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Spanish films on Netflix

30 Best Spanish Movies on Netflix (2021)

Watching Spanish-language movies on Netflix is a great way to practice vocabulary and listening skills. Spanish films also allow you to learn about other cultures and gain exposure to different accents and slang.

If you are an intermediate or advanced learner, I recommend watching with Spanish subtitles as studies show it enhances language learning. I also jot down any interesting new vocabulary and add it to my Anki flashcards later.

Here are some of the top Spanish movies on Netflix streaming in the US as of January 22, 2021. If you’re not in the US, just click the title to check if the show is available in your country. Watch these films while you can, because content disappears as licensing agreements expire.

There are so many great Mexican movies on Netflix that I created a separate list for them. Also, don’t miss my recommendations for Spanish-language TV shows on Netflix.

If you’re an Amazon Prime member, be sure to check out my lists of Spanish-language movies and Spanish-language TV shows free for members on Amazon Prime Video.

1. El Ciudadano Ilustre (The Distinguished Citizen)

THE DISTINGUISHED CITIZEN - Trailer with English subtitles

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)

OFF COURSE (Trailer) - PERDIENDO EL NORTE (OV with engl. subt.)

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.

Accent: European Spanish

3. El hoyo (The Platform)

The Platform | Main Trailer | Netflix

Those will strong stomachs and a taste for satire will enjoy Netflix’s latest viral thriller. The claustrophobic premise is an apt metaphor in these days of shelter-in-place.

Inside a vertical prison, inmates are assigned to a level and forced to ration food from a platform that moves between the floors. This dystopian Spanish horror film is a twisted social allegory about mankind at its darkest and hungriest.

Accent: European Spanish

4. Vivir dos veces (Live Twice, Love Once)

Vivir Dos Veces (2019) Tráiler Oficial Español

Note: No English subtitles available for YouTube trailer. Click to watch subtitled trailer on Netflix.

Wistful, heartwarming Spanish comedy.

Emilio, a retired math professor in Valencia, is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. He and his daughter and granddaughter embark on a quixotic quest to reunite him with his childhood crush before his memory loss is complete.

Accent: European Spanish. Some dialogue in Catalan.

5. Roma

Roma Trailer #1 (2018) | Movieclips Indie

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.

Accent: Mexican. Some dialogue in Mixtec, an indigenous language from Oaxaca.

6. Durante la tormenta (Mirage)

Durante La Tormenta - Tráiler Castellano

Note: No English subtitles available for YouTube trailer. Click to watch subtitled trailer on Netflix.

Spanish thriller from the director of Contratiempo starring the talented Adriana Ugarte. 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.

Accent: European Spanish

7. Soltera Codiciada (How to Get Over a Breakup)

Soltera Codiciada - Trailer Oficial - Tondero

A heartbroken ad copywriter living in Lima, Peru, is inspired to write a blog about life as a single woman and is surprised by her website’s success.

Light comedy based on the real-life blog Soltera Codiciada by Peruvian writer María José Osorio.

Accent: Peruvian

8. El Hijo (The Son)

EL HIJO - Trailer Oficial

Note: No English subtitles available for YouTube trailer. Click to watch subtitled trailer on Netflix.

In this creepy psychological thriller set in Buenos Aires, painter Lorenzo’s life spirals out of control as he fears his wife is trying to isolate him from their infant son.

Based on a novel by Argentinian writer Guillermo Martínez.

Accent: Argentinian. Some limited dialogue in Norwegian.

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

THE FURY OF A PATIENT MAN Trailer | Festival 2016

This gritty, suspenseful revenge flick won four Goya awards. The tentative romance between a gentle Madrid laborer and a hard-working single mother becomes a struggle for survival when the woman’s violent boyfriend returns from prison.

