26 Outstanding Spanish Movies on Netflix (2018)

1.El Ciudadano Ilustre (The Distinguished Citizen)

Hilarious and moving tale of a famous Nobel Prize-winning author who returns to his backwater hometown in Argentina after many decades as an expat in Spain, with unexpected consequences.

Accents: Argentinian, European Spanish

2. Perdiendo el Norte (Off Course)

Cute and entertaining Spanish comedy about two overeducated and underemployed young Spaniards who move to Berlin to find professional jobs, but end up working in a Turkish cafe. Some hilarious moments of cultural misunderstanding.

3. 100 Metros

Moving film based on the incredible true story of a Spanish man in his 30s diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and told that within a year he would not be able to walk 100 meters. To prove his naysayers wrong, he decided to train for the world’s most challenging endurance event, an Ironman Triathlon, assisted by his delightfully cantankerous father-in-law.

Accent: European Spanish

4. Tarde Para la Ira (The Fury of a Patient Man)

Accent: European Spanish

5. Carteristas (Pickpockets)

Click to view trailer

Predictable but entertaining Netflix original film that follows three teen thieves learning what it takes to be successful pickpockets on the streets of Bogotá from a master in the art of deception. Stunning location shots of Colombia’s capital, especially its amazing street art.

Accents: Colombian, European Spanish

6. Nuestros Amantes (Our Lovers)

Charming, creative rom-com with clever dialogue.  A love-challenged man and a woman he meets at a coffee shop begin dating, but only at the shop — and without knowing anything about each other.

Accent: European Spanish

7. El Otro Hermano (The Lost Brother)

Accents: Uruguayan, Argentinian (Note: I am not savvy enough to be able to tell the difference between these)

8. También la Lluvia (Even the Rain)

This Spanish film stars Mexican actor Gael García Bernal as a director who travels to Bolivia to shoot a film depicting Christopher Columbus’s conquest. The crew find themselves facing a moral crisis as the Bolivian film extras violently protest the privatization of their water supply, paralleling the Spanish exploitation of the New World.

Accents: European Spanish, Bolivian, Mexican

9. Palmeras en la Nieve (Palm Trees in the Snow)

Spectacular film that follows the journey of a young Spanish woman to her family’s plantation in Africa to uncover generations of family secrets.

Accent: European Spanish. Some dialogue in Aragonese, one of Spain’s minority languages.

10. Verónica

Horror fans should check out this much-hyped new arrival on Netflix from Spanish director Paco Plaza, director of the terrifying [REC] series. Verónica is a Ouija-based horror movie loosely based on true events. It follows Verónica, a teenage girl who holds a séance with her classmates, unwittingly unleashing an evil force that terrorizes her and her family.

Accent: European Spanish

11. Ocho Apellidos Vascos (Spanish Affair)

This screwball comedy took Spain by storm when it was released in 2014. Even if you don’t enjoy this type of humor, it’s worth a watch for the fascinating insights into Basque and Andalusian culture and the stereotypes the Spanish have about each other.

Accent: European Spanish. Some dialogue in Basque.

12. A Cambio de Nada (Nothing in Return)

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Engaging movie about a Spanish teen from a dysfunctional home. Insightful and sympathetic glimpse into the world of working-class madrileños.

Accent: European Spanish

13. Coco

This Oscar-winning animated tale is a love letter to the people, music, and culture 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.

Accent: Mexican

14. Contratiempo (The Invisible Guest)

A successful young entrepreneur has less than three hours to prove his innocence in the murder of his mistress. Suspenseful mystery thriller from Spain with lots of twists and turns to keep you captivated.

Accent: European Spanish

15. To Be a Miss

Fascinating documentary that exposes the dark side of Venezuela’s pageant industry and the country’s obsession with female beauty. Three young models are profiled whose hopes and dreams are exploited as they strive to become the next Miss Venezuela. Particularly timely since the Miss Venezuela pageant was suspended in March 2018 due to allegations of prostitution and corruption.

Accent: Venezuelan

16. Lucía y el Sexo (Sex and Lucía)

This classic of modern Spanish cinema tells the story of Lucía, a waitress in Madrid, who escapes to a secluded island after the loss of her boyfriend, a tortured writer. There she meets others who have also run away to escape personal tragedy, all mysteriously connected in some way with a novel written by Lucía’s ex. Stylish film that blurs the lines between fact and fiction. Note: This edition has been censored to remove brief explicit sex scenes.

Accent: European Spanish

17. Toro

An ex-con who has left his life of crime behind is dragged into conflict with the local mafia when his family is threatened. Entertainingly frenetic thriller atmospherically set on Spain’s southern coast.

Accent: European Spanish

18. Neruda

This unconventional biopic of Nobel Prize-winning Chilean poet Pablo Neruda mixes history and fantasy. Gael García Bernal plays a fictional policeman tasked with hunting down the Communist writer as part of a government crackdown on political dissidents. Beautiful shot but at times a little slow.

Accent: Chilean

19. 7 Años

This cerebral drama is Netflix’s first original film in Spanish. Four friends make the gut-wrenching decision of who will go to prison for the crime they committed. A character play set in a single room, with terrific dialogue and performances.

Accent: European Spanish

20. Fe De Etarras (Bomb Scared)

Accent: European Spanish

21. La Llamada (Holy Camp)

Accent: European Spanish

22. El Faro de las Orcas (The Lighthouse of the Orcas)

Moving film shot in a remote area of Argentine Patagonia. A Spanish mother travels to the ends of the earth with her autistic son in the hope that a ranger and a pod of wild orcas can help him find an emotional connection.

Accents: Argentinian, European Spanish

23. La Luciérnaga (The Firefly)

Touching story of love and loss set in Colombia. After her estranged brother’s sudden death, Lucia bonds with his fiancée and finds herself falling in love.

Accent: Colombian

24. El Hombre de las Mil Caras (Smoke and Mirrors)

Complex Spanish thriller that takes the viewer on a whirlwind tour around the world. Based on the non-fiction book Paesa, el espía de las mil caras by Manuel Cerdán. The film stars Eduard Fernández as Francisco Paesa, a former agent of the Spanish secret service who faked his own death after an infamous corruption scandal.

Accent: European Spanish

More Suggestions

• Ixcanul (Volcano) –  Filmed mostly in the Kaqchikel Mayan language and partly in Spanish, this powerful movie follows a Mayan girl working on a Guatemalan coffee plantation who dreams of escaping an arranged marriage to make a new life in America. Provides an intimate glimpse into Mayan culture in Guatemala and the exploitation suffered by these native people. Watch the trailer.

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