11 Best Movies In Spain That You Should Watching Update 03/2024

Best Movies In Spain

One of the best ways to learn a new language is to watch Spanish movies.

It is easier for your brain to absorb and retain words and phrases when you are in a relaxed state while watching a movie. However, you must also ensure that you are not only passively receiving but also keeping the information as a result of your listening.

The button below will take you to a simple PDF comparison chart of the top 11 Spanish TV shows and the top 11 Spanish films.

Despite what you would think, there are a lot of good movies out there that aren’t Hollywood fare. In the last few years, we’ve witnessed a slew of fantastic films from Spain and Latin America, including those that have won Oscars.

The next time you watch a television show or a movie, why not do so in Spanish?

We’ve compiled a list of the 11 best films to watch to improve your Spanish language skills.

If you’re looking for a decent drama, comedy, or just plain adventure, we’ve got you covered.

We’ve also included a two-minute teaser for each film so you can get a sense of what it’s all about before putting in the time.

 Best Movies in Spanish

Check out Andrea’s analysis on the seven best Spanish films here. Here is a link where you can see it in action.

Let me begin by saying this. There is no particular order to these choices.

These are the top-rated Spanish films that I’ve discovered through my own study and personal opinion.

A list of more than 50 candidates has been whittled down to these top 11.

To help you decide if a movie is worth your time, each one contains a short teaser and a rundown of the most important aspects.

I’ve included my personal favorite at the conclusion of the piece if you’re curious.

Now, let’s take a look at the best 11 Spanish films of all time.

What are you looking for? The top 11 Spanish television shows and the top 11 Spanish movies?

1) Todo Sobre Mi Madre (All About My Mother)

Todo Sobre Mi Madre (All About My Mother)

A young guy named Esteban discovers things about his family’s history while keeping a diary, which he documents in this film. In a tragic vehicle accident, Esteban is killed.

Manuela, his mother, travels to Barcelona in search of his father, only to learn that he is a transgender upon her arrival there. This increases the suspense and intrigue of the film.

The film was directed by Pedro Almodóvar, a world-renowned filmmaker, and stars Penelope Cruz, among others. Rotten Tomatoes has given the picture an almost perfect 98 percent rating since its release in 1999.

You can add the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film if that isn’t enough.

A little over an hour and a half long, the film is rated R.

There are a lot of hot-button subjects in the novel, including homosexuality, AIDS, and religious belief.

If you’re looking for a great Spanish-language film, we recommend this one.

2) El Laberinto del Fauno (Pan’s Labyrinth)

This is a story about a little girl who moves to a tiny village to live with her mother, although she doesn’t want to. Pan’s Labyrinth

She discovers a faun that reveals a profound truth.

Horror and fantasy are mixed together in this film. It has been likened to Alice in Wonderland for adults and has a 95% Rotten Tomatoes rating.

Guillermo del Toro, a Mexican filmmaker, wrote and directed the picture in 2006, which has grossed over $80 million at the box office. Running time: 2 hours and 30 minutes.

We highly recommend Pan’s Labyrinth if you’re a fan of dark fantasy films.

3) Y Tú Mama También (And Your Mother Also)

Y Tú Mama También

In this intriguing film, two teenagers are drawn to the same older woman, who is in her early twenties at the time of the movie.

It’s time to organize a vacation, and they ask her along. Astonishingly, she takes the leap of faith and sets out on her journey.

Y T Mama También is a Mexican film released in 2001. It has been widely praised and has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 92 percent.

As a result, it received an Academy Award nomination in 2003 for Best Original Screenplay.

The film has a R rating because of the explicit sexual content and the use of intoxicating substances. This film lasts for around an hour and a half and a half.

4) No Se Aceptan Devoluciones (Instructions Not Included)

You go away from No Se Aceptan Devoluciones with a positive takeaway.

When his daughter unexpectedly shows up on his doorstep one day, a guy is obliged to take care of her. He tries to find her mother to return the child, but then he realizes he must keep his daughter and works hard to ensure she has a happy life..

Eugenio Derbez co-wrote, directed, and stars in this film.

One thing to keep in mind is this. One of the finest ways to learn Spanish is through watching this film. While the majority of the film is set in the United States, the dialogue is spoken in a distinctively Mexican dialect with sprinklings of English.

This is a PG-13-rated picture that lasts roughly an hour and fifteen minutes. The 2013 release of this breezy comedy received mixed reviews. Even though Rotten Tomatoes only gives it a 55% approval rating, the plot isn’t particularly complex, and it’s hardly a “artsy movie.”

The button below will take you to a simple PDF comparison chart of the top 11 Spanish TV shows and the top 11 Spanish films.

This movie was a lot of fun for me because it’s humorous and entertaining while yet delivering an important message. Everything about it was enjoyable, from the acting to the writing to the plot twists.

No Academy Awards were given, but the film has been a huge success at the box office, grossing a cool $100 million.

5) Amores Perros (Lifes a B****)

Amores Perros

A Mexico City-set action drama, Amorres Perros

To begin, there’s a car chase, which leads to a horrible car crash involving three distinct automobiles. The movie depicts the impact of the accident on the lives of three different individuals and their families on that terrible day in history.

That means it’s a movie that tells three stories in succession. It has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 92 percent, indicating widespread critical acclaim.

Not for the faint of heart, this film contains a significant amount of gore and bloodshed. It delves into Mexico City’s seedy underbelly and a strand of the country’s criminal underworld.

The story of Octavio, the protagonist, piqued my interest right away, but I also had to turn away because the plot involves a horrifying dog fighting ring. Even though you can’t see everything, it’s fairly awful.

