24 Best Spanish Movies with Subtitles for Language Learning

The Spanish-speaking world has brought us some amazing movies. And with streaming platforms providing subtitles in English, Spanish and other languages, they’re more accessible than ever.

In this post, I’ll give you 24 of my favorite Spanish movies with subtitles that you can watch today. Plus, I’ll give you some tips for learners of all levels. With these recommendations, you can learn Spanish with movies while being entertained.

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

1. “El laberinto del fauno” (“Pan’s Labyrinth”)

Watch it on Prime Video

Year: 2006
Genre: Drama/Fantasy
Subtitles: English

In war-torn Spain, young Ofelia escapes her harsh reality by venturing into a magical labyrinth, where a faun promises her escape if she completes three dangerous tasks.

Blurring the lines between fantasy and reality, this is a great option if you’re looking to get lost in another world while picking up some Spanish with the help of English subtitles. 

2. “Relatos salvajes” (“Wild Tales”)

4. “Roma”

Watch it on Netflix

Year: 2018
Genre: Drama
Subtitles: English, Spanish, French, Chinese

In this film, Oscar winner Alfonso Cuarón provides an intimate portrait of Cleo, a young domestic worker in 1970s Mexico City.

Cleo navigates the turbulent personal lives of her employers while facing her own challenges, offering a poignant glimpse into social inequalities and the complexities of human connection.

5. “Diarios de motocicleta” (“The Motorcycle Diaries”)

6. “Volver” (“Coming Back”)

Watch it on Prime Video

Year: 2006
Genre: Comedy/Drama
Subtitles: English

This vibrant and emotionally resonant film centers on Raimunda, a working-class woman who must confront the ghosts of her past when her mother, who she believed to be dead, mysteriously reappears.

As secrets are unearthed and long-buried truths come to light, Raimunda navigates the complexities of familial relationships and the bonds that tie us together. 

7. “Argentina, 1985”

8. “Arrugas” (“Wrinkles”)

Watch it on Apple TV

Year: 2011
Genre: Animated
Subtitles: English

This animated film is great for lower-level Spanish learners. The story is set at an elderly care facility, and the dialogue is often slow and clearly enunciated.

Two old men begin an entertaining friendship and often discuss their living situation, food, family and hobbies. “Arrugas” is a great reminder that getting old is just another adventure.

9. “No se aceptan devoluciones” (“Instructions Not Included”)

Watch it on Prime Video

Year: 2013
Genre: Comedy/Drama
Subtitles: English

When a man’s unexpected baby is left at his front door, he takes off to find the mother. Instead, he finds himself raising his daughter and trying to provide a good life for her.

Until six years later, that is, when the girl’s mother reappears. I recommend this movie if you want a good laugh and a good cry. 

10. “El agente topo” (“The Mole Agent”)

13. “Sin señas particulares” (“Identifying Features”)

Two women, Janis and Ana, give birth on the same day in a maternity ward. Their lives become intertwined as they navigate motherhood and confront unexpected connections.

This thought-provoking film explores themes of family, female solidarity and the choices women make in a patriarchal society.

15. “Como agua para chocolate” (“Like Water for Chocolate”)

Watch it on Apple TV

Year: 1992
Genre: Drama/Romance
Subtitles: English

Tita, forbidden from love by her family tradition, expresses her forbidden emotions through magical culinary creations.

This magical realist film explores themes of passion, repression and the transformative power of food. It’s also a great book to read for some Spanish reading practice! 

16. “La camarista” (“The Chambermaid”)

17. “Quién te cantará” (“Who Will Sing to You”)

Watch it on Apple TV 

Year: 2018
Genre: Drama/Music/Mystery
Subtitles: English

Ana, a former opera singer forced to retire due to illness, grapples with her fading voice and forgotten past.

As she prepares for a comeback concert, she confronts her regrets and reconnects with her estranged daughter.

18. “7 años” (“7 Years”)

Watch it on Netflix

Year: 2016
Genre: Drama
Subtitles: English, Spanish, French, Chinese

In this Netflix original, four friends must decide who will do the time for the crime they committed together, while the other three remain free.

Watch their debates as they prepare to vote on who’s going to jail, all while learning some legal and financial Spanish vocabulary and getting exposed to Castilian Spanish.

21. “Ocho apellidos vascos” (“Spanish Affair”)

Watch it on Prime Video

Year: 2014
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Subtitles: English, Spanish

Rafa, a charming Andalusian man, pretends to be Basque to win over Amaia, a woman from a traditional Basque family.

As Rafa navigates the Basque customs and Amaia’s family, he discovers more about himself and challenges his own biases.

