The 10 best films for learning Spanish

Want to learn, improve or perfect your Spanish while having a great time? Discover our selection of the best films for learning Spanish without even realizing it!

While learning a language often involves traditional courses or textbooks, limiting oneself to these can quickly become tedious. So yes, this way of learning is still effective. But watching films in their original language is just as useful a way of improving your language skills, combining business with pleasure. And why are films an excellent way to learn Spanish? It’s simple, effective and entertaining.

Watching a film in Spanish will improve your listening comprehension, vocabulary and grammar. So it’s a great way to learn or improve your Spanish while enjoying a relaxing moment. What’s more, watching a film in Spanish is an enjoyable way to learn more about the cultural and social aspects of the language.

If you’re new to Spanish, start by watching films with subtitles. When you feel more comfortable, switch to Spanish subtitles. And for those who want to go further, remove the subtitles and you’ll see that even without understanding every word, understanding the film is easy. After all, French and Spanish both derive from Latin, which gives them many similarities.

So if you want to improve your Spanish and have fun at the same time, check out our selection of the 10 best films for learning Spanish!

1. Travel diaries

Released in 2004, « Carnets de voyage » or  » Diarios de motocicleta  » is an excellent film for learning Spanish while discovering the story of Che Guevara, a powerful revolutionary figure.

Inspired by Ernesto Guevara’s notebooks, the film tells the story of Che and his friend Alberto Granado’s motorcycle journey across South America. It was this journey, rich in encounters and witness to social injustice, that transformed the young Che Guevara and spurred him on to change things.

A magnificent road movie which, as well as being the perfect way to learn South American Spanish, will help you discover the beauty of South America, with its breathtaking landscapes.

2. The New Savages

Selected to represent Argentina at the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, « The New Savages » or Relatos salvajes is an Argentinian-Spanish film made up of 6 rather crazy independent stories. The characters cross the boundary between civilization and barbarism. Between tragedy, the return of the past and betrayal in love, the loss of control is transformed into undeniable pleasure.

This is one of the best films for learning Spanish while discovering the Argentine accent. It’s also perfect for beginners who like comedy and suspense. Because if you don’t get one story right, there are 5 more to make up for it!

3. Pan’s Labyrinth

Directed by Guillermo del Toro in 2006, « Pan’s Labyrinth » is a Spanish-Mexican film that perfectly blends drama and fantasy. It tells the story of young Ofelia, who is reunited with her military father-in-law in northern Spain. In a heavy post-war period, the little girl discovers an extraordinary underground world.

This award-winning film owes its success to its atypical dimension, oscillating between fantasy and cruel reality. An excellent way to learn Spanish while immersing yourself in a unique, dreamlike universe!

4. Coco

How can you mention the best films for learning Spanish without mentioning an animated one? Coco is an excellent cartoon for discovering more about Mexican culture. Produced by Pixar, it is the 139th animated feature from Disney Studios.

The cartoon is set in México for the famous Día de los Muertos holiday: a colorful tradition where families celebrate the dead with joy and gladness. Although Día de los Muertos is celebrated mainly in Mexico, other countries such as Guatemala also take part.

This visually splendid, poetic film is ideal for beginners in Spanish, providing an opportunity to brush up on the basics of grammar while singing along. But it’s also a great way for the general public to learn more about Mexican traditions and their way of celebrating the dead, which is very different from our Western version.

5. Bad Education

Released in 2004, La mala educación is a film directed by Pedro Almodóvar, one of the emblematic directors of the Spanish new wave. With its sensitive subject matter and well-crafted plot, this film is an original way to improve your Spanish.

The story is about two boys who met and fell in love in the pews of a religious school in the early 1960s. But they were also abused by a pedophile priest, Father Manolo. Many years later, these characters meet again, and their lives are forever marked.

6. Even the rain

Directed by Icíar Bollaín, También la lluvia is a socially-aware film made in 2010. The story takes place in Cochabamba in 2000, during the Water War, a historic social movement in Bolivia aimed at preventing the government from privatizing water.

The film recounts the tormented journey of a team of Spanish filmmakers who arrive to shoot their project in Bolivia. They find themselves caught up in a struggle for justice that will turn their lives upside down.

Finally, También la lluvia is one of the best films for learning Spanish while learning about colonization in South America. And to finish on a high note, take the opportunity to admire Bolivia’s splendid landscapes!

7. And… your mother too

Released in 2001, Y tu mamá también is a Mexican film directed by Alfonso Cuarón. Using rather crude Spanish language and some rather liberated scenes, this road-movie recounts the crazy journey of two middle-class Mexican teenagers who take to the road with a young woman.

There’s nothing better than this film for learning Mexican Spanish and discovering its typical expressions: no mames guey, pendejo, chingar, pinche…

8. Inside

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jD31teSo4VY

From its original title La Cara oculta, « Inside » is a film that will make you learn Spanish with chills. Released in 2011, this Spanish-Colombian thriller is set in a huge, isolated house belonging to an orchestra conductor. Suspected of murdering his ex-girlfriend, he arranges for Fabiana, his new girlfriend, to move in…

Intriguing, scary and well acted, this is one of the best films for learning Spanish while working on both Colombian and Spanish accents and expressions.

9. Volver

Once again directed by Pedro Almodovar, this film is a must-see in Spanish cinema. So much so, in fact, that it was included in the official selection at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival, winning the Best Screenplay prize. In the heart of Madrid, « three generations of women survive the solano wind, fire, madness, superstition and even death through kindness, lies and boundless vitality », in the words of the director.

The film’s informal language and lively dialogue between the characters will help you learn Spanish, particularly by getting used to colloquial speech. It’s a wonderful trip to Spain that awaits you!

10. No returns or exchanges

To round off this selection of the best films, here’s a comedy that invites you to spend an entertaining evening while learning Spanish. Directed by Eugenio Derbez, the film tells the story of Valentin, a man who finds himself obliged to look after his daughter, who suddenly appears in his life.

This comedy is ideal for those new to Spanish. Mexican Spanish is clearer and easier to understand than Spanish!