Accent: European Spanish

10. Carteristas (Pickpockets)

Pickpockets - Netflix Spanish movie
Click photo to view trailer on Netflix

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

11. Nuestros Amantes (Our Lovers)

OUR LOVERS Nuestros amantes TRAILER

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

12. 100 Metros

100 METERS Trailer English subtitles

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 decides to train for the world’s most challenging endurance event, an Ironman Triathlon, assisted by his delightfully cantankerous father-in-law.

Accent: European Spanish

13. El Otro Hermano (The Lost Brother)

The Lost Brother ( EL OTRO HERMANO) di Israel Adrián Caetano

Dark Uruguayan/Argentinian thriller.

While settling the affairs of his murdered mother and brother, a man partners with a local thug in a life insurance scam, putting him on a sinister path.

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

14. También la Lluvia (Even the Rain)

Even the Rain - También la lluvia | trailer US (2011) Berlinale 2011

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

Also check out: Best Mexican movies on Netflix

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

PALM TREES IN THE SNOW (Palmeras en la Nieve) by Fernando Gonzalez Molina - TRAILER

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.

16. Verónica

🎥 VERONICA (2017) | Full Movie Trailer in Full HD | 1080p

Horror fans should check out this much-hyped film by 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

17. Contratiempo (The Invisible Guest)

The Invisible Guest - Trailer

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

18. El Laberinto del Fauno (Pan’s Labyrinth)

Pan's Labyrinth full length trailer

Netflix has readded this Mexican/Spanish dark fantasy drama written and directed by Guillermo del Toro. This fantastical tale won Oscars for its cinematography, art direction, and makeup.

The film tells the story of young Ofelia, who meets a mythical faun who claims she is destined to become princess of the Underworld. But first she must carry out three perilous tasks. Some intense scenes of violence.

Accent: European Spanish

19. El guardián invisible (The Invisible Guardian)

El guardián invisible - Trailer final (HD)

Note: No English subtitles available on YouTube

This Spanish thriller follows Inspector Amaia Salazar, who returns to her Navarre hometown to catch a killer targeting teens. There, Amaia must confront the origins of her nightmares as she unfolds the darkest secrets of the Baztan valley.

Based on the eponymous novel by Dolores Redondo.

Part 1 of the popular Baztan Trilogy. Parts 2 and 3 are Legado en los huesos (The Legacy of the Bones) and Ofrenda a la tormenta (Offering to the Storm).

Accent: European Spanish. Some dialogue in Basque.

20. Adú

ADÚ (2020) Tráiler Oficial Español

No English subtitles available for YouTube trailer – click to watch trailer on Netflix

Three interlocking tales set in North Africa starring veteran Spanish actor Luis Tosar.

In a desperate attempt to reach Europe, six-year-old Adú and his older sister in Cameroon try to sneak into an aircraft hold. Not far away, an environmental activist witnesses the terrible scene of an elephant killed by poachers.

Meanwhile, thousands of kilometers to the north in Spanish Melilla, a group of civil guards faces a furious mob of African immigrants trying to cross the border fence.

Accent: European Spanish

21. 7 Años

7 Años | Official Trailer [HD] | Netflix

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

22. Fe De Etarras (Bomb Scared)

Fe de Etarras | Trailer Oficial VOS en ESPAÑOL | Netflix España

Netflix’s second Spanish-language movie is a controversial dark comedy about a dysfunctional group of wannabe Basque terrorists awaiting word about a new mission while Spain makes a run at the World Cup title.

Most of the cast are big names in Spain but relatively unknown in the US. Best for those an interest in recent Spanish history and the Basque conflict.

Accent: European Spanish

23. La Llamada (Holy Camp)

"La Llamada", tráiler

Popular Spanish film adaptation of a cult musical comedy.

Two rebellious teen girls who love reggaeton music have a life-changing brush with the divine at a camp run by nuns. Very funny and relatable despite the unlikely plot.

