What better way than to learn Spanish through movies! Here you can find some great examples to learn Spanish through movies. Any Spanish movie with or without subtitles is good to learn Spanish. But it depends on the vocabulary they use in the movie, the story that is told, the pronunciation of the actors or if their speaking rate is suitable for your level of comprehension. You should have a dictionary, pen and notebook always at your fingertips. Here you can find some examples to learn Spanish through movie, according to your level.
At AIP Spanish Language School we always recommend that you complement our Spanish classes with other activities at home to improve your Spanish and to better absorb the information you acquired during the week. And what better way than to learn Spanish than through movies. It’s recommended to watch the original version of films and with subtitles, at first with subtitles in your own language and then with Spanish subtitles. But the movies you should watch will depend on your own level because the pronunciation of the actors, the story and the vocabulary can be less or more difficult depending on your level of Spanish. Here you can find some examples of movies to learn Spanish through movies according to your level.
7 ways to learn Spanish through movies
1. Dolor y gloria (2019)
To start your movie marathon to improve your Spanish, we suggest you start with a film by Pedro Almodovar. Dolor y gloria is a Spanish film made in 2019. It tells the story of a movie director in the middle of a creative crisis. He is an emotionally tortured man and it doesn’t get any better when he learns that one of his films (Sabor) is going to have a remake to attract a new audience.
This will lead him to recall an old acquaintance he hasn’t seen in over 32 years, which will lead to certain consequences, both positive and negative… Moreover, there are many flashbacks in Dolor y Gloria. So you have to follow the story a bit. In this film, you will undoubtedly recognise Antonio Banderas, Penelope Cruz, Asier Etxeandia… A great group of people for a film about cinema. The dialogues are not too fast, which allows a good understanding.
2. Campeones (2018)
Marco is a professional basketball coach who is forced to coach a team of players with a disability due to legal problems. Of course, at the beginning he found this all too much to handle, as the training methods could not be the same as with his old team. However, he eventually becomes attached to these players and learns a life lesson from his past actions.
You will not be bored watching this movie because the humour is very present and the dialogue in Spanish is not very fast. This is one of the reasons why we put it on the list to learn Spanish through movies. All the characters have a certain humanity, humility and generosity that makes you forget the so-called limitations of disability. It’s a very touching movie but with some very comical scenes which helps to balance out the melancholy of the movie.
3. Perfectos desconocidos (2017)
This movie is an Italian adaptation and has been a success in both countries. It is about four couples who have known each other all their lives and who gather one evening for dinner. One of the characters suggests a game: reveal each other’s worst secrets. To do this, each of them has to put their mobile phone in the middle of the table. Each message received will be read out loud and everyone will have to answer the calls while putting them on speaker.
This promises to be a colourful evening that will surely reveal secrets that some would have preferred to keep quiet… The acting makes each scene very dynamic and entertaining. You won’t be disappointed with the twists and turns that take place throughout the film. The Spanish is easy to understand, which will allow you to quickly decipher who is hiding what and why… We leave you to play detective under a blanket with popcorn.
4. Diecisiete (2019)
This movie will move you to the core while allowing you to learn modern Spanish. Diecisiete tells the story of 17-year-old Hector, who has been living in a juvenile detention centre for two years. He is a very withdrawn, unsociable teenager until he participates in a rehabilitation therapy with dogs. From that moment on, he established a special bond with a dog named Oveja. However, one day, Oveja is adopted and it is impossible for Hector to accept the situation. Two months away from leaving the juvenile detention centre, he decides to escape to find Oveja.
This film really shows the bond that can exist between humans and animals and that our four-footed friends can be a source of comfort and support in the development of human beings. Diecisiete will put you in a good mood and take you through different emotions. Perhaps you will recognise yourself in the beautiful relationship between Hector and Oveja. If Diecisiete is on this list to learn Spanish through movies, you will realize that the dialogues are not fast. The vocabulary used is current as the actors play young men looking for their best friend Oveja.
5. Padre no hay más que uno 1 (2019)
This is a family comedy movie that will entertain you. It tells the story of Javier, who is married to Marisa and has 5 children. You will quickly see that he is the kind of man who thinks he is a know-it-all. The problem is that he has little to do with the education of his children and the upkeep of the house. So he leaves everything to his wife. However, he takes the liberty of giving his opinion on how she should proceed while not lifting a finger. But one day, his wife is at the end of her rope from having to manage everything alone and goes on a trip.
He is faced with the reality of managing his five children alone. The situation is not without its complications, which leads to many humorous scenes. He will have to get to know the ‘schedule’ of each of his children so that they do not lose their routine. In this way, he will be able to spend more time with his children while getting to know them better. You will see that the dialogues are easy to understand, with a modern vocabulary and comical scenes.
You’ll have a nice time, without any headaches, which may bring back memories of your family and friends. A sequel was also released in 2020 (Padre no hay más que uno 2), which is also in the same spirit. This good-natured comedy is part of this list to learn Spanish through movies as the story is for all audiences.
6. Todo para uno (2020)
Once you have watched this movie, you will realise that it was a double learning experience. Are you already wondering why? Here are some clues. This film is about a temporary teacher who is sent to a school in a town he doesn’t know. He is confronted with an entire school that holds many secrets. His integration will not be easy as he will have to deal with the return of a sick student whose classmates doens’t want him in his class. He will see his role as a teacher take a turn that was not expected.
This dramatic movie reminds us that fate can quickly catch up with us and that it only takes one person in our lives to change everything. At first glance, Todo para uno may seem a bit sad but it will make you have a good time as you may be able to identify with some of the characters such as Aleix. As far as the dialogue is concerned, you will hear modern Spanish, used in the playground. It is likely that you will understand why we have put Todo para uno on the list to learn Spanish through movies. This film is a good combination of learning a language and learning how to behave in difficult situations.
7. El arte de volver (2020)
The movie tells the story of Noemí, a young actress who left home overnight to try her luck in New York. She comes back to her hometown to attend a casting session that could change her career. In the space of 24 hours, she meets many new people, whether in her family circle, friends or strangers, who make her rethink her past and future actions and her place in the world. Noemí’s story is powerful because she left everything behind her to try her luck on the other side of the world.
However, facing her professional success, she has somewhat forgotten where she came from and the people who helped her get to where she is, in a way. This is why some of the relationships from her past are struggling to come back to life. It makes us realise that sometimes there are two sides to life. One of them can come up overnight and make us change our minds or simply change our view of life.
A very beautiful story with a human touch, because it is very likely that everyone goes through this at some point, wondering what their place in the world is. You will be so captivated by Noemí’s story that you won’t even realise the language content and why we have put it on the list to learn Spanish through movies. But on the other hand, this is also how you learn a language, by not necessarily realizing it.
To conclude, in this article we have compiled a list to learn Spanish through movies. Nowadays, speaking one or two foreign languages is as necessary in everyday life as in professional life. The best way to learn is to take a course in order to get the basic grammar and of course to spend a few months/years abroad if you have the opportunity.
However, nowadays, in addition to school courses, we have at our disposal platforms to watch films or series, listen to postcasts… which allow us to learn the language in a more relaxed way. To make our time spent in front of a screen watching a film profitable, for example, it is wise to put it in VO and, depending on your level, if you wish, to put the subtitles in the original language or in your native language. This will depend on you and your level.
By putting on the VO, you will improve your hearing which is very important if you ever have to use a foreign language in everyday life. We hope that this list of films to learn Spanish through movies will be useful for your language learning as well as your personal culture. In the same vein, we recommend this article about the best series to learn Spanish. Enjoy!
