When you ask English learners how they learned English as children, their answer often includes television and movies. By watching films and TV in English, they picked up the language more quickly and learned a lot about culture in English-speaking countries. The same philosophy works for any language-learning journey!
This selection of the best foreign language films streaming today from a variety of different countries has been curated to meet different language levels, challenge your current understanding, and provide insight into other cultures and societies. If you’ve ever wondered how to learn a language by watching movies, all you need to do is set your audio options to the original language, turn on (or off) your English subtitles, and enjoy!
Table of Contents
1. Roma (Spanish)
Genre: Drama
Rating: R
Language level: Intermediate, Advanced
A quiet exploration of class dynamics and childhood memory, Roma (2018) is based on director Alfonso Cuarón’s childhood experiences in the Colonia Roma neighborhood of Mexico City. The foreign film centers on housekeeper Libo Rodriguez, her relationship with her wealthy employers, and the connections we make in moments of crisis.
Roma is a great film for students interested in Mexican social dynamics and working on mastery of Spanish conversation. It also includes prominent Mexican slang that would be helpful for intermediate or advanced students seeking immersive Spanish language experiences.
2. The Family Pack (French)
Genre: Comedy, Adventure
Rating: TV-14
Language level: Beginner, Intermediate
When it comes to French films on Netflix, learners are sure to enjoy The Family Pack (2024). Known as Loups-Garous (werewolves) in French, The Family Pack centers around a family who must travel back in time and play a real-life version of a French card game that’s come to life in the form of medieval werewolves.
The Family Pack is one of the best French movies on Netflix for beginners, because it’s fun, conversational, and it explores many family dynamics that will feel familiar to viewers (minus the werewolves). Intermediate French learners will learn more about French traditions, and may even be inspired to try a game of Loups-Garous themselves (again, minus the werewolves).
For long-term French learning, try out French TV shows that keep you immersed season after season!
3. Parasite (Korean)
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Rating: R
Language level: Intermediate, Advanced
As the first foreign film to win the Best Picture Oscar, Parasite (2019) explores complex social themes and wealth disparity in South Korea. It’s called 기생충 (Gisaengchung) in Korean, and features members of a poor family systematically entering the lives of a wealthier family to survive.
While the subjects and themes of Parasite may be complex for Korean beginners to grasp, intermediate and advanced learners will find the conversational dynamics and speech patterns to be a good challenge.
4. Happy As Lazzaro (Italian)
Genre: Drama, Fantasy
Rating: PG-13
Language level: Intermediate
If you’re looking for Italian movies on Netflix to practice your language skills, look no further than the magical realism of Happy as Lazzaro (2018). Called Lazzaro felice in Italy, this film incorporates themes of the famous folktale The Boy Who Cried Wolf and examines the struggle between good, evil, and modern capitalism.
Vivid imagery and clear dialogue make Happy as Lazzaro one of the best foreign language films for intermediate Italian learners. While beginners may have a hard time following both the Italian dialogue and elements of fantasy woven throughout the story, more experienced learners can strengthen their understanding of Italian culture and dialect as they watch.
5. Drifting Home (Japanese)
Genre: Anime
Rating: PG
Language level: Beginner, Intermediate
This film is good for picking up beginner phrases and conversational expressions, but it handles more sophisticated themes.
Anime is a great place for Japanese learners to practice their language skills, and Drifting Home (2022) is a wonderful example of this genre. Titled 雨を告げる漂流団地 (Ame o tsugeru hyôryû danchi) in Japanese, this coming-of-age foreign film tells the story of childhood friends who drift into the sea on a public housing complex.
With everyday Japanese expressions and common conversational cues, Drifting Home is an excellent way for beginner Japanese students to solidify what they’ve learned. It includes sophisticated themes and metaphors, which may appeal to intermediate and advanced learners as well.
6. Airplane Mode (Portuguese)
Genre: Comedy
Rating: TV-PG
Language level: Intermediate, Advanced
Known as Modo Avião in Brazil, Airplane Mode (2020) is an entertaining comedy about a classic romance while living off the 21st-century grid. It follows a rising social media influencer through her digital detox and exploration of what life is really about.
One of Netflix’s most popular non-English movies, Airplane Mode includes conversational slang and common vernacular. It’s an excellent film for Portuguese students to watch, especially if they’re studying Brazilian Portuguese or planning to travel to Brazil. Students working on European Portuguese may find the dialect a little more difficult to understand.
7. Ballot (Filipino)
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Rating: TV-MA
Language level: Intermediate
The best foreign language films teach viewers about the culture of their countries, often alongside political commentary. Ballot (2024), called Balota in the Philippines, makes a statement about political influence as it follows a teacher who must protect a box of votes in a corrupt election.