Because of the graphic violence, sexual content, and profanity, it has been given a R rating. It’s a lengthy film, clocking in at over two and a half hours. In 2000, the film Amorres Perros was released.

That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and thought each of the three stories to be a fascinating look into the lives and problems of the protagonists.

6) Biutiful

For those who enjoy dark action films, I’m sure you’ll enjoy this one.

Astonishing

This book tells the narrative of a cancer patient who is struggling to raise his two young children while his wife is an alcoholic.

An inspiring tale of a man’s triumph over adversity is depicted in this story.

This 2010 Spanish-Mexican drama received mostly favorable reviews and a 64 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes when it was released. However, it didn’t win the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

Alejandro González Iárritu, the director of Amorres Perros, also directed this film.

As with Amorres Perros, Biutiful has some unsettling content and eroticism, as well as a lengthy running time of about two and a half hours.

Regardless of the fact that the film is a Mexican and Spanish co-production, it naturally has a Spanish dialect to it.

Although it wasn’t bad, I wasn’t blown away, I thought it was just okay. However, it has received positive reviews and many people have found it to be amusing, so it’s not all bad.

7) Diarios de Motocicleta (The Motorcycle Diaries)

Diarios de Motocicleta

The diaries of “Che Guevara” form the basis of this film. The story revolves around Che and a friend’s South American motorcycling trip.

Before Che became a well-known revolutionary, the two of them had some incredible life experiences, which are depicted in the film.

Traveling through South America, you’ll get to see some of the region’s most gorgeous landscapes and meet a lot of amazing people. You’ll also hear the country’s distinctive accent.

It had a great plot, and I was captivated by it from beginning to end. The acting and cinematography are excellent. Several parts of the narrative moved me to tears, and the ending had me pondering for a long time.

The button below will direct you to a simple PDF comparison chart of the top 11 Spanish TV shows and the top 11 Spanish movies.

According to Rotten Tomatoes, the film was released in 2004 and now has an 84 percent rating.

A little over two hours long, it is rated R for language.

As a Latin classic, I found the motorcycle adventure of these two to be enjoyable.

As a bonus for anyone learning Argentinian Spanish, this film is a great resource for familiarizing oneself with common idiomatic expressions.

8) Aquí Entre Nos (Between Us)

When Rudolpho takes a day off from work, he discovers that he wants to change his life. This is a Mexican-produced film.

He decides he doesn’t want to go back to work because he is fed up with his life and family.

Thus, he is compelled to leave the house by his wife’s wrath. Then things become crazy. The series deals with a wide range of topics, including divorce, marriage, infidelity, and more.

In the event that you’re looking for a good laugh, this is the film for you.

On Rotten Tomatoes, it has a 99 percent rating, making it one of the most highly regarded Mexican comedies of 2011.

9) Una Noche (One Night)

Una Noche

Raul resides in Havana, Cuba, and is the protagonist of the film. He dreams of escaping to Miami one day. It’s not uncommon for him to get into trouble while on vacation in Cuba.

In order to go to Florida, Raul had to arrange for a 90-mile trek across the ocean. With plenty of drama and even a few romantic subplots, this is a wonderful picture.

It’s based on a real-life incident. According to Rotten Tomatoes, it was released in 2012. It presently has an 81 percent rating.

I’m confident that you’ll be thoroughly entertained for the whole of this film’s running time, which is about an hour and a half. Like Aqu Entre Nos, the film is not evaluated for its level of amaturity.

No matter what your opinion on Cuba is, I recommend watching out Una Noche if you’re curious about the country’s language and culture. If you’re interested, you’ll enjoy it!

10) También La Lluvia (Even The Rain)

In 2000, a film crew is attempting to make a controversial film on the Spanish conquest of Latin America, and the movie begins with this crew.

They end up in Cochabamba, Bolivia, the last place they expected to be.

As a result, they find themselves entangled in a long-running dispute with townspeople who oppose privatizing their water supply.

Luis Tosar and Gael Garcia Bernal feature in a terrific and historically accurate film. The film was released in 2010 and has a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 88 percent.

This is a story that’s a little more close to home for me than the others. Despite the fact that I was not present during the tumultuous water protests, I did spend five months in Bolivia’s Cochabamba a year ago. People’s struggles during that time period were brought home to me in a powerful way.

The button below will direct you to a simple PDF comparison chart of the top 11 Spanish TV shows and the top 11 Spanish movies.

For many people in Bolivia, water is a precious commodity that is hard to come by.

Affluent as my area was, I still occasionally had to wait for the water to come back on in my house.

This film has me hooked from beginning to end, and I urge you to see it. The Bolivian accent can also be heard in the recording.

11) Abre los Ojos (Open Your Eyes)

Abre los Ojos

An attractive 25-year-old man begins to imagine and then sees the woman of his dreams in this 1997 film.

After then, things take a bad turn for the worse. He must undergo surgery to restore his appearance after sustaining a horrific injury. Everything begins to alter in his life.

It’s an engrossing film on the search for meaning and purpose in life.

Vanilla Sky, starring Tom Cruise and Penélope Cruz in 2001, was the American remake of this film.

This film is difficult to categorize because of its uniqueness. In one package, you get a sci-fi mystery thriller. Of course, there’s a little amount of romance in there, which serves as the foundation for the entire film.

The film, which was made in Spain and lasts approximately two hours, is a Spanish production. Rotten Tomatoes gives it an approval rating of 85%.

The entire film is rated R due to explicit sexual content and language.

View the trailer below to determine whether you’re interested in seeing the film.