Who said learning a language had to be tedious and boring? Watching Spanish-language movies is a fun and effective way to improve your Spanish, especially your listening comprehension. We’ve compiled a list of the best Spanish movies to help improve your language skills.

Last Updated: 02/28/23


Best Spanish Movies

List of the Best Spanish Movies with Subtitles

American researchers have found that watching undubbed subtitled films is an effective way to improve comprehension (except for absolute beginners) when learning a language. Although most watch films to simply enjoy them, they can also be resources to help you learn.

If you’re not ready to ditch the subtitles yet, the MosaDiscovery plugin is a great tool that can help you get the most out of videos (and written texts) in Spanish. You can translate new words with a click, and then save them and their context as new flashcards to study later in the MosaLingua app. It’s an easy way to streamline your comprehension, practice, and memorization. The MosaLingua flashcard review feature uses the Spaced Repetition System to ensure that new expressions are anchored into your long-term memory.

best-spanish-movies-with-subtitles-to-help-you-learn-mosalingua

Here is a short list of what I consider to be the best Spanish movies with English subtitles to help you learn Spanish. There’s something for everyone!

Table of contents
  1. Best Spanish Movies from Spain
    1. God’s Crooked Lines
    2. Toc Toc
    3. Even the Rain
    4. Take the Ball, Pass the Ball
    5. The Chalk Line
    6. Everybody Knows
    7. Through My Window
    8. The Silence of Others
    9. The Photographer of Mauthausen
    10. Mirage
  2. Best Spanish Movies from Latin America
    1. Prayers for the Stolen
    2. The Perfect Dictatorship
    3. Roma
    4. I’m No Longer Here
    5. Güeros
    6. Herod’s Law
    7. My Masterpiece
  3. How to Watch the Best Spanish Movies with Spanish Subtitles
    1. Where can I find Spanish movies with English subtitles?
    2. Where can I download subtitles?
    3. How do I make the subtitles play with the film?

Best Spanish Movies from Spain

God’s Crooked Lines

Film still of a man and a woman standing behind an ivy covered wall smoking cigarettes. Best Spanish movies to watch to learn the language.

[Los renglones torcidos de dios – 2022 – Mystery, Dark – Oriol Paulo – Trailer]

We’re starting off a bit serious, but this recent release has been pretty popular. This Spanish film follows a private detective who claims paranoia in order to check into a psychiatric hospital where she must investigate another patient’s mysterious death.

Toc Toc

best-spanish-movies-with-subtitles-to-help-you-learn-mosalingua

[Toc toc – 2017 – Campy/Absurd – Vicente Villanueva – Trailer]

A group of patients with OCD wait for their flight-delayed doctor to arrive for their appointments, forcing them to endure each other’s oddball quirks.

Even the Rain

A Spanish man and an indigenous Bolivian man look one another in the eyes.

[También la lluvia – 2010 – Inspiring/Emotional – Icíar Bollaín – Trailer]

While making a film about the incursion of Christopher Columbus in the New World, a director finds the Bolivian locals protesting modern exploitation.

Take the Ball, Pass the Ball

Photograph of Barcelona Football Club team members throuwing their manager, Pep Guardiola, into the air in celebration.

[2018 – Inspiring/Emotional – Duncan McMath – Trailer]

Through firsthand accounts and analysis, this football documentary details the dominance of FC Barcelona from 2008-2012 under manager Pep Guardiola. (Note: This documentary has sections in Spanish and sections in English.)

The Chalk Line

best-spanish-movies-with-subtitles-to-help-you-learn-mosalingua

[Jaula – 2022 – Dark/Suspense/Mystery – Ignacio Taty – Trailer]

After a couple finds a traumatized child of unknown origins, wife Paula must decipher the girl’s strange behaviors to unlock her identity and dark past.

Everybody Knows

Image of a man and a woman sitting on a bed next to one another.

[Todos lo saben – 2018 – Emotional/Suspenseful – Asghar Farhadi – Trailer]

Journeying back to her small Spanish hometown for her sister’s wedding, Laura must grapple with long-buried secrets when her daughter is abducted.

Through My Window

Image of a boy and girl standing under a tree. He is writing a message on her arm.

[A través de mi ventana – 2022 – Romantic – Marçal Forès – Trailer]

Raquel’s longtime crush on her next-door neighbor turns into something more when he starts developing feelings for her, despite his family’s objections.

The Silence of Others

A white-haired woman stands next to a highway with a bouquet of flowers.

[El silencio de otros – 2019 – Investigative/Emotional – Almudena Carracedo/Robert Bahar – Trailer]

Filmed over six years, this documentary captures the struggles of victims who suffered abuse under Gen. Francisco Franco’s regime as they seek justice.

The Photographer of Mauthausen

best-spanish-movies-with-subtitles-to-help-you-learn-mosalingua

[El fotógrafo de Mauthausen – 2018 – True Events/Suspense – Mar Targarona – Trailer]

A Catalan prisoner at a Nazi concentration camp uses his office job to steal photo negatives of the atrocities committed there. Based on true events.

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Mirage

Image of a woman and two men, with an electrical storm in the background and static over the image.

