Maybe you don’t know, but Netflix can be very effective for things other than binge-watching your favorite TV series until late at night or entertaining your kids on a rainy Sunday. You can learn new things with its hundreds of documentaries, discover the history of cinema thanks to the many great old movies in its catalogue, or even improve your Italian language skills.
You heard us right: Learn Italian with Netflix!
And as always, we at ItalianPod101 have got your back! Check out our guide to the best Italian movies on Netflix and Netflix Italian series, and discover how, while you learn Italian, Netflix can be right there to help!
Table of Contents
- Italy and Netflix: A Love Story
- Why Watching Italian Movies on Netflix Will Improve Your Italian
- Italian Netflix List: The Best Italian Movies and Shows on Netflix
- Learn Italian at Your Pace with ItalianPod101
1. Italy and Netflix: A Love Story
Netflix loves Italy, that’s for sure. For Netflix, Italy is a topic of great interest, and on Netflix, Italian content is available in abundance.
There’s maybe one-hundred films, documentaries, and TV shows in its catalogue that are in some way linked to the Belpaese. But not all of them, of course, are Italian films. You can find many amazing American movies set in Italy, such as The Tourist or The Italian Job on Netflix, as well as several great Italian films or TV shows that you can watch in the original language to improve your grammar, listening, or speaking skills while you enjoy your time.
So what are the best Italian movies on Netflix now? What about the best Italian Netflix TV shows?
Since the Italian film industry isn’t so well-known abroad, you may have a hard time finding them and selecting the most interesting ones. That’s why we’ve created this comprehensive list of the best Netflix Italian series and the best Italian movies on Netflix.
2. Why Watching Italian Movies on Netflix Will Improve Your Italian
Mastering a language is a lot more than knowing its grammar. It’s a process that’s mostly achieved through the ears, and not through the pages. That’s to say that listening is essential while you’re learning a foreign language.
As humans, our language skills are largely oral. That’s how we learn when we’re toddlers, and as adults, things don’t change much. We need to hear a language in order to become familiar with it and to master it.
But following a conversation in Italian in real life, on TV, or while watching an Italian movie in a cinema, can be very hard for beginners. That’s where Netflix comes to help. It’s convenient to learn Italian on Netflix because you can add subtitles, pause, and watch again any time you want. You can even watch Netflix with Italian subtitles so that you’ll improve your listening, reading, and writing skills at the same time!
3. Italian Netflix List: The Best Italian Movies and Shows on Netflix
Let’s begin! Here’s a list of the best Italian movies and shows on Netflix, with recommendations and a little dictionary of the most common terms you’ll hear while watching them.
1- Suburra (the Series)
A gloomy atmosphere, dangerous intrigues, mafia, corrupt politics, and much more in this Italian series on Netflix about the dark side of Rome. It was the first Netflix Italian series (even if Netflix wasn’t the only producer), and was directed by the great actor and director Michele Placido.
Who should watch it: This Netflix Italian series is perfect for thriller and noir lovers who are willing to explore Rome far from the Dolce Vita stereotype. Moreover, the facts portrayed in the series are inspired by real events involving the Roman mafia. A great Netflix Italian crime drama.
Who shouldn’t watch it: People who don’t like profanity or violence in movies.
Language: The series features many expressions from Central Italy and Roman dialect, and the dialogue can be hard to follow. We recommend watching this Italian series on Netflix with English subtitles at first, and then Italian subtitles!
Dictionary:
- Impicci: a Roman term for “criminal deals”
- Terreni: “plot of land”
- Un sacco di: “a lot of”
- Torcere un capello: “to hurt someone”
- Sindaco: “mayor”
- Ammazzare: “to kill”
2- Cinema Paradiso
Cinema Paradiso (or Nuovo Cinema Paradiso, as in the original title) is a wonderful film from 1989, that won both the Grand Prix in Cannes and the Best Foreign Movie Academy award. It’s a sweet, melancholy story about a poor kid falling in love with cinema in his little Sicilian village just after World War II.
Who should watch it: Anyone who loves cinema, as well as music enthusiasts. The unforgettable soundtrack was written by Ennio Morricone. Wonderful Italian Netflix drama.
Who shouldn’t watch it: People who only enjoy watching action, horror, or thriller movies.
Language: Local expressions from Southern Italy are common, and subtitles might be necessary.
Dictionary:
- O’ capisti?: Sicilian expression that means “Did you understand?”
- Picciriddu: Sicilian term for “little child”
- Vattinni!: Sicilian term for “Go away!”
- Cabina: “projection booth”
- Cinematografo: an old term for “cinema”
- Pellicola: “film”
3- Like Crazy
Like Crazy (or La pazza gioia in Italian) is a funny and moving Italian Netflix film about friendship and mental health. Created by the director Paolo Virzì, starring the famous actresses Valeria Bruni Tedeschi and Micaela Ramazzotti, it tells the story of two women meeting in a mental health institution and running away together.
Who should watch it: People who love friendship stories or are interested in the topic of mental health.
Who shouldn’t watch it: It’s a moving yet entertaining movie, recommended for anyone.
Language: Some local expressions from Tuscany. Subtitles might be recommended for beginners.
Dictionary:
- Felicità: “happiness”
- Triste: “sad”
- Matta: “crazy”
- Pazza: “crazy”
- Fare la corte: “to court”
- Meno male: an expression meaning “Thank God” or “luckily”
4- Life is Beautiful
The most famous film by Roberto Benigni, and one of the best Italian movies on Netflix, is a story about resistance and love. Winner of Best Foreign Film Academy Award, Life is Beautiful (or, in Italian, La vita è bella) is a film about the Shoah and the love of a father protecting his child from the horror of the concentration camps.