Accent: European Spanish

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

El faro de las orcas - Trailer (HD)

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

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

SMOKE & MIRRORS by Alberto Rodriguez - TRAILER

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

26. Thi Mai, Rumbo a Vietnam

Thi Mai - Teaser trailer (HD)

In this heartwarming comic drama, a determined mother travels to Vietnam along with her two friends to bring home the baby her recently deceased daughter had planned to adopt.

Accent: European Spanish

27. Toc Toc

Toc Toc - Tráiler Oficial - Castellano HD

In the mood for a silly comedy? This zany film based on a hit play follows a group of patients with OCD who wait for their flight-delayed doctor to arrive for their appointments, forcing them to endure each other’s oddball quirks

Accent: European Spanish

28. La Hora Final (The Last Hour)

LA HORA FINAL - Trailer Oficial

In this compelling true story set in 1992, two Peruvian detectives go undercover to locate and capture the elusive leader of the Shining Path.

Accent: Peruvian

29. La noche de 12 años (A Twelve-Year Night)

‘A Twelve-Year Night’ Trailer (English Sub)

Harrowing survival drama based on the real-life story of future Uruguayan president José Mujica and his fellow Tupamaro political prisoners, who fight to survive 12 years of solitary confinement and torture.

Accent: Uruguayan

30. Toro

TORO - Tráiler HD

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

More Netflix Suggestions

  • Errementari: The Blacksmith and the Devil -- A brutal blacksmith tortures a demon he blames for his misery, unaware a trespassing orphan is about to change everything. It’s in Basque, not Spanish, but this creepy fairy tale based on Basque folklore is worth a watch. Watch the trailer on Netflix.

You may also like:

  • Great Mexican Movies on Netflix
  • Best Spanish Movies on Amazon Prime Video
  • Top Spanish TV Shows on Amazon Prime
  • Spanish YouTube Channels for Learning Authentic Spanish

Have feedback on these films or more Spanish movie Netflix recommendations? Some of my best Spanish-language film suggestions come from my readers! Please share your thoughts in the comments.


Banner image from Perdiendo el Norte © Atresmedia Cine


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Ingrid

March 7, 2018 by Ingrid 20 Comments

Ingrid

About Ingrid

Ingrid left software engineering at age 43 to devote herself to language learning and travel. Her goal is to speak seven languages fluently. Currently, she speaks English, German, Spanish, Portuguese, and French, and is learning Russian.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. AvatarTech Guerrero

    February 2, 2019 at 2:42 pm

    Suggested reconsideration of your terms:

    Peninsular Spanish
    Continental Spanish (Latin America)

    HOWEVER, there is not one form of Castilian spoken in Spain but multiple, with a diversity of slang terms, accents, cadences, deliveries, etc. ….now multiply that by 100++ across the many regions of the Spanish speaking Americas (including migrant to 3rd generation mixed speakers in “anglo” America).

    Just thinking of the country with the largest amount of Spanish speakers in the world, Mexico and its diaspora, one would have many differences across regions, education levels, vocational jargons, ancestries and socio-economic strata. Just like English.

    Saludos, ThePostNational

    Reply
    • IngridIngrid

      February 4, 2019 at 10:26 pm

      Thanks for your comment. I know the term peninsular Spanish is often used in Spain; I’ve been using European Spanish instead, as I thought it would be less confusing for my mostly North American audience.

      And agree with you on the mind-boggling diversity of dialects… I’ve mainly focused on Mexican and European Spanish and keeping the vocabulary and grammar differences straight is a real challenge at times!

      Reply
      • AvatarTech Guerrero

        December 29, 2020 at 6:14 pm

        Thanks for being so open, while I am replying months later. Hey there is so much programming available in both Peninsular, Continental and combined Spanish across streamers, i.e. HBO Max, Netflix, Hulu, Pantaya, A3Media, etc.

