You Have To Check Out These Spanish-Language Movies On Netflix Right Now
There is no question about it: streaming, like Netflix, has revolutionized the entertainment industry. All of a sudden, we have hundreds of movies within reach. Navigating the Netflix catalog can sometimes be overwhelming and frustrating, especially if you are looking for very specific content.
Want to watch something in Spanish? No hay bronca, te ayudamos. Here’s a list of 21 films that are totally worth watching and that span horror, action, romance, drama, and every single genre imaginable. Going through this list is a good chance to get acquainted both with the cinema of Latin America and Spain, and the movies that are being produced by Netflix itself. So dig in.
These titles are available on Netflix in the United States as of February 2019.
“Pickpockets” (Carteristas)
Country: Colombia
Director: Peter Webber
Year released: 2018
Credit: Pickpockets / Netflix
A sort of modern-day Oliver Twist-like tale. This film set in Bogota tells the story of two teens who wish to become successful pickpockets. Of course, we can see how trickery and deception can lead to tragedy.
“Perdida”
Country: Argentina
Director: Alejandro Montiel
Year released: 2018
Credit: Perdida / Netflix
Give us a strong female lead anytime. The story of an Argentinian cop who tries to solve the mystery of her best friend’s murder is pure horror. The snowy background of Patagonia gives the film an uncanny feeling that is hard to shake off.
“A Twelve-Year Night” (La noche de 12 años)
Country: Uruguay
Director: Alvaro Brechner
Year released: 2018
Credit: A Twelve-Year Night / Netflix
A claustrophobic but ultimately inspiring biopic about Pepe Mujica, a political activist who was imprisoned for more than a decade during the military dictatorship, but who would eventually become president. Our own Latino Nelson Mandela.
Remastered “Massacre at the Stadium” (Masacre en el estadio)
Country: Chile
Director: Bent-Jorgen Perlmutt
Year released: 2019
Credit: Massacre at the Stadium / Netflix
Victor Jara was one of the most beloved singer-songwriters in Latin America, as well as a fierce leftist. He died or perhaps was killed on the eve of the Pinochet years in Chile. This documentary delves into his disappearance.
“How to Get Over a Breakup” (Soltera Codiciada)
Country: Peru
Directors: Bruno Ascenzo, Joanna Lombardi
Year released: 2018
Credit: How to Get Over a Breakup / Netflix
Peruvian cinema is quite scarce. Few films get funded and when they do they are generally brainy arthouse movies. This is why Netflix is changing the rules of the game, producing genre pieces like this funny, if average, romantic comedy. A copywriter in Lima searches for answers in a blog written for single women and becomes an online celeb.
“Residente”
Country: United States
Director: Residente
Year released: 2017
Credit: Residente / Paraiso Pictures
The front singer of the iconic Puerto Rican duo Calle 13 takes a DNA test and then embarks on a worldwide trip in search of his roots. A poignant and hopeful film about what makes us alike, rather than what makes us different.
“Even the Rain” (También la lluvia)
Country: Spain / Bolivia
Director: Icíar Bollaín
Year released: 2010
Credit: Even the Rain / Alebrije Cine y Video
This film is an intense look at the past and present processes of colonization. A film crew is shooting a movie about the arrival of Christopher Columbus to the Americas. They are shooting it in Bolivia, where corporations are trying to steal people’s access to water. Past and present oppression collide in this Oscar-nominated film.
“Ayotzinapa, el paso de la tortuga”
Country: Mexico
Director: Enrique Garcia Meza
Year released: 2018
Credit: Ayotzinapa, el paso de la tortuga / Salamandra Producciones
Produced by Guillermo Del Toro, this documentary tells the story of the disappearance of the 43 students in Guerrero, Mexico. Was it the army, was it the cartels? No one seems to know a definite answer.
“Verónica”
Country: Spain
Director: Paco Plaza
Year relased: 2017
Credit: Verónica / Netflix
This Spanish horror film is truly shocking and this comes as no surprise as the director is a longstanding figure in the genre. Ay, nanita!
