Learning Spanish and feel like watching something new this autumn? From razor-sharp dramas and offbeat comedies to gritty thrillers, Spain delivers. This handpicked list of ten Spanish-language picks on Netflix is perfect for English speakers learning Spanish: start with English subtitles to follow the story, switch to Spanish subtitles to build vocabulary, and—when you’re ready—try Spanish audio with Spanish subs. All are binge-ready—just add popcorn and a blanket.
1) The Platform (2019)
In a vertically stacked prison tower, inmates are fed via a platform that descends floor by floor: the higher you are, the better you eat. It’s gruesome, claustrophobic, and loaded with social-class and survival commentary.
Fun fact: Won the People’s Choice Award for Midnight Madness at the Toronto International Film Festival.
2) Through My Window (2022)
Raquel has long been obsessed with her mysterious neighbor, Ares. When he finally notices her, their chemistry ignites a steamy, messy romance full of teen angst, brooding glances, and forbidden passion.
Fun fact: Based on a viral Wattpad novel later adapted by Netflix.
3) God’s Crooked Lines (2022)
A private investigator gets herself admitted to a psychiatric hospital to probe a suspicious death—but the line between sanity and manipulation blurs quickly.
Fun fact: The hospital exteriors were filmed at Tarragona’s old Tabacalera (tobacco factory); interiors were staged at other locations.
4) Live Is Life (2021)
Five friends take one last road trip through rural Spain in search of a mythical flower said to cure illness. It’s part nostalgia and part gut punch.
Fun fact: The title comes from the 1985 hit single “Live Is Life” by Austrian band Opus, which the film features.
5) The Occupant (2020)
An unemployed executive grows obsessed with the family that moves into his former apartment and starts inserting himself into their lives—with dangerous consequences.
6) Nowhere (2023)
A pregnant woman escapes a dystopian regime by hiding in a shipping container. When it falls overboard, she must survive alone at sea.
Fun fact: Anna Castillo trained specifically for the water work, including apnea (freediving) and scuba courses for the shoot.
7) Infiesto (2023)
During the first COVID lockdown in March 2020, two detectives investigate when a woman presumed dead suddenly reappears. A bleak, rain-soaked noir steeped in pandemic-era tension. (A fictional case set against Spain’s state of emergency.)
8) Below Zero (2021)
A prisoner transfer in an armored van goes disastrously wrong on a freezing highway when an unknown assailant traps police and inmates inside the vehicle.
9) Valeria (2020–2025) — Series Bonus
Based on Elísabet Benavent’s novels, this dramedy follows a struggling writer and her close-knit friends as they navigate love and work in Madrid. Think a Spanish Sex and the City—with a literary twist.
Note: The show officially concluded with Season 4 in 2025.
10) The Paramedic (2020)
After a traumatic accident leaves him wheelchair-bound and paranoid, a paramedic spirals into controlling, abusive behavior toward his girlfriend.
Final Thoughts
Autumn is the perfect season for movies with edge, emotion, and suspense—and Spanish cinema delivers on all counts. Whether you’re in the mood for mind games, romance, or dark twists, there’s something here that will hook you and linger. Most titles offer subtitles (and many offer dubs); curiosity essential.
