16 Mexican Movies on Netflix Streaming (2019)
Mexican film is internationally celebrated and a great way to improve your Spanish. Mexican Spanish is my favorite Latin American variant of the language. For me, it’s the clearest and easiest to understand.
I’ve sifted through a lot of mediocre films to bring you my recommendations for the best Mexican movies on Netflix streaming in the US as of April 1, 2019; many may also be available in other countries. Watch them while you can, because content disappears as licensing agreements expire.
If you are an intermediate or advanced learner, I recommend watching with Spanish subtitles as studies have shown it enhances language learning. I also note down any interesting new vocabulary and add it to my Anki flashcards later.
Also don’t miss my general list of Spanish-language movies on Netflix!
1. Roma (2018)
This Oscar-winning Netflix epic directed by Alfonso Cuarón delivers a vivid, emotional portrait of domestic life and social hierarchy set against Mexico’s political turmoil of the 1970s.
2. Coco (2017)
OK, this Oscar-winning Pixar production isn’t strictly a Mexican movie, but it’s a love letter to the traditions, music, and people of Mexico. Its authenticity and warmth of spirit won viewers’ hearts and made it the biggest blockbuster in Mexican history.
Be sure to switch the audio to Spanish.
3. Desierto (2015)
Tense survival thriller about a group of illegal border crossers hunted by a deranged Confederate-flag waving vigilante. Eerily relevant in today’s political climate.
4. El Alien y Yo (2016)
Hoping to reinvent their sound, a punk band hires Pepe, a keyboardist with Down syndrome, but jealousies erupt when he steals the show. Heart-warming comedy with a great soundtrack.
5. Mexicanos de Bronce (2016)
This gritty, absorbing documentary follows three prisoners who try to overcome feelings of despair and make sense of their lives behind bars — and on the outside — through rap.
6. La Dictadura Perfecta (2014)
Hilarious Mexican box-office smash by the director of Infierno about political corruption and media collusion with the government. The themes of this satire are universal, however. A long film but not a dull moment.
7. La 4ª Compañía (2016)
Intensely violent and fascinating prison film based on real events. A young inmate in Mexico’s most notorious penitentiary joins the prison’s American football team, which doubles as a death squad for the corrupt administration.
8. El Club de los Insomnes (2018)
Original rom-com about an insomniac, an aspiring photographer, and a pregnant veterinarian who form a unique friendship during late-night meetings at a 24-hour mini-mart.
9. Ayotzinapa, el Paso de la Tortuga (2018)
A documentary about 43 Mexican students forcibly disappeared after being violently detained by police, and the unsatisfactory slow investigation that followed both at state and federal levels. Oscar-winning Mexican director Guillermo del Toro co-produced the film to ensure these voices are heard.
10. Bellas de Noche (2016)
Poignant portrait of the vedettes, former queens of the racy Mexican burlesque scene. A compassionate examination of what the aging process means for women in a profession in which success is predicated on youthful beauty and erotic appeal.
11. Verónica (2017)
Disturbing psychological thriller artfully shot in black and white about a reclusive psychologist who agrees to treat a troubled patient at her remote cabin. Not to be confused with the Spanish horror movie of the same name. Builds at a slow, suspenseful pace to an astonishing twist at the end.
12. Semana Santa (2015)
A single mother, her boyfriend and her young son take a weeklong resort vacation, during which relationship strains take their toll. A keenly observed film with subtle depth that examines dysfunctional family secrets against the backdrop of a decaying Acapulco.
13. Las Elegidas (2015)
Powerful and chilling film about teenage girls kidnapped and forced into prostitution in Tijuana.
14. Y Tu Mamá También (2001)
15. Almacenados (2015)
Award-winning absurd comedy featuring acclaimed Mexican actor José Carlos Ruiz about two employees in a enormous empty warehouse where apparently nothing ever happens. This deceptively simple, slow-paced film pays off with its fine writing and superb acting. The dialogue is nicely paced for Spanish learners.
16. Estar o No Estar (2016)
Set in the beautiful Pueblo Mágico of Tlacotalpan, Veracruz, this film tells the story of a lonely, ill man who recalls a brief but powerful past romance with a kindred spirit, a young Russian woman.
More Netflix Mexican Movie Suggestions
One more movie with good reviews I haven’t had a chance to watch:
- México Bárbaro – Horror anthology of eight shorts exploring creepy Mexican legends like Island of the Dolls or cartel blood rituals, each by a different director. Strong warning: Not for the squeamish. Watch the trailer.
You may also like:
Have more Netflix movie recommendations? Please share your suggestions in the comments.
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Some of these sound intriguing even though I’m not trying to learn Spanish! 😉 Now I just need a Netflix account and more free time …
One or two of these are also available on DVD, but yeah, mostly there’s very little overlap between the Netflix DVD and streaming catalogs. Which is why I pay for both subscriptions… grrr.
Makes me wish even more I could speak Spanish 🙂
I guess right now Vietnamese would make more sense, right? 🙂
I’ll definitely check some of these out!
There is a movie I really enjoyed and I believe it should make it on the list.
“El cumple de la abuela” gets 6 stars on IMDb and you should check it out, it’s worth it.
I also enjoy the Mexican Spanish and culture, and even though it’s my third language (English is second, Romanian first), I’m very fluent and I also know the slang.
Hola Alex, muchas gracias por la sugerencia. I’ve added it to my queue to check out! Comedies like that can be awesome for learning colloquial Spanish. Thanks for stopping by, y suerte con tu aprendizaje!