Looking for German 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 German movies on Netflix
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Pause and replay
German spoken by native speakers can often be very fast, and even at an advanced level of German, 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 German 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 German equivalents for commonly used idioms.
If you aren’t using subtitles in a language you know, I suggest using German 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 German-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 German 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 German 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 German 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 German. 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 German subtitles
Level – Beginner/Intermediate
Why – Because you already understand English, so there is no need for subtitles. By adding them in German 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 German.
The best part about this is that even when it’s hard to find content in German, you can apply this strategy to constantly improve your skills or be exposed to German.
2. German content with English subtitles
Level – Beginner
Why – To get used to the sounds of German 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 German. If you are still not at a point where you can read subtitles that are 100% in German, consider doing both.
3. German language content with German subtitles
Level – Intermediate (Advanced)
Why – To connect speech to what is written
Hearing German 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. German 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 German, 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 German
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 German, you could simply watch it twice – once with subtitles in English, and once either without subtitles or with subtitles in German.
This way you know what is going on, so you won’t miss important clues, but you can still practice your language skills.
19 German movies on Netflix
Here is a selection of some of the best German movies on Netflix.
1. 3 Turken & Ein Baby
IMBD Score: 5.4
Genre: Comedy
“The Yildiz brothers – Celal, Sami and Mesut – still live under one roof – despite their differences. The family bridal shop is doing really badly and they each yearn for a different life: Heartthrob Celal pines for his ex-girlfriend Anna and risks every last cent of their family inheritance for his dream of a mobile phone shop. Sami is searching for true love but ruins every blind date with his anger mis-management. And Mesut, the youngest of the three, tries to combine a cool music career with his strict adherence to the Koran. So when a sweet little baby comes careering into their lives, nothing is as it was before. The three young Turkish bachelors are given a crash course in responsibility.”
2. Isi und Ossi (2022)
IMBD Score: 6.5
Genre: Comedy, Romance
“To realize their culinary and boxing dreams, the daughter of a billionaire forms a mutually beneficial alliance with the son of a struggling single mom.”
3. Lommbock
IMBD Score: 6.8
Genre: Comedy
“Sequel to Lammbock. Stefan and Kai meet again after years. Stefan became a successful lawyer in Dubai while Kai is stuck in their home town. Kai has relationship issues and is trying hard to get in touch with his step son who is getting in serious trouble with some drug dealers. Can Kai and Stefan solve his problems? And what happened to their old friend Frank?”
4. Das Boot (1982)
IMDB Score: 8.3
Genre: Adventure, Drama, Thriller
“A look at the lives of the officers and men of the U-96, a German U-boat patrolling the North Atlantic during World War II. Led by Capt.-Lt. Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock, the men, for the most part, are seasoned veterans of undersea duty. For the new recruits, including military journalist Lt. Werner, it’s all a bit of an eye-opener. The quarters are cramped with men sharing bunks – while one is on duty, the other gets sleep – and there’s barely enough room for more than two men in passageways at any one time. Their trip is also marked by lengthy periods of boredom while they search for enemy shipping to attack and periods of absolute terror when they find themselves under attack by Allied naval vessels. Throughout it all, the men band together, cynical about just what they are doing but also proud of their accomplishments.”
5. Schubert in Love
IMBD Score: 5.1
Genre: Comedy
“Schubert In Love is a German film about an eccentric man who is forced to find a wife to bear him a son after his aging father makes a request while lying on his death bed. However, finding a suitable mate is hard for him, not to mention going the distance.” – MadMovieMan
6. Sarajevo (2014)
IMBD Score: 6.7
Genre: Drama, History, War
“On June 28, 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria is in Sarajevo with his wife, Sophie. While through the city by car, they are victims of an attack and die. This is the trigger of the First World War.”
Er Ist Wieder Da
IMBD Score: 7.1
Genre: Comedy, Historical, Drama, Fantasy
“Adolf Hitler wakes up in the 21st century. He quickly gains media attention, but while Germany finds him hilarious and charming, Hitler makes some serious observations about society.”
Wolkenbruchs wunderliche Reise in die Arme einer Schickse (2018)
IMBD Score: 6.6
Genre: Comedy, Drama
“Young Jewish man bucks orthodox traditions (and mother’s meddling) by shaving, shopping outside the faithful, and considering a shiksa for a wife.”
