5. Prewatch and rewatch
Level – Beginner/Intermediate/Advanced
Why – To know what is going on while watching something in Spanish
One of the biggest risks of watching something in a foreign language is that you might not be able to understand everything, and therefore you might not follow the plot, or miss something important.
That, however, isn’t an issue when you already know what is going to happen.
When learning a foreign language, I love rewatching classic movies or even rereading books. Because I already know what is happening, it is much easier to fill in gaps and words you don’t understand.
Ideal for this type of rewatching, in my opinion, is things along the lines of Harry Potter and animated movies.
I myself am not a big fan of dubbed movies, which is why I generally prefer animated movies.
That being said, if there is a particular movie that is a classic in Spanish, you could simply watch it twice – once with subtitles in English, and once either without subtitles or with subtitles in Spanish.
This way you know what is going on, so you won’t miss important clues, but you can still practice your language skills.
What are some Spanish movies you can find on Netflix?
Here is a selection of some of the best Spanish movies on Netflix.
1. Roma (2018)
IMDB Score: 7.7
Genre: Drama
Accent: Mexican Spanish and some dialogue in Mixtec, an indigenous language from Oaxaca
“Cleo is one of two domestic workers who help Antonio and Sofía take care of their four children in 1970s Mexico City. Complications soon arise when Antonio suddenly runs away with his mistress and Cleo finds out that she’s pregnant. When Sofía decides to take the kids on vacation, she invites Cleo for a much-needed getaway to clear her mind and bond with the family.”
2. El Ciudadano Ilustre (2016)
IMDB Score: 7.5
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Accent: Argentinean Spanish and European Spanish
“A recipient of the Nobel Prize for Literature, who has been living in Europe for decades, accepts an invitation to receive a prize. In Argentina he finds both similarities and irreconcilable differences with the people of his hometown.”
3. Durante La Tormenta (2018)
IMDB Score: 7.4
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Romance, Thriller
Accent: European Spanish
“Two storms separated by 25 years. A woman murdered. A daughter missed. Only 72 hours to discover the truth.”
4. Contratiempo (2016)
IMDB Score: 8.1
Genre: Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Accent: European Spanish
“The international young entrepreneur Adrián Doria seems to have it all in life; wealth, recognition, fame, and above all, a family and a caring wife on his side. But his perfect life is about to crumble like a pack of cards when Doria is found locked in a hotel room next to a dead body, and as a result, he now stands accused of murder. Under those circumstances and with less than three hours to come up with an impregnable defense as a last-minute eyewitness threatens to turn his case around, Adrian will seek help from the esteemed witness preparation expert, Virginia Goodman, while the clock is ticking. Eventually, as the night drags on, diverse interpretations of the incident will emerge, nevertheless, even though there can be more than one side to a story, in fact, only one can be absolutely real.”
5. A Pesar De Todo (2019)
IMDB Score: 5.1
Genre: Comedy
Accent: European Spanish
“4 quite different sisters, all with their own little secrets, attend their mom’s funeral in Madrid. The will reveals that their dad is not their biological dad and they are sent on a quest together for their bio dads.”
6. La Noche De 12 Años
IMDB Score: 7.6
Genre: Biography, Crime, Drama, History
Accent: Uruguayan Spanish
“1973. Uruguay is governed by a military dictatorship. One autumn night, three Tupamaro prisoners are taken from their jail cells in a secret military operation. The order is precise: “As we can’t kill them, let’s drive them mad.” The three men will remain in solitary confinement for twelve years. Among them is Pepe Mujica – later to become president of Uruguay.”
7. Toc Toc
IMDB Score: 6.7
Genre: Comedy
Accent: European Spanish
“The adventures and misadventures of a group of patients with OCD appointed at the same time.”
8. Elisa y Marcela (2019)
IMDB Score: 6.4
Genre: Biography, Drama, Romance
Accent: European Spanish
“In 1901, Elisa Sanchez Loriga took on the identity of Mario Sánchez to marry her lover of fifteen years, Marcela Gracia Ibeas.”
9. Diecisiete (2019)
IMDB Score: 7.2
Genre: Drama
Accent: European Spanish
“To find a shelter dog he befriended, a 17-year-old boy escapes a juvenile detention center and is joined on his quest by his older brother.”
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10. Veronica (2017)
IMDB Score: 6.4
Genre: Horror
Accent: European Spanish
“Madrid, 1991. A teen girl finds herself besieged by an evil supernatural force after she played Ouija with two classmates.”
11. La Llamada (2017)
IMDB Score: 6.3
Genre: Musical
Accent: European Spanish
“María and Susana, two rebellious teens spend their summer in a catholic camp. With music as their common denominator, teen rebellion and ecclesiastic order will collide, creating a hymn to freedom and first love.”
12. La Enfermedad Del Domingo (2018)
IMDB Score: 6.9
Genre: Drama
Accent: European Spanish
“A high-class old lady receives the unexpected visit of her long-time stranded daughter that she had left over thirty years ago, asking a strange request: to spend ten days the two together.”