Who should watch it: When it comes to Italian films on Netflix, this one is perfect for anyone interested in history or who simply enjoy a moving story about love, family, and fantasy.
Who shouldn’t watch it: Some people consider it to be too sugary.
Language: A few local expressions from Tuscany. Subtitles might be recommended for beginners.
Dictionary:
- Buongiorno, principessa!: “Good morning, princess!”
- Sognare: “to dream”
- Ebreo: “Jew”
- Attenzione!: “Attention!”
- Campo: “camp”
- Fame: “hunger”
- Nascondino: “hide-and-seek”
5- The Mafia Kills Only in Summer
This 2013 film is directed by Pierfrancesco Diliberto, known as Pif. It’s one of the few films by an Italian comedian on Netflix. But it’s not simply a comedy; it’s also a story about the bloody years between the seventies and the nineties in Palermo. Funny yet informative, it runs through the life of a boy growing up to be a journalist, and living through a sequence of paradoxical and dramatic events.
Who should watch it: People interested in Sicily or the mafia, or those who are simply looking for a funny and but deep film about Italy’s recent history.
Who shouldn’t watch it: If you’re looking simply for an Italian comedy, Netflix shows like this one might not be the best choice for you.
Language: Some Sicilian expressions. Subtitles might be recommended for intermediate students.
Dictionary:
- Innamorato: “in love”
- Sbirro: slang expression meaning “policeman”
- La belva: “the beast”
- Maxiprocesso: literally, it means “mega-trial” and it’s a term used for the huge mafia trial that was held in Palermo between 1986 and 1992, involving hundreds of indicted.
- Fimmine: a Sicilian expression for girls or women
- Uccidere: “to kill”
6- Fire at Sea
One of the best Italian films Netflix has, Fire at Sea (Fuocoammare in Italian) is a film about the tragedy of migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea, and about the doctor taking care of them on the little island of Lampedusa. Directed by Gianfranco Rosi, it won the Best Film Award at the Berlin Film Festival. This is an important documentary about one of the key events in the contemporary Italian—and European—history, and a human tragedy that no one should ever forget. Most of all, because it’s still happening.
Who should watch it: People willing to be informed about the migrants’ travels in the Mediterranean.
Who shouldn’t watch it: The reality this film portrays is hard, but everyone should watch it.
Language: Some of the dialogue can be hard to follow and subtitles might be recommended.
Dictionary:
- Naufragio: “shipwreck”
- Soccorso: “rescue”
- Profugo: “asylum-seeker”
- Barca: “boat”
- Marinaio: “sailor”
7- Welcome Mr. President
Following a series of unfortunate events, Giuseppe Garibaldi—a common man with the same name as the Hero of the Two Worlds—is elected President of the Republic and he’ll have to deal with the well-known corruption of Italian politics. The original title of this 2013 film is Benvenuto Presidente!, and it’s another film with an Italian comedian on Netflix (Claudio Bisio).
Who should watch it: People looking for an Italian comedian on Netflix to improve their Italian while they enjoy a light, entertaining movie.
Who shouldn’t watch it: Suitable for every audience.
Language: Medium-easy language.
Dictionary:
- Presidente della Repubblica: “President of the Republic”
- Onorevole: a title for congressmen and senators
- Dimettersi: “to resign”
- Corruzione: “corruption”
8- Palio
This documentary portrays the deeply felt tradition of Siena horse-racing, the most ancient horse competition that’s still running. Even though it was a UK production, its interviews and dialogues are in Italian.
Who should watch it: A must-watch for people who love Tuscany, traditions, or horses.
Who shouldn’t watch it: People very sensitive to animal mistreatment, since horses can get injured during this difficult race.
Language: The local Tuscan accent can be pretty strong and hard to understand for beginners.
Dictionary:
- Cavallo: “horse”
- Corsa: “run”
- Contrada: the ancient word for “neighbor”
- Fantino: “jockey”
9- On My Skin
On My Skin (Sulla mia pelle) is a disturbing yet important movie about the shocking death of Stefano Cucchi, a 31-year-old man who died in custody following a series of abuses by the Italian police.
Who should watch it: People interested in recent Italian history.
Who shouldn’t watch it: Highly sensitive people; people looking for a light, entertaining film.
Language: Some Roman slang.
Dictionary:
- Arresto: “arrest”
- Carcere: “jail”
- Avvocato: “attorney”
- Giudice: “judge”
10- Leopardi
Leopardi (Il giovane favoloso) is an award-winning film celebrating the character and genius of one of the most important Italian poets. Elio Germano, one of the most talented young actors in Italy, plays the main role.
Who should watch it: Poetry-lovers and people who enjoy period films.
Who shouldn’t watch it: The film is quite slow and contemplative, as was the poet, so it’s not suitable for those who love action films.
Language: The language can be complex, so subtitles are recommended.
Dictionary:
- Fanciullezza: uncommon term for “youth”
- Pessimismo: “pessimism”
- Amicizia: “friendship”
- Gloria: “glory”
4. Learn Italian at Your Pace with ItalianPod101
In this article, you read up on some of the best Italian Netflix movies and shows, and learned how you can use them for your benefit when learning Italian.
With ItalianPod101, you’ll be able to study and learn Italian at your own pace, anytime and anywhere you want. Your long working hours or busy days won’t stand in the way anymore, since you’ll be able to have your lessons, videos, and articles always with you thanks to our amazing apps. Enjoy the best way to learn Italian and talk with other students from all around the world in our forum, where you can exchange experiences or share your questions and doubts regarding this beautiful language.
Ready to watch Italian Netflix? Before you go, let us know which of these Italian movies on Netflix or Netflix series you want to see first! We’re curious. 😉
