Lingo Locate’s Top Spanish Netflix Picks
Do you ever get lost in the vast variety of series and movies on Netflix? Spending more time scrolling through the pages than actually watching anything?
Not only are we going to help you find your next binge-worthy series, but we will help you find shows that will improve your Spanish language skills, too.
Watching Spanish movies can be very beneficial for your comprehension and pronunciation. Even watching with the subtitles on can broaden your vocabulary by introducing you to new terms and topics you haven’t addressed in your formal lessons.
Here are Lingo Locate’s Top 5 Spanish Picks on Netflix.
Money Heist
Money Heist, or otherwise known as La Casa Del Papel, has taken the world by storm and became one of the most binge-worthy series on Netflix during the global COVID-lockdown. Although the show had a rocky start, it is now one of the most viewed series on Netflix worldwide. Money Heist is a crime-thriller that follows a group of misfits, led by El Professor, who attempt to disrupt the Spanish capitalist system.
We strongly recommend watching the series in its original European Spanish version and using subtitles, as the English dubbed version is not great. Watching all four seasons of Money Heist with subtitles will keep you at the edge of your seat, developing connections with the characters and learning lots of new Spanish words and phrases.
El Ministerio del Tiempo
El Ministerio del Tiempo or Ministry of Time is an adventure, sci-fi series based on an interesting group of time travellers from different eras coming together to share their talents and form a formidable team.
In addition to being an entertaining series with one of the better interpretations of time travel, El Ministerio del Tiempo offers viewers a unique insight into Spanish history and the evolution of Spanish as a language. The character from 2015 (Julian), speaks modern and conversational Spanish as you would hear it spoken today. The character from the 1880s (Amelia) speaks perfect, formal Spanish that is taught in the classroom and the traveller from the 16th century speaks Golden Age Spanish, using his words as a form of art.
Narcos
Narcos is a thrilling series, set in Colombia in the 1990s following the rise and fall of Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar. Although Narcos romanticises Colombia’s struggles with violence and drug trafficking, it is not on our list to popularise the country’s drug culture. We find Narcos useful in understanding Colombian Spanish, with plenty of local Colombian phrases, slang and pronunciation for leaners to observe. Set in Medellin and filmed locally, Narcos also allows potential travellers and visitors to Colombia to explore the cities of Bogotá, Cali and Medellín throughout the series.
Wasp Network
As a recent release, Red Avispa (Wasp Network) has been a big standout on the international stage. Based on the book The Last Soldiers of the Cold War, Wasp Network follows a band of Cuban fugitives infiltrating anti-Castro terrorist groups in Miami in the 1990s. Wasp Network boasts some big-name stars such as Wagner Moura (Narcos) and Penélope Cruz (Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Vanilla Sky and many more). The movie is partly in Spanish and partly in English, allowing language learners to rest their learning brains and enjoy some gritty entertainment too.
Valeria
Coined as “The Spanish the Sex and the City”, Valeria is sure to add some spice to your house during quarantine. The story follows a struggling writer, unfulfilled in her marriage and her friends in a comedy-drama series filled with slightly ‘not safe for work’ scenes and a male protagonist (model Maxi Iglesias) who took social media by storm after the shows initial release. After a long day of learning or working, indulge in this Spanish romantic comedy series with a large glass of wine. Spanish is often referred to as a ‘sexy’ language, why not add a slightly sexier resource to your learning materials.
Watching a show in a foreign language with subtitles can help you tremendously to learn new words and phrases by simultaneously reading and hearing them.
Everyone has a different way of learning, as they do different tastes in genres of movies, however, if you are looking for a place to start in the great world of Spanish Netflix, give these shows a go!