13. Quien Te Cantará (2018)
IMDB Score: 7.0
Genre: Drama, Music, Mystery
Accent:
“When Lila, a celebrated but fame-weary and amnesiac singer forgets how to perform, super-fan Violeta steps in to teach Lila how to be Lila once again.”
14. La Hora Final (2017)
IMDB Score: 6.1
Genre: Drama, History, Thriller
Accent: Peruvian Spanish
“Two Peruvian detectives must capture Abimael Guzman, the leader of terrorist organization Shining Path, but their intense and complex relationship will endanger their mission and their lives, in the midst of violent Lima of 1992.”
15. No Estoy Loca (2018)
Accent: Chilean Spanish
Genre: Comedy, Drama
“Carolina discovers that she can’t have children the same day that her husband leaves her for her best friend, which pushed her to suicide and to be hospitalized in a psychiatric clinic.”
16. Perdida (2019)
IMDB Score: 7.1
Genre: Drama
Accent: Mexican Spanish
“Shattered by the unexpected news of their irreversible break-up, an aspiring orchestra conductor is puzzled by his girlfriend’s mysterious and seemingly inexplicable case of disappearance. But, can he look beyond the facts?
This is the Mexican remake of the Colombian movie ‘The Hidden Face‘ (2011)”
17. Secuestro (2016)
IMDB Score: 6.4
Genre: Crime, Thriller
Accent: European Spanish
“When her boy’s alleged kidnapper is released for lack of solid evidence, a reputable and well-known attorney takes matters into her own hands with unintended and spectacularly disastrous consequences.”
18. El Guardian Invisible (2016)
IMDB Score: 6.3
Genre: Thriller
Accent: European Spanish
“A female inspector confronts a serial killer while dealing with the ghosts of her past.”
How do I find more content in Spanish?
Looking for even more Spanish language content? Don’t worry.
There are many ways to find foreign language content on Netflix
You don’t just have to limit yourself to original Spanish language content. In fact, there are many ways to access foreign language content on Netflix that can help you improve your language skills.
Here are a few of my favorites.
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Original content
Let’s face it, nothing beats a movie in its original language. I have met Germans who dared to say that sometimes the German voice-over was better than the original and that you ‘really don’t see’ that the mouths move in a completely different way than they should, but they are either lying or delusional.
When learning a language try to find as much original content as you can find. Luckily, there is an easy way to do so on Netflix.
When going to the little search box in the corner, simply search for ‘*blank* language’.
For example, ‘German language’, or ‘Arabic language’.
This will give you an overview of all the content available in that language.
Not only that, Netflix lets you specify what kind of content you want. You could look specifically for “German-language documentary” or “Portuguese language action movie”.
Note: you really need to specify the language part. When simply looking up “German movies”, Netflix might also be looking at production which means they could also be offering some movies that are made by Germans but not necessarily in German.
Some languages might have more options than others, but this is the fastest way of finding out what original language content Netflix has to offer.
2. Audio in …
If you have already gone through all of the original language stuff, you might be tempted to simply change the audio in original English content. I am personally not a big fan of material with voice overs, but some people swear by it. The nice thing about this option is that it expands your possible pool of movies and series greatly.
Most original Netflix content offers audio and subtitles in different languages, but if you want to simplify the process, even more, you can simply search for “Audio in Spanish” and let Netflix do the rest.
This will load all of the titles that are available with different audio than the original. Generally, these are Netflix originals that are shared worldwide and therefore have different audio sets available, which they have all conveniently uploaded for us language learners (Thank you Netflix! We see you!)
Once you have selected a show you can change the audio to the language you want to learn. You can then always change the subtitles to English, to make sure you understand everything, or you can leave the audio in English and only change the subtitles to the language you are learning (which is also greatly beneficial to your language learning process).
3. Subtitles in
Similarly to the search shown above, you can also search for “Subtitles in Spanish” and be presented with the subtitles that are available in different languages.
Please note that even though the search may be the same, the results may differ a lot, mostly in the sense that there will be many more options when it comes to the availability of subtitles in foreign languages.
When selecting your new show you simply change the language of subtitles, and voila.
This is actually one of my favorite language learning strategies. As mentioned before, I am not a big fan of voice-overs, so I always watch movies in their original language. A lot of the things I watch are in English, which is a language I already understand, so I change the subtitles to a language I am still learning
4. Change the language
If you still haven’t found your language because it’s unavailable, or it simply doesn’t show up among the options, you can also try by changing the language of your Netflix profile.
You can go to the top right-hand corner and select the option “MANAGE PROFILES”
From there, you simply select your own profile and change the language.
Under languages, you should be able to select your language of choice, provided it is one of the available options.
Click “SAVE” and refresh your page if necessary.
From now on, the menus, options and maybe even titles of series will be in the selected language.
If all is well, subtitles should still be available in your native language, or the language your account was created in, but it should also have the additional option of your recently selected language.
It doesn’t work for all shows. If the show you are interested in watching isn’t available in the language of your choice, you might find these subtitles don’t even exist, so it won’t show them.
For most shows that are available in multiple languages, and especially Netflix originals, you will have the new option of adding subtitles in Spanish.