11 Best Spanish Movies on Amazon Prime (August 2018)

1. Cartas a Elena (2012)

Sweet and sentimental story set in Chihuahua’s beautiful Copper Canyon. Young Emilio and his adoptive father deliver mail as well as read and write letters for the illiterate villagers. Emilio feels saddened by the difficult news sent by relatives working north of the border and begins inventing happy letters for his customers.

Accent: Mexican

2. Sólo Química (2016)

Fun and light rom-com from Spain. Nineteen year old Oli falls for her TV idol and embarks on a Cinderella-like romance filled with luxury, fame, success and money. It seems she has found her fairy tale ending, until she learns good chemistry and true love are not one and the same.

Accent: European Spanish

3. El Violín (2005)

Haunting, beautifully filmed drama about the struggle between the peasants and military in 1970s-era Mexico. Warning: begins with a few minutes of graphic scenes of violence. However, the moving story of heroic defiance that follows makes up for these short scenes.

Accent: Mexican

4. Ma Ma (2016)

This old-fashioned tear-jerker stars Oscar-winner Penelope Cruz as Magda, a woman determined to live life to the fullest in the face of her recent breast cancer diagnosis.

Accent: European Spanish

5. Chavela (2017)

Powerful and poignant portrait of beloved singer Chavela Vargas, whose passionate renditions of popular ranchera songs made her a beloved figure in Mexico, even as her androgynous appearance and unconventional life challenged norms of the day. After disappearing from the public eye for decades, Chavela makes a triumphant return to the stage, earning her a new level of fame late in life.

Accent: Mexican

6. El Dedo (2014)

After years of dictatorship, a remote village formally becomes a town with the birth of its 501st inhabitant, creating an opening for the position of mayor. Based on a true story, this whimsical comedy celebrates democracy while gently poking fun at village life.

Thanks to travel and pet writer Tina of 21 Pup Street for recommending this one!

Accent: Argentinian

7. Alamar (2009)

Beautiful but slow-moving docufilm about a boy about to move to Rome with his Italian mother who embarks on a final epic voyage to the gorgeous Mexican coast with his native father. Note: Not a lot of dialogue to practice your Spanish; more of a poetic meditation on the simple rhythms of life of these Mexican fishermen.

Accent: Mexican

8. La Buena Vida (2015)

Beautiful, tragic documentary set in the village of Tamaquito, deep in the forests of Colombia. Here, nature provides the people with everything they need. But the Wayúu community’s way of life is being destroyed by the vast and rapidly growing El Cerrejón coal mine. Determined to save his community from forced resettlement, leader Jairo Fuentes negotiates with the mine’s operators in what soon becomes a fight for survival.

Accent: Colombian. Some dialogue in the Wayúu language.

9. How to be a Latin Lover (2017)

Cute comedy featuring the hilarious Eugenio Derbez that also has its touching moments. Dialogue is a mix of both Spanish and English.

Accent: Mexican

10. Finding Gaston (2015)

Mouthwatering documentary that follows Gaston Acurio, the revolutionary Peruvian chef who made his country’s cuisine world-famous.

Accent: Peruvian. Some dialogue in Quechua, an Andean indigenous language.

11. Desastres Naturales (2015)

Whimsical story of Raquel, a teacher who refuses to accept the idea of retiring and arrives at her classroom to discover she has been replaced with a much younger teacher. Raquel rejects this idea and proceeds with her lecture. The students occupy a classroom and rally behind their former teacher with a small revolt that threatens the establishment order.

Accent: Chilean