24. “La Llorona”

Watch it on Prime Video

Year: 2019
Genre: Horror/Drama
Subtitles: English

Retired General Enrique Monteverde, accused of orchestrating massacres during the Guatemalan Civil War, faces trial but walks free on a technicality.

Haunted by ghostly cries and unsettling visions, he retreats to his opulent mansion, only to find his life further tormented. This film masterfully blends political drama, psychological thriller and supernatural horror.

How to Learn Spanish with Movies

You may be planning to just choose a movie, queue it up and start watching. But there are a few things you can do that will make your movie-watching time more effective if you’re learning the language.  

Choose the right movie

Watching Spanish-language originals will help you learn regional variations of Spanish. If you have a target country, you can select movies from there to improve your understanding of how Spanish is spoken in that part of the world.

Just make sure it’s a movie you’ll actually enjoy, maybe from your favorite genre or about a story that interests you. If you aren’t enjoying it, just turn it off and find a better option for you so you don’t lose motivation. 

If you’re looking for more options, here are eight additional movies that are great for learning Spanish:

Watch the movie multiple times

I suggest watching the movie in Spanish with subtitles in English first. This will improve your spoken Spanish comprehension and make learning new Spanish words easier.

Then, watch it again with the subtitles in Spanish. When you already know the plot and a bit of the dialogue in English, you can see how the grammar changes when translating to Spanish.

Once you’re ready, turn off the subtitles. I suggest doing this in segments, particularly the first time you try it. Watching a whole movie in Spanish might be overwhelming, so split it up. 

Focus on short segments with only one or two voices

Not only are there many variations of Spanish, but every person also has their own way of speaking. Jumping into a conversation with many speakers may be frustrating, particularly if you expect to understand every word.

So when you’re ready to turn off those subtitles, look for a part of the movie where only one or two people are talking to help you follow along. 

For example, there are many scenes in the classic film “Titanic” with one-on-one dialogue that are great for picking up some new words and phrases:

Take your time, and rewatch scenes

Language students often get overwhelmed by entire movies, especially long ones. After all, watching a film in a foreign language can involve a lot of thinking.

Don’t hesitate to break a movie into segments to make it less daunting. Try watching just 15 minutes at a time. Better yet, take time to re-watch your favorite parts! Not only is this fun, but it will also help you remember the lines.

Check out this video for another in-depth breakdown of how you can learn Spanish with subtitled movies, this time using “The Avengers” as an example:

Practice the movie’s dialogue

Once you’ve watched a scene enough times, try repeating the dialogue out loud, matching the original pronunciation and intonation. You can pause the movie to speak at your own pace.

Once you’ve done this a few times, try “talking” to the movie. For example, choose a role in the dialogue. After you learn it, pause the movie and say each line before the actor does, then listen to the line and check how close you got.

Finished with one character? Change roles. You can also try recording your part and then comparing it to the movie. Or practice with a friend!

Look up new words (and review them!)

The most effective way to learn from movies is to watch them actively. Be prepared to pause the movie to look up unfamiliar words.

You don’t have to understand every word of the film, but if a particular word is used often, it will be easier to just look it up. Write these words down and review them on a regular basis.

This can feel time-consuming, so you may want to start with an immersive language program like FluentU, which combines native Spanish media with convenient interactive subtitles.

FluentU takes authentic videos—like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks—and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.

You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app or Android app.

P.S. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)

 

Try FluentU for FREE!

Here’s another taste of how FluentU’s dual subtitles can help you learn Spanish with movies:

Again, don’t worry if you don’t get absolutely everything. With time and practice, you’ll understand more and more. 

Now, sit back, relax and enjoy learning Spanish with these Spanish-language movies with subtitles!

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

And One More Thing…

If you've made it this far that means you probably enjoy learning Spanish with engaging material and will then love FluentU.

Other sites use scripted content. FluentU uses a natural approach that helps you ease into the Spanish language and culture over time. You’ll learn Spanish as it’s actually spoken by real people.

FluentU has a wide variety of videos, as you can see here:

FluentU brings native videos within reach with interactive transcripts. You can tap on any word to look it up instantly. Every definition has examples that have been written to help you understand how the word is used. If you see an interesting word you don’t know, you can add it to a vocab list.

Review a complete interactive transcript under the Dialogue tab, and find words and phrases listed under Vocab.

Learn all the vocabulary in any video with FluentU’s robust learning engine. Swipe left or right to see more examples of the word you’re on.

The best part is that FluentU keeps track of the vocabulary that you’re learning, and gives you extra practice with difficult words. It'll even remind you when it’s time to review what you’ve learned. Every learner has a truly personalized experience, even if they’re learning with the same video.

Start using the FluentU website on your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes or Google Play store. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)