Spanish movies are a great way to delve into people’s lives worldwide.
The options are limitless: a sci-fi thriller from Spain, a Mexican animated film, a romantic comedy from Peru.
As someone who has watched a ton of Spanish movies while studying the language, I can safely say these are 20 of the best Spanish movies on Netflix.
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Best Spanish-language Movies on Netflix in 2024
1. “Bajocero” (Below Zero)
Rating: 7.5/10
Country: Spain
Year: 2022
Genre: Thriller
What starts as a standard prison transfer of some hardened inmates quickly goes haywire. It’s then up to police officer Martín (Javier Gutiérrez) to defend the armored truck and all those inside from an invading outside force.
But who’s the mysterious man outside the truck? Which prisoner is he pursuing and why?
This film is packed full of action and rather brutal scenes of violence, so it’s not for the faint-hearted!
2. “El hoyo” (The Platform)
Rating: 7.5/10
Country: Spain
Year: 2019
Genre: Thriller
“El Hoyo” is a dystopian film that’s set in a vertical prison, where food is lowered down to the prisoners through a platform.
The problem? The food is communal and the “prisoners’” unlucky enough to be at the lower levels have only scraps (or nothing) to choose from, due to the selfishness of those above.
It’s a fairly striking metaphor for society in general and the concept of the “haves” and “have nots.”
3. “La noche de 12 años” (A Twelve Year Night)
Rating: 8/10
Country: Uruguay
Year: 2018
Genre: Historical drama
“La noche de 12 años” is an Uruguayan masterpiece that depicts the real story of Jose Mujica (who was President of Uruguay), along with two other members of the National Liberation Movement. They were fighting against the dictatorship in the country between 1973 and 1985.
These three men end up in prison, but then they’re kidnapped and forced to stay underground for 12 long years, when they couldn’t see the light of day at all.
4. “Durante la tormenta” (Mirage)
Rating: 7.5/10
Country: Spain
Year: 2018
Genre: Thriller
This drama/thriller is sure to keep viewers engaged. It’s about a woman who experiences an odd event during a storm and saves a child… or does she?
The plot is layered, and there’s a twist at the end. I’m not going to give the ending away—you’ll have to watch for yourself if you want to know what happens!
All this is presented with some seriously gripping, frightening music that’s the perfect backdrop to the heart-stopping action.
5. “Hogar” (The Occupant)
Rating: 6.5/10
Country: Spain
Year: 2020
Genre: Thriller
What would you do if you hated your life? What about if you lost your job and had to move out of your fancy apartment?
Well, former advertising executive Javier Muñoz becomes a stalker. Not just any stalker, a stalker with an obsession to completely transform his life—even at the expense of all of those around him.
This alarming thriller takes you inside the mind of a psychopath masquerading as a loving family man.
6. “Roma”
Rating: 9/10
Country: Mexico
Year: 2018
Genre: Drama
“Roma” is a story of class differences in Mexican society.
The movie follows Cleo, a house worker who, although hardworking and kind, is often subjugated to moments that remind her of her lowly stature in society and the high status of the family that she works for.
She later becomes pregnant and the story explores how this event ripples through the family contrasted against a background of rising political tensions and ideological movements in Mexico.
7. “Ya no estoy aquí” (I’m No Longer Here)
Rating: 7/10
Country: Mexico
Year: 2019
Genre: Drama
This artistic drama centers around the character Ulises who, after some troubles with a rival gang in his area, is forced to flee Mexico and take refuge in Queens, New York.
Ulises experiences culture shock upon his arrival in the States. He meets heaps of unique characters, all searching for their place in between two contrasting societies.
It’s an uplifting film but in many ways, it’s also a heartbreaking and all too common story.
8. “Yucatán”
Rating: 6/10
Country: Spain
Year: 2018
Genre: Comedy
Two thieves, a baker who’s just won the lottery, a couple of quirky wives and a mature dating scene… all converge on a cruise heading from Spain to Mexico. There’s no way this could go wrong, right?