[Durante la tormenta – 2018 – Sci-Fi/Suspense – Oriol Paulo – Trailer]

A space-time continuum glitch allows Vera to save a boy’s life 25 years earlier, but results in the loss of her daughter, whom she fights to get back.

 

Best Spanish Movies from Latin America

There are also some excellent Latin American films, a lot of which are Mexican. These are especially good for beginners, for the reasons I explain in the next section of this article.

Prayers for the Stolen

best-spanish-movies-with-subtitles-to-help-you-learn-mosalingua

[Noche de fuego – 2021 – Drama/Suspense – Tatiana Huezo – Trailer]

In a mountainous region of Mexico where poppies abound, three girls take refuge in their friendship to cope with the trials brought on by a drug cartel.

The Perfect Dictatorship

A group of men in suits sit near a bar with women in lingerie. Part of Spanish movies with subtitles list.

[La dictadura perfecta – 2008 – Comedy – Luis Estrada – Trailer]

After accepting a colossal bribe, a powerful TV conglomerate gins up fake news stories to enhance the image of a notoriously corrupt politician.

Roma

An image of a woman standing in a kitchen, looking sadly out the window.

[Roma – 2018 – Intimate/Emotional – Alfonso Cuarón – Trailer]

This movie provides a vivid, emotional portrait of a domestic worker’s journey set against domestic and political turmoil in 1970s Mexico.

I’m No Longer Here

An image of a young man dancing on a hilltop above a city.

[Ya No Estoy Aquí – 2019 – Understated/Gritty – Fernando Frías – Trailer]

A terrible misunderstanding with a local gang sends 17-year-old Ulises, leader of a group hooked on cumbia music, across the border to save his life.

Güeros

Black and white image of four figures sitting under a tree, looking out over water.

[Güeros – 2014 – Understated/Hidden Gem – Alonso Ruizpalacios – Trailer]

After teenage Tomás shows up at the Mexico City apartment his brother Sombra shares with Santos, the three set off in search of a former rock star.

Herod’s Law

A man stands on a road lined with cacti. He stands with his hands up, yelling.

[La ley de Herodes – 1999 – Satire/Comedy – Luis Estrada – Trailer]

A supposedly naive man appointed as acting mayor of a small town in Mexico turns into a corrupt politician capable of anything to stay in power.

My Masterpiece

A painter works on a canvas while another man stands behind him, watching.

[Mi obra maestra – 2018 – Deadpan/Sentimental – Gastón Duprat – Trailer]

A sly Argentinian art dealer tries to revive the career of his longtime pal, a surly painter, with a risky plan that tests their morals and friendship.

 

How to Watch the Best Spanish Movies with Spanish Subtitles

When learning Spanish as a beginner, I recommend watching Spanish movies with English subtitles. For more advanced learners, it’s better to watch Spanish movies with Spanish subtitles. Eventually, you’ll be able to watch Spanish movies without any subtitles at all, which is even more effective!

Ideally, you should watch the movie more than once. First with subtitles, then without. You probably won’t be surprised to find that many characters speak very fast, especially in Spanish movies. It may be easier to start with Latin American films because characters speak the Spanish language a bit slower.

Obviously, if you don’t know any Spanish at all, it’s best to learn basic vocabulary before watching Spanish movies. The spaced repetition system in the MosaLingua apps is a highly effective tool for learning vocabulary quickly. There is also pronunciation for every flashcard!

Where can I find Spanish movies with English subtitles?

It’s not always easy to find DVDs of Spanish movies. You’re never really sure what you’re getting or if it will come with subtitles, even on Amazon! Plus, some DVDs have regional restrictions that prevent you from playing them in certain areas. Be sure to check the region code before you buy (look for a 1 for the US and Canada).

Luckily, you can find more and more Spanish-language movies on all of the major streaming platforms, including Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, and Amazon Prime. All of the movies listed above are currently available on Netflix.

If you have a library card in the US, you might also have access to Kanopy. It’s a free video-on-demand service that offers mainly independent films and documentaries, some of which are in foreign languages, including Spanish.

Where can I download subtitles?

If you download movies online, they might not always come with subtitles, which are very useful for learners!

To find movie subtitles, you can use an excellent website called Opensubtitles.org. It has a huge collection of subtitles in many languages and it’s not illegal!

There are also software programs that let you easily download all the subtitles that you want for free. We like SubDownloader.

How do I make the subtitles play with the film?

You need to give the film file and the subtitle file the same name (but keep their respective extensions).

For example:

a_great_film.avi
a_great_film.srt

I recommend using VLC Media Player to watch the films with subtitles. This article gives step-by-step instructions on how to sync up your subtitle file with your movie, in case you’re having trouble.

 

Now, It’s Up to You!

If you know of any other great Spanish films, let us know about them in the comments!

I’m always looking for good Spanish TV shows and movies to watch. You can find a list of more Spanish-speaking TV shows here, a list that we’re constantly updating.

Are there other Spanish films or Spanish TV shows with English subtitles that you don’t see on the list? Share them with us below and we’ll consider watching and adding them!