Foreign movies are an awesome way to get a grip on a new language. Whether you are just starting to learn it, or you are learning it for quite some time, movies can add so much to the experience and fasten the process of learning. So, for all you who are thinking of learning or practicing Spanish, we made a list of our top 5 movies to learn Spanish from!
But first, let’s talk about why watching movies is such a good idea when it comes to learning a new language.
Why beginners should start with movies?
Watching foreign movies in original language (and with subtitles) is great for starting a new language, because you can catch on the rhythm and specifics of a language in the early stages, which can help you in later learning.
For example, if you were to learn Spanish, watching movies in Spanish can help you have a sense of whether it will be hard or easy to learn it based on what your maternal language is. Also, getting a grip on the accent in the early stages will make your pronunciation way better.
Why advanced learner should watch movies?
For example, when learning Spanish, watching a movie can help you understand the social contexts of some words and expressions that are not used in your maternal language. The Spanish language has a particularly hard thing called subjuntivo, that is hard to explain grammatically, but easy to understand when you hear the locals use it.
Also, Spanish is a language rich in colloquial expressions, which you are more likely to hear in movies than in a class.
But most importantly, movies can help you get to know the people. Knowing their characteristics, how they comport in certain situations, what is normal in their culture and what is odd, their temper and social norms. All these play an extremely important part of really getting a language and speaking it naturally.
There are many awesome Spanish movies for learning Spanish, but we chose some of the best Spanish movies in general. They are not meant for you to learn the language from them, but they are very intriguing and good movies with a bonus of learning opportunities. So, let’s hop into them!
1) Ocho Apellidos Vascos (2014) (Eight Basque Surnames)
Genre: Family, comedy, romance
Duration: 1h 38 minutes
Director: Emilio Martinez Lazaro
IMDB Rating: 6.5
Actors: Clara Lago, Dani Rovira, Carmen Machi
Plot
The plot revolves around a man from Seville, Andalusia, named Rafa who falls in love with a Basque girl and decides to follow her home. Rafa is a typical Andalusian man that never left Seville, so being in Northern Spain is something completely new for him.
The two ends of Spain differ in so many things, so it is a challenge for Rafa to accommodate to Basque traditions, but also a challenge for the girlfriend’s family to accept Rafa.
Why this movie?
This movie is amazing if you are still new around the Spanish language. It will help you sense the distinctions between people inside Spain. The characteristics of the people are somewhat emphasized so it will be easy for you to notice them and get to see how the people are in Northern Spain and Southern Spain.
Besides that, it’s a very warm family movie that will give you a nice positive vibe. It is also great for you if you know somebody from Andalusia or Basque.
Who should watch it?
Just anybody who likes light positive movies with a happy ending. Even if you are not that into comedy, its still great for getting to know the cultures in Spain. Because of that, I would say that this is one of the best movies to learn Spanish from.
2) Campeones (2018) (Champions)
Genre: Drama, comedy, sports
Duration: 2h 04 minutes
Director: Javier Fesser
IMDB Rating: 7.2
Actors: Javier Gutierrez, Athena Mata, Juan Margallo
Plot
This heartwarming movie is a perfect rainy-day movie. It tells us a story about a basketball coach who is due to some circumstances sentenced to do community work. The work consists of him coaching a group of mentally disabled people.
Why this movie?
This movie shows you real emotions and the way that the Spanish language and culture cope with certain emotions. It also shows the simplicity of language and simple childish expressions. It is also one of the most beautiful movies in the Spanish language because it talks beautifully about mental incapacity and capacity.
Who should watch it?
Anyone feeling down, anyone knowing a mentally disabled person, anyone you think may watch it, anyone who likes sports – just anyone.
3) El Laberinto del Fauno (2016) (Pan’s Labyrinth)
Genre: drama, dark fantasy
Duration: 1h 58 minutes
Director: Guillermo del Toro
IMDB Rating: 8.2
Actors: Ivana Baquero, Ariadna Gil, Sergi Lopez
Plot
This movie takes place in the war-period in 1944 in Spain, when a military officer brings his wife and stepdaughter in the country due to the war situation.
He is a sadist who doesn’t care for his stepdaughter which the mother doesn’t seem to notice. The girl is all alone in the world and finds her consolation in an occult fantasy world.
Why this movie?
This is one of the most popular Spanish movies and a remarkable piece of famous Guillermo del Toro. It’s a tragic drama with horror and fantasy elements that will take you on another level.
Regarding the language, the point of view is of a child, and thus the language is sometimes simpler and more straightforward. The story, however, has a lot of layers, so the movie can be seen a couple of times.
Who should watch it?
This movie is not for the ones who like light and positive movies. It is occult and a dark story with a heartbreaking storyline. If you like fantasy or horror, this movie is a good choice, but also if you are into drama and tragedy.
4) Contratiempo (2017) (The Invisible Guest)
Genre: mystery, thriller
Duration: 1h 46 minutes
Director: Oriol Paulo
IMDB Rating: 8.1
Actors: Mario Casas, Ana Wagener, Jose Coronado
Plot
This is a crime-mystery thriller involving a wealthy businessman caught in the middle of a murder. He goes to a witness preparation expert with whom he has less than 3 hours to find the defense. They go through the story together, as we watch new detail unveil.
Why this movie?
Spanish movies are known for good plots and plot-twists. They have a touch for the details and storylines, and they make great mystery movies. In this movie, we have a lot of dialogue between the businessman and his lawyer, which builds a great base for learning.
Otherwise, it’s an awesome movie. I do recommend subtitles, as it is a more complex storyline. This way you will be sure that you haven’t missed anything.
Who should watch it?
Anyone loving a good thriller. Also, it’s great for more advanced learners. Beginners should put subtitles on.
5) La Piel que Habito (2011) (The Skin I Live in)
Genre: drama, old-fashioned horror, thriller
Duration: 2h 00 minutes
Director: Pedro Almodóvar
IMDB Rating: 7.6
Actors: Antonio Banderas, Elena Anaya, Jan Cornet
Plot
This is not your typical jump-horror movies, but more of a psychological one. We are introduced to a skillful plastic surgeon who succeeded to make artificial skin that is undamageable. There is also a person who wears that skin, a mysterious woman he is keeping inside his house in a special room. Slowly throughout the movie, we are getting to know the secret of his past life and the story behind his project and the woman.
Why this movie?
This is yet another mystery with a super plotline created by the famous Pedro Almodóvar. The whole world loves Antonio Banderas, so that’s a plus. The movie is an easy-to-watch thriller that gives you a grasp of what Spanish movies tend to look like and the art behind a good mystery movie.
Also, it would be a sin not to watch a movie from Pedro Almodóvar, the most famous Spanish director. Antonio Banderas has a nice easy accent that you will be able to understand.
Who should watch it?
The movie has a slower storyline, so if you are more into faster movies, you may get bored. However, the whole package of the movie is great. This movie has such a hidden secret that you don’t know what you are looking at until almost the end of it.
It’s slow and confusing, and it doesn’t give you much to work with on your own (in a good way). But if you like that secretive storyline, this is a perfect movie for you!
Now, this is our selection of 5 best movies to learn Spanish from. That is because these movies are awesome, fun and a nice introduction to the Spanish culture. If you are more into more popular Spanish movies, you might want to check more movies from Almodóvar. The reason we didn’t put more of his movies here is that we tried to keep it more recent and more colorful.
If you are interested in learning the Spanish language, we wrote a separate article on that topic where we cover italki as one of the best websites to learn Spanish online.
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