“The Skin of the Wolf” (Bajo la piel del lobo)
Country: Spain
Director: Samu Fuentes
Year released: 2017
Credit: The Skin of the Wolf / Netflix
The plot line is as problematic as it sounds: a lonesome hunter buys a wife so he can feel less alone. Damn, some pretty wrong stuff here. The movie, however, is an interesting study on human relations and the eternal struggle of man vs. nature.
“The Perfect Dictatorship” (La dictadura perfecta)
Country: Mexico
Director: Luis Estrada
Year released: 2014
Credit: The Perfect Dictatorship / Bandidos Films
Luis Estrada has built a career of offering us comedies that seem like reality. Here, he spares no bullets in denouncing corruption in the Mexican government.
“The Desert Bride” (La novia del desierto)
Country: Argentina
Directors: Cecilia Atán, Valeria Pivato
Year released: 2017
Credit: The Desert Bride / Ceibita Films
The story of a woman in her mid-50s who was a domestic worker in Buenos Aires and basically had no life of her own beyond servicing her employers. What does life have in store for her in her hometown in the country?
“Pizza, Beer, and Cigarettes” (Pizza, Birra, Faso)
Country: Argentina
Director: Bruno Stagnaro
Year released: 1998
Credit: Pizza, Beer, and Cigarettes / Instituto Nacional de Cine y Arte Audiovisuales
A heist movie, a genre that was pretty much in fashion during the late 1990s after the release of indie films in the U.S. like Reservoir Dogs. This crime drama set in Buenos Aires tests the limits of friendship and loyalty.
“México Bárbaro”
Country: Mexico
Directors: Isaac Ezban, Laurette Flores Bornn, Jorge Michel Grau, Ulises Guzman, Edgar Nito, Lex Ortega, Gigi Saul Guerrero, Aaron Soto
Year released: 2014
Credit: México Bárbaro / LuchaGore Production.
Eight tales of horror and the supernatural that take place in Mexico. The directors are skillful in providing chills while dealing with the violence that is affecting the country.
“Patria”
Country: Mexico
Director: Matías Gueilburt
Year released: 2019
Credit: Patria / Netflix
Writer Paco Ignacio Taibo II explores a key moment in Mexico’s political history: the mid to late nineteenth century. Yes, sounds like a snoozefest, but it isn’t: the commentary is lively and it makes history quite entertaining, just like the best documentaries.
“Pan’s Labyrinth” (El laberinto del fauno)
Country: Mexico / Spain
Director: Guillermo Del Toro
Year released: 2006
Credit: Pan’s Labyrinth / Wild Bunch, Tequila Gang
Perhaps Guillermo Del Toro’s best movie. Set in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War, the story mixes the horrors of war with the soothing fantasy world imagined by a girl.
“Time Share” (Tiempo compartido)
Country: Mexico
Director: Sebastian Hofmann
Year released: 2018
Credit: Time Share / Netflix
One of Netflix’s best Spanish-language originals. The film follows a father who brings his family to a resort where things are much more macabre than they seem. An allegory of the problems of corporate culture, which can be so similar to religious cults.
“Black Snow” (Nieve negra)
Country: Argentina
Director: Martin Hodara
Year released: 2017
Credit: Black Snow / Pampa Films
A family thriller set in the magnificent landscape of the Argentinian Patagonia, with one of the world’s best actors, Ricardo Darin, at the helm. What could go wrong?
“Y tu mamá también”
Country: Mexico
Director: Alfonso Cuarón
Year released: 2001
Credit: Y tu mamá también / Twentieth Century Fox
Diego, Gael, Maribel. The three amazing actors and gorgeous humans embark on a road trip that will make them explore their emotional and sexual limits. A true classic of New Mexican Cinema.
“City of God” (Cidade de Deus)
Country: Brazil
Director: Fernando Meirelles
Year released: 2002
Credit: City of God / O2 Filmes
One of the best movies ever made, according to numerous film critics. This epic portrayal of the Rio favelas has been compared to Scorsese’s best crime grand narratives. Truly exceptional.
“Roma”
Country: Mexico
Director: Alfonso Cuarón
Year released: 2018
Credit: Roma / Netflix
What else can we say about this instant classic? Ten Oscar nominations are just fair for this film of motherly love, historical magnitude, and tender artistry.