        Reply
  2. AvatarDave

    October 13, 2019 at 2:37 pm

    Thanks for these lists!
    I appreciate Netflix’s variety of audio and caption languages and wish Amazon offered as many choices. I get a lot out of watching shows in another language dubbed AND captioned in Spanish, such as “Tabula Rasa” and “42.” They must use different translators for audio and captions so I get to see synonyms: sometimes I know one and then can learn the other on the fly. It’s also interesting to see one translator use the second person form when the other chooses the more formal third person in dialog. I don’t feel so bad being confused about when to use which when separate professional translators make different choices

    Reply
    • IngridIngrid

      November 9, 2019 at 11:51 am

      Thanks, Dave, that’s a good tip for learners to watch their favorite shows dubbed into Spanish. And interesting idea to compare and contrast the audio and caption translations!

      Reply
  3. Avatarmuse57

    November 21, 2019 at 2:07 pm

    I always look forward to the updates on your blog as I’m trying to learn Spanish using the Netflix method (plus traveling, community college course, and online Fluencia). One new Netflix show that I really am enjoying is Hache. It uses European Spanish and is a really well done production… very suspenseful.

    Reply
    • IngridIngrid

      November 22, 2019 at 7:53 pm

      Thanks so much for the recommendation! Looks like a great show. I’ve added it to my TV list: https://www.secondhalftravels.com/spanish-language-tv-shows-netflix/.

      Reply
  4. AvatarSomwell Kortess

    January 26, 2020 at 10:03 pm

    Bravo Ingrid, formidable esfuerzo!
    I applaud your pastimes and thank you for these excellent recommendations.
    I’ve seen some and know those are real gems.
    I would like to offer another one: “El Ministerio del Tiempo”. This is a recent TV series that shows realistically what would happen if time travel were possible.
    I will sign up to receive your updates and look forward to that.

    Reply
    • IngridIngrid

      January 29, 2020 at 10:14 pm

      Thanks so much! Agree that El Ministerio del Tiempo is a great series. If you haven’t yet, be sure to check out my list of Spanish TV on Netflix, where I include it and others: https://www.secondhalftravels.com/spanish-language-tv-shows-netflix.

      Reply
  5. Avatarmike Lawrence

    March 12, 2020 at 1:37 pm

    Thanks for some great film recommendations. Mike

    Reply
    • IngridIngrid

      March 14, 2020 at 9:01 am

      Glad you’ve found it helpful, Mike!

      Reply
  6. AvatarThe TMax

    March 18, 2020 at 8:37 am

    #25 is a great choice! Fun fact, I was an extra in that movie! 🙂

    Reply
    • IngridIngrid

      March 18, 2020 at 8:44 am

      How fun is that?! Was it in Vietnam?

      Reply
      • AvatarThe TMax

        March 19, 2020 at 5:51 am

        It was a lot of fun. I was in Pamplona, Spain filming the airport scene at the end of the movie. 😁

        Reply
        • IngridIngrid

          March 19, 2020 at 9:31 am

          That’s awesome!! I’ll have to look for you. 🙂

          Reply
  7. AvatarMary Ann

    May 3, 2020 at 10:48 am

    Just the trailer for, “The Platform,” has scarred me!!! : 0

    Reply
    • IngridIngrid

      May 3, 2020 at 11:13 am

      Hi Mary Ann, I agree, don’t think I could handle that movie. But it’s very popular in these difficult times and critically acclaimed, so I included it for my readers with stronger stomachs. 🙂

      Reply
  8. AvatarCraig

    August 5, 2020 at 1:33 pm

    Have you seen “El tiempo entre costuras?” I would highly recommend it.

    Reply
    • IngridIngrid

      August 5, 2020 at 2:01 pm

      That’s a great series. Sadly, I had to remove it from my list as it’s no longer available on Netflix in the US.

      Reply
  9. AvatarRichard Stanton

    January 18, 2021 at 2:19 am

    Hi, trying to find a Spanish language movie I saw a number of years ago. Opening scene is a bomb blast in the street where a women is injured and assisted by a man who takes her into a cafe, then his place to look after her. Then becomes her lover.

    Reply

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