While the complex themes and political vocabulary may be difficult for Filipino beginners to understand, intermediate and advanced speakers will gain a deeper understanding of Filipino culture, language, and vernacular. Faced-paced dialogue and quick plot twists also make Ballot an appropriate choice for these learners.
8. Bajrangi Bhaijaan (Hindi)
Genre: Comedy, Action
Rating: TV-14
Language level: Beginner
Enjoy your Hindi learning journey with Bollywood’s Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015), which translates to “Brother Bajrangi” in English. It explores the best parts of humanity and brotherhood, transcending country lines and religious strife as the Indian main character works to reunite a young Pakistani girl with her family.
Bajrangi Bhaijaan is an entertaining way to master common phrases and straightforward dialogue for any learning level, particularly beginner learners. More advanced speakers can appreciate the cultural commentary of the story, particularly the aspects of the two countries coming together.
9. All Quiet on the Western Front (German)
Genre: Drama
Rating: R
Language Level: Intermediate, Advanced
Adapted from the 1928 German novel by Erich Maria Remarque, All Quiet on the Western Front (2022) is the most recent retelling of the anti-war story (and the only one to be filmed in its native German language). This foreign film details life in the trenches and the futility of war, particularly for the youngest generations of soldiers.
Called Im Westen nichts Neues in German, All Quiet on the Western Front uses military jargon and expressions that may be confusing for beginner German speakers. Intermediate and advanced learners can likely keep up with the fast pace and quick action scenes, though an understanding of the German experience during World War I (or a reading of the novel) would help with comprehension.
10. The Wandering Earth (Chinese Mandarin)
Genre: Science Fiction
Rating: TV-MA
Language level: Advanced
If you love science fiction and you’re learning Mandarin, The Wandering Earth (2019) should be next on your list of foreign films. Titled 流浪地球 (Liú Làng Dì Qiú) in Chinese, the film explores a futuristic disaster in which Jupiter collides with Earth and humanity must find a way to survive.
Fast-paced and technically complex, this movie will be a favorite for advanced Mandarin speakers (or a great challenge for intermediate learners). Beginners may be confused by the sci-fi lingo unless they already have a strong scientific vocabulary in Mandarin.
11. Barakah Meets Barakah (Arabic)
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Rating: TV-MA
Language level: Beginner, Intermediate
Saudi Arabia’s first romantic comedy, Barakah Meets Barakah (2016), is a sweet and engaging look at a couple’s attempts to get together despite cultural clashes and social norms. It examines changes in Saudi relationships over the last half-century, the influence of online Western culture, and how rebellion and relationships can transcend the strictest of expectations.
Beginner Arabic learners will understand much of the film’s conversational dialogue, as it’s written in the Modern Standard Arabic that they’re likely learning in class. They can also examine the dynamics of Saudi culture, including the fact that the film was initially banned in Saudi Arabia after release.
12. My Best Friend Anne Frank (Dutch)
Genre: Drama
Rating: TV-14
Language level: Beginner, intermediate
Based on the real-life friendship between Hannah Goslar and Anne Frank, My Best Friend Anne Frank (2021) explores two girls’ childhood friendship that is torn apart by the atrocities of war. The film is titled Mijn beste vriendin Anne Frank in Dutch and features flashbacks of the girls’ pre-war friendship as they’re both held in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp.
Knowledge of the events of the Holocaust and World War II will help beginner and intermediate Dutch speakers understand the language spoken. The girls speak in a younger, conversational dialogue, making the film a helpful tool for Dutch phrases and vocabulary.
13. Under the Shadow (Persian)
Genre: Horror
Rating: PG-13
Language level: Intermediate, Advanced
Can you use horror movies to learn a language? You can when they’re as well-written as Under the Shadow (2016), or زیر سایه (Zeer-e sāye) in Persian. Set in 1980s Tehran, Under the Shadow explores the political and social dynamics of the Iran-Iraq war of the late 20th century as a mother and daughter try to protect themselves from evil spirits in their building.
Horror fans will enjoy and understand the supernatural elements of the story, though the language level is probably more suited for intermediate and advanced Persian learners. Beginners with a strong historical knowledge of this period in history may be able to understand more of the storyline than those who are unfamiliar with it.
Yes, you can learn another language by watching movies
Learning a language doesn’t have to be all textbooks and memorization. The beauty of language learning is that you can make it a part of your life, especially if it means spending time watching the best foreign language films you can stream!
If you prefer a shorter format, you can also learn a language by watching TV from different countries. As audiobooks and podcasts grow in popularity, why not try learning a language by listening on the go?
Whether you’re watching a foreign film or listening to a podcast in another language, it’s an immersive experience, much like Rosetta Stone’s Dynamic Immersion approach, that will expose you to the language and culture of native speakers—not to mention, it’s a lot of fun.
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