The thieves bumble along, trying to outwit each other in their quest to get their hands on the baker’s lottery winnings.
This comedy film is intended for mature audiences. It’s off-beat and funny, with gorgeous scenery and great dialogue.
9. “La tribu” (The Tribe)
Rating: 6/10
Country: Spain
Year: 2018
Genre: Comedy
“The Tribe” is a ridiculously funny film involving a corporate bigwig, a dancing cleaning woman, her super-cool dancing tribe and a case of amnesia.
The bigwig, Fidel, attempts to commit suicide. The attempt falls short and he ends up in the hospital where his biological mother decides to take him home—to a life he’s never known, people he’s never met and a dance group that treats him as one of their own.
10. “Soltera codiciada” (How to Get Over a Breakup)
Rating: 6.5/10
Country: Peru
Year: 2018
Genre: Romantic comedy
After María gets dumped by her boyfriend, she decides to write a blog to get over the breakup.
“Soltera codiciada” (lit. “coveted single woman”) is a Peruvian rom-com that’ll make you laugh, cry, shout at the TV and everything in between.
This film tells the story of how María figures life out and learns to live with herself. Thanks to her two best friends and a whole lot of self-work, she’ll come out of the tunnel eventually.
11. “Gente que viene y bah” (In Family I Trust)
Rating: 6/10
Country: Spain
Year: 2018
Genre: Romantic comedy
When Bea’s boyfriend’s infidelity becomes public, she loses her job and her relationship all at once—so she leaves Barcelona and returns to her family in their coastal town.
Family life isn’t always peaceful, though. Affairs, secret liaisons that produce children, revealed illnesses and a friendship that has no expiration date all combine to make this coming-home story an intriguing tale.
Anyone who likes to see family dynamics, overcoming adversity and heartfelt drama will enjoy this film.
12. “Thi Mai”
Rating: 6/10
Country: Spain
Year: 2017
Genre: Comedy
“Thi Mai” is a heartwarming story of a mother’s love—and the women who support her. When Carmen’s daughter dies, Carmen goes on a journey from Spain to Vietnam with her best friends in tow.
Their goal? To look for the girl that her daughter was about to adopt.
The women must make their way through this new country, face cultural differences and make themselves understood in a place that speaks another language.
13. “Como caído del cielo” (As if Fallen from Heaven)
Rating: 6/10
Country: Mexico
Year: 2019
Genre: Comedy
This story about the real-life star of Mexican cinema, Pedro Infante, offers up the premise that the great man is given a chance to redeem himself for his behavior on earth. It’s a romantic comedy with some drama—one of those something-for-everyone films!
The actor’s stage persona was captured brilliantly (you’ll especially appreciate it if you’ve seen the old Mexican films) so it feels as if we’re really seeing him on the stage again.
14. “7 años” (7 Years)
Rating: 7/10
Country: Spain
Year: 2016
Genre: Drama
“7 años” is an interesting drama that centers around a decision that’ll affect the lives of a small group of business partners. They need to decide who’ll go to jail for a crime they’ve committed.
They might start out as friends but this decision could make them enemies. No one wants to go to prison, so they discuss who should be sacrificed.
Everyone feels they shouldn’t go. So the question is, how to choose?
15. “Nuestros amantes” (Our Lovers)
Rating: 7.5/10
Country: Spain
Year: 2016
Genre: Romance
This film is a romantic slice-of-life story that tugs at viewers’ heartstrings. When a writer meets a book lover, there are bound to be some mutual interests. The lead characters have that dynamic—but what they don’t reveal about their situations and themselves could ruin this budding romance.
The dialogue is a treasure trove of cultural references.
Books, authors, artwork—all these aspects of Spanish culture and art history are referenced time and again.
