Looking for Italian movies on Netflix?
Finding content in Italian used to be hard. But with the invention of the internet, and more importantly – Netflix, this process has become easier than ever.
That being said – binging Casa de Papel won’t suddenly make you fluent in Spanish.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t apply a little strategy to make your binge-sessions a little more productive.
Let me be clear – I don’t think you can learn Italian from just watching Netflix, but I think one of the most important things people who study a new language forget is that for you to become fluent, you need more than just ‘study knowledge’.
You need to find a way to apply and practice that knowledge, you need to do that semi-consistently, and in order to do that, it needs to be fun.
Watching something on Netflix easily ticks all of those boxes, which is why Netflix is one of my favorite strategies to learn a foreign language.
How I became fluent in English
When I was a teenager, I had to take English in high school.
But like for many people in my generation, the real learning process started after school.
I would go home while listening to English music on the radio, watching American shows on tv.
Watching English content made me develop a feeling for the language.
It was a great way to see the grammar and vocabulary I had to learn in class applied in real life.
Of course, if I hadn’t learned English in school I wouldn’t have been able to understand anything they said.
But my knowledge of the English language around that time was pretty basic, and yet I was able to understand quite a lot, and while watching I developed a better sense of the language than if I had only taken classes.
More importantly, because learning English had a practical goal, the lessons I was taking were a lot more fun.
Now when people ask me how I learned English, the official answer should be that I had to learn it in school.
But the real reason I learned English is that I loved Desperate Housewives, and I secretly binged all seasons online.
And because Netflix was still a service that would send you DVDs to your house (yes, did that, and still do), to watch the latest seasons I had to go to sketchy websites and watch them without subtitles.
how to make language learning fun
For 14 year old me, this was quite the challenge, and while I didn’t understand everything, I certainly noticed my English improved a lot.
Suddenly, exams were super easy, and I hardly had to study for exams.
While taking tests, I would often think back to the shows I watched and imagine the characters say something, and I would intuitively be able to say whether it sounded ‘right’ or not.
It forced me to apply my knowledge and learn through practice, without me even noticing.
Now, I use English daily (almost more than my native language), and though most people in the Netherlands speak English to a certain degree, I know that I am much more comfortable using it than most other Dutch people.
I am 100% confident that without those secret binge sessions, my English wouldn’t be where it is now.
How can you improve or learn Italian on 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 Italian.
If you are not fully fluent in English, you can replace English with your native language and apply the same technique to Italian. English is just used as an example to better explain the following strategies.
1. English content with Italian subtitles
Level – Beginner/Intermediate
Why – Because you already understand English, so there is no need for subtitles. By adding them in Italian, 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 to your target language.
The best part about this is that even when it’s hard to find content in Italian, you can apply this strategy to constantly improve your skills or be exposed to Italian.
2. Italian content with English subtitles
Level – Beginner
Why – To get used to the sounds of Italian 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 Italian, 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 Italian.
If you are still not at a point where you can read subtitles that are 100% in Italian, consider doing both.
3. Italian content with Italian subtitles
Level – Intermediate (Advanced)
Why – To connect speech to what is written
Hearing Italian 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. Italian 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.
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 Italian
One of the biggest risks of watching something in Italian 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 Italian, try rewatching classic movies or even rereading books. Because if you 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 Italian, you could simply watch it twice – once with subtitles in English, and once either without subtitles or with subtitles in Italian.
This way you know what is going on, so you won’t miss important clues, but you can still practice your language skills.
Italian Movies you can find on Netflix
1. Suburra
IMDB Score: 7.4
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
“A gangster known as Samurai is putting together a deal to construct a Las Vegas-style casino complex in the harbour area of Rome. He has all the pieces put together – the land (through leaning on the former landowners), the funding (from wealthy mafia families), a politician to help the project get through red tape and change legislation where necessary, and peace within the different mafia families to enable the deal to go through smoothly. Then the politician gets caught in a compromising, potentially career-ending situation and things start to unravel. Samurai has to use all his contacts, negotiation and persuasion skills to keep things on track.”—grantss
2. On My Skin
IMDB Score: 7.4
Genre: Biography, Drama
“The incredible true story behind the most controversial Italian court cases in recent years. Stefano Cucchi was arrested for a minor crime but in just one week’s time, a family is changed forever.”—Netflix
3. Slam
IMDB Score: 7.2
Genre: Drama
“Young Ray Joshua lives in the Washington, DC, district known as Dodge City, which is dominated by gang wars. One day he is arrested when his drug dealer is gunned down while talking to him. He is put to prison where two rival gangs, Thug Life and the Union, want to recruit him as a member.”—Anonymous
4. Benvenuto Presidente!
IMDB Score: 6.2
Genre: Comedy
“A Mr. No One is mistakenly elected President of the Italian Republic.”—Riccardo Onofri Fasani
5. Forgive Us Our Debts
IMDB Score: 6.1
Genre: Drama
“A man struggling under the crushing weight of debt must work as a tax collector to pay off his creditors.”
6. Malena
IMDB Score: 7.5
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance, War
“On the day in 1940 that Italy enters the war, two things happen to the 12-year-old Renato: he gets his first bike, and he gets his first look at Malèna. She is a beautiful, silent outsider who’s moved to this Sicilian town to be with her husband, Nino. He promptly goes off to war, leaving her to the lustful eyes of the men and the sharp tongues of the women. During the next few years, as Renato grows toward manhood, he watches Malèna suffer and prove her mettle. He sees her loneliness, then grief when Nino is reported dead, the effects of slander on her relationship with her father, her poverty and search for work, and final humiliations. Will Renato learn courage from Malèna and stand up for her?”—<jhailey@hotmail.com>
7. They Call Me Jeeg
IMDB Score: 7.1
Genre: Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
“The film is a strange and anti-hero transposition of a very popular animated manga cartoon in the 80’s called Steel Jeeg. Here, a young outlaw (Enzo) is somehow affected by radioactive waste in the Tiber waters in Rome. He subsequently finds out he has gained super powers and interprets them as a reward for never having managed to enter the criminal world that counts. The inside joke reveals itself when Enzo meets Alessia, who believes the charming hero is the personification of the hero in the cartoon she used to watch.”