Alles ist Gut (2019)
IMBD Score: 6.5
Genre: Drama
“Janne’s new boss’s brother-in-law rapes her, but she doesn’t report the incident and continues her way of life as usual. But her silence has consequences, not only for her but also for the love that she feels for her friend Piet.”
Stereo (2014)
IMBD Score: 6.6
Genre: Crime, Thriller
“Eric’s seemingly happy world comes to an abrupt end when a weird stranger, Henry, forces his way into his life. His annoying, cynical way of doing things pushes Eric to the brink of madness. But when more shady characters surface threatening to do him serious harm if he doesn’t join in their dirty business, his life is destined to go right off the rails. Backed into a corner and with no way out, Eric has no choice but to rely on Henry. But can he be trusted?”
Mein Führer (2007)
IMBD Score: 5.5
Genre: Comedy, Drama, War
“The action-comedy is set in 1944. Hitler appears in it as physically and mentally destroyed person who takes the advice of Goebbels in the actor-teacher of Jewish concentration camp for lessons eloquence to inspire the German people to further fight.”
Wir Sind Jung. Wir Sind Stark. (2014)
IMBD Score: 7.1
Genre: Crime, Drama, History
“On 24th August 1992 in the eastern German city of Rostock a rampaging mob, to the applause and cheering of more than 3,000 bystanders, besieged and set fire to a residential building containing, among others, more than 120 Vietnamese men, women and children on what has since become known as “The Night of the Fire.” The riots became a symbol for xenophobia in the just recently reunited Germany. This film recounts the incident from the perspectives of three very different characters. Lien is a Vietnamese woman who settled in Germany, but at the end of the day she will be fighting for her life wondering if the place she called home could ever be one for her. Stefan and his friends are part of the night’s violent turmoil. Young and angry, bored during the daytime, they look forward to the nightly riots and clashes with the police and foreigners. Unable to cope with his grief at the loss of a friend, Stefan gets lost in a circle of violence. Stefan’s father Martin is an ambitious local politician, trapped in a dilemma: does he advance his career or stand up for his ideals and take responsibility, which includes that for his son?”
Berlin Calling (2008)
IMBD Score: 7.6
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Music
“A man tours clubs around the globe with his manager and girlfriend. On the eve of their largest album release, he is admitted to a psychiatric clinic after overdosing at a gig.”
Rock My Heart (2019)
IMBD Score: 6.7
Genre: Drama
“17-year-old Jana has a congenital heart defect. To defy fate, Jana seeks every challenge, plunges into every wild and dangerous adventure. Her parents does not like that and are even more in constant fear of their daughter.”
Familiye (2017)
IMBD Score: 6.5
Genre: Drama
“Familiye tells the story of an ex-con who, after his release from prison, has to care for his two younger brothers. One of whom is a gambling addict, the other has Down Syndrome.”
Kidnapping Stella (2019)
IMBD Score: 4.8
Genre: Thriller
“Snatched off the street and held for ransom, a bound and gagged woman uses her limited powers to derail her two masked abductors’ carefully laid plans.”
So Was Von Da (2018)
IMBD Score: 6
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Music
Joy (2019)
IMBD Score: 6.6
Genre: Drama
“Joy, a young Nigerian woman caught in the vicious cycle of sex trafficking, is instructed by her exploiter Madame to supervise Precious, a teenage girl who is not ready to accept her fate.”
Naked Among Wolves (2015)
IMBD Score: 7.2
Genre: Genre
“As WWII comes to an end, a group of Buchenwald’s emaciated prisoners risk their lives for the safety of the camp’s youngest inmate: a four-year-old Auschwitz-born Jewish prisoner. Is there a future for the Buchenwald boy?”
Der Untergang (2004)
IMBD Score: 8.2
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
“Traudl Junge, the final secretary for Adolf Hitler, tells of the Nazi dictator’s final days in his Berlin bunker at the end of WWII.”
How do I find more content in German?
Looking for even more German-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 German-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.
This is probably the easiest way to find German 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 German” 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 German” 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 German.
With these little tricks, you should be able to find even more German movies on Netflix.