16. “El club de los insomnes” (The Club of the Sleepless)
Rating: 6.5/10
Country: Mexico
Year: 2016
Genre: Drama
“El club de los insomnes” is a quirky, thoughtful film where an insomniac regularly hangs out with the cashier at a 24-hour minimart. Eventually, a pregnant veterinarian joins them.
The three of them see their minimart evenings together as a temporary escape from their everyday lives.
They spend their time lightheartedly playing games, getting to know each other and talking about their dreams and worries—all too relatable for young adults trying to find their way in the world.
17. “100 metros” (100 Meters)
Rating: 8/10
Country: Spain and Portugal
Year: 2016
Genre: Drama
When a businessman is diagnosed with a degenerative muscular disease, his whole life changes.
The patient learns about an Iron Man competition and he decides to enter—and win—the race. Training begins but it soon becomes apparent that what any athlete needs is a will to keep going, even in the face of obstacles.
This is a heartwarming film that shows just how much one is willing to do to achieve a goal.
18. “Adú”
Rating: 7/10
Country: Spain
Year: 2020
Genre: Drama
After his mother was killed, six-year-old Adú journeys with his sister from Cameroon to Spain to find their father. However, the journey entails many difficulties and even losses.
The movie also features a Spanish consultant named Gonzalo, stationed in Africa to stop elephant poaching with his troubled daughter who he tries to rebuild a relationship with.
The last person the movie follows is a border patrol guard near Morocco named Mateo, whose unit is being investigated after a refugee is found dead as the result of an incident near the border fence.
19. “Plaza Catedral”
Rating: 8.5/10
Country: Panama
Year: 2021
Genre: Drama, Social Issues
After losing her six-year-old son in a tragic accident, Alicia isolates herself in a rich colonial Panamanian town. Completely struck with grief, she struggles with guilt as she feels she could have prevented the accident.
However, a 14-year-old boy who roams the streets as a thug suddenly begins reigniting her will to live when he comes into her life needing help after a gunshot wound.
20. “Society of the Snow”
Rating: 8.0/10
Country: Uruguay
Year: 2023
Genre: Drama
A rugby team boards a Uruguayan plane headed for Chile—which tragically crashes on a glacier in the middle of the Andes.
The movie is set in 1972 and is based off what happened to Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571.
Out of 45 passengers on board, only 29 survive, and they’re forced to navigate their way and fight for survival through the harsh Andes climate.
More Spanish-Language Content
With all of these Spanish movies, there’s a lot for you to potentially watch! Netflix also offers Spanish-language anime, so if that’s more your thing, make sure to take a look.
If you’re a Spanish learner (and looking to geek out on all of that movie vocabulary), here are some more films that you can check out:
If you’re looking for a good series to watch in Spanish, check out these excellent options available on various streaming platforms. You can also find a treasure trove of short clips on FluentU.
This lets you learn vocabulary and grammar in context while enjoying your favorite types of media.
So there we have some of the best Spanish movies available to you in 2023.
Add them to your list for your next movie night, and enjoy!
Download:
This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you
can take anywhere.
Click here to get a copy. (Download)
And One More Thing…
If you’ve made it this far that means you probably enjoy learning Spanish with engaging material and will then love FluentU.
Other sites use scripted content. FluentU uses a natural approach that helps you ease into the Spanish language and culture over time. You’ll learn Spanish as it’s actually spoken by real people.
FluentU has a wide variety of videos, as you can see here:
FluentU brings native videos within reach with interactive transcripts. You can tap on any word to look it up instantly. Every definition has examples that have been written to help you understand how the word is used. If you see an interesting word you don’t know, you can add it to a vocab list.
Review a complete interactive transcript under the Dialogue tab, and find words and phrases listed under Vocab.
Learn all the vocabulary in any video with FluentU’s robust learning engine. Swipe left or right to see more examples of the word you’re on.
The best part is that FluentU keeps track of the vocabulary that you’re learning, and gives you extra practice with difficult words. It’ll even remind you when it’s time to review what you’ve learned. Every learner has a truly personalized experience, even if they’re learning with the same video.
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