8. La Mafia Uccide Solo D’estate
IMDB Score: 7.2
Genre: Comedy, Crime
“Inspired by real events, this is a black comedy about 20 years of history of Sicily from 1970s to 1990s, mocking Mafia Bosses and restoring the generosity of the heroes of Antimafia. It’s focused on Arturo, a young boy who grows up in Palermo and tries to conquer his beloved Flora.”
9. I Can Quit Whenever I Want
IMDB Score: 7.0
Genre: Comedy, Crime
“A chemist, university researcher barely earning a living, is fired. After meeting a student of his, he learns the street value of drugs. He then designs a “non-illegal” drug and starts selling it with a group of friends, PhD holders working menial jobs and underpaid. Things get complicated when they earn too much money, get noticed, and their business is frowned-upon by a big drug dealer named “Murena”…”—dw-benini
10. The First Beautiful Thing
IMDB Score: 7.1
Genre: Comedy, Drama
“A misanthropic professor returns to his hometown to assist his dying mother.”—Anonymous
11. La Matassa
IMDB Score: 6.4
Genre: Comedy
“Two cousins haven’t spoken for almost twenty years, thanks to the enmity that their fathers feel toward one another. But an accident suddenly brings the cousins back together and thrusts them deep into the heart of the mafia.”
12. Questione di Cuore
IMDB Score: 6.8
Genre: Comedy, Drama
“Two men strike up a close friendship after suffering a heart attack.”—Anonymous
13. Gli Ultimi Saranno Ultimi
IMDB Score: 6.5
Genre: Comedy, Drama
“Life used to smile at Luciana Colacci. Well, she was not the wealthiest woman on earth, as she was only a worker in the local factory, but she had very good relationships with her friends, the people of her neighborhood and her fellow employees. And she was (almost) happily married to Stefano, a charmer with a nice sense of humor. But almost only… considering the fact that her partner was more interested in hanging out in cafes doing business that never succeeded than in supporting his wife. That almost perfect life unfortunately came to an end the day Luciana was abruptly fired. Her crime: being pregnant! A fateful day which marked the beginning of her slow descent into hell…”—Guy Bellinger
14. A.C.A.B. All Cops Are Bastards
IMDB Score: 6.7
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama
“A look at the controversial riot cops unit, told through the stories of three veteran cops and a young recruit.”—Anonymous
15. Fire at Sea
IMDB Score: 6.8
Genre: Documentary
“Situated some 200km off Italy’s southern coast, Lampedusa has hit world headlines in recent years as the first port of call for hundreds of thousands of African and Middle Eastern migrants hoping to make a new life in Europe. Rosi spent months living on the Mediterranean island, capturing its history, culture and the current everyday reality of its 6,000-strong local population as hundreds of migrants land on its shores on a weekly basis. The resulting documentary focuses on 12-year-old Samuele, a local boy who loves to hunt with his slingshot and spend time on land even though he hails from a culture steeped in the sea.”
16. Che Bella Giornata
IMDB Score: 6.2
Genre: Comedy
“Checco, an uneducated but self-satisfied fellow from Milan, who has always dreamed of becoming a police officer, fails his entrance exam for the third time. It must be said that at the oral examination Checco said that the reason why he wanted to join the police was benefits in kind and cronyism! But the young man has connections and he soon finds himself a security agent at the Milan Cathedral. Of course the bumbling idiot proves a living catastrophe! Spotted by Sufien, an Arab terrorist who is preparing an attack against the cathedral, Checco appears as the perfect sucker. To manipulate him, he sends his charming sister Farah to him, with the mission to seduce him…”—Guy Bellinger
17. Notte Prima Degli Esami
IMDB Score: 6.4
Genre: Comedy
“A group of Italian friends is preparing for their final exams.”
18. Italian Race
IMDB Score: 7.4
Genre: Drama, Sport
“Giulia is a young promise of GT racing. When her life falls apart, her only hope is her brother, a drug addict and former rally champion.”
19. The Solitude of Prime Numbers
IMDB Score: 6.3
Genre: Drama
“Alice and Mattia, two exceptional personalities but inadequate, synthesis of two lives in pain, two special people who travel on the same track, but are two worlds imploded, unable to open up to the world. One fully understands the feelings of the other, but is never able to express them out loud, in short, they are two prime numbers. Prime numbers are divisible only by 1 and themselves.”—AnonymousB
20. God Willing
IMDB Score: 6.7
Genre: Comedy
“A young man’s decision to become a priest affects his whole family, especially his father.”—CoolHandPaul
How do I find more content in Italian?
Looking for even more Italian-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 Italian-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.
1. 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, ‘Italian 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 “Italian-language documentary” or “Italian language action movie”.
Note: you really need to specify the language part. When simply looking up “Italian movies”, Netflix might also be looking at production which means they could also be offering some movies that are made by Italians but not necessarily in Italian.
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.
This is probably the easiest way to find Italian movies on Netflix.
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 Italian” 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 Italian” 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 Italian.
With these little tricks, you should be able to find even more Italian movies on Netflix.Loading…
