Watching Italian films and shows is a great way to improve your Italian. Therefore, I have decided to investigate what’s on Netflix in Italian, and available now, for students to watch and I have compiled a list of films and series’.
I have looked at each item chosen and added a short description to help you choose.
If you are one of our students, you’ll know that we use video clips from films, documentaries, YouTube and so on in our classes as one of many tools to teach Italian. This is the case for all our levels.
Watch for pleasure or work on it
At Parla Italiano we use specific techniques to enable our students to understand, to focus on vocabulary and structures and to pick up cultural elements. I have another blog where I describe some of these techniques that you can use at home. I have linked it at the end.
However, sometimes you might just want to watch a film for pleasure, and this is fine as well. The fun does not have to stop in the classroom, in fact, we recommend that our students watch their favourite genre in Italian, building their own library and filling it with their most loved movies.
Even at lower levels it is very beneficial to watch tv shows and films in Italian for example with subtitles. At this level, even if you don’t pick up much of the language, the experience will still be enriching as you’ll pick up cultural items, gestures, behaviours and more.
So, I have checked and as of today, these series’ are available either on Netflix UK and Italy or Amazon. If you don’t live in these countries, use it as a guide as they might be available for you as well.
Italian films and series’ on Netflix
Series’
Il processo (The trial, on Netflix)
Il processo is an Italian television mini-series, composed of 8 episodes. It is a crime, courtroom drama about Elena, a public prosecutor, who is investigating the murder of a 17 year old. It looks well directed and actors are good.
Baby (on Netflix)
This is also a series, set in a Roman elite high school. Loosely inspired by the scandal “Baby Squillo” in 2003, related to underage prostitution. Baby follows Chiara a rich and beautiful girl who lives her regular life while hiding a secret one.
La vita bugiarda degli adulti (The lying life of adults, on Netflix)
If you love the writer Elena Ferrante, this film is from one of her books. In 1990s Naples, brash and bold aunt Vittoria helps her sheltered niece experience a different side of the city, upsetting the teen’s strict parents. This film has good reviews. This has been suggested to me by my fabulous student Jacquie.
La porta rossa (on Amazon)
This is no longer available on Netflix, but you can find it on Amazon. La Porta Rossa is a supernatural crime thriller set in Trieste. It is unusual and it is worth the watch. This is the story of a cop, who has a vision of the future moments before his death. Now he must stay on Earth to find his killer. Thank you, Jacquie, for suggesting this as well!
Films
E’ stata la mano di Dio (The Hand of God, on Netflix)
This film has been critically acclaimed and it is directed by the talented Paolo Sorrentino. It’s the coming of age story of young Fabietto, a teenager who lives in Naples with his parents. He has few friends, loves to study and loves Diego Maradona, who plays for his home team, Napoli.
Rimetti a noi i nostri debiti (Forgive us our debts, on Netflix)
This is an Italian drama about a man struggling under the crushing weight of debt who has to work as a debt collector to pay off his creditors. The actors did a very good job in this film which reflects some problematic Italian issues. The film was released in 2018, by Netflix, so, I assume, it might be available in most countries.
Solo cose belle (Only good things, on Netflix)
This is the story of Benedetta, a sixteen-year-old girl daughter of the mayor of a small town. One day, a bizarre foster family, together with a non-EU citizen who has just landed, an ex-prostitute and a prisoner come to live in town. The natives do not react well.
Sulla mia pelle (On my skin, Netflix)
This film is a haunting drama about police brutality. This is based on true events. Arrested in Rome for a drug-related offence, Stefano endures a harrowing week in custody that changes his family forever.
Restiamo amici (Netflix)
In this surreal bromance, three old friends reunite after pull off an elaborate inheritance scam. Alessandro, a forty-year-old widower, lead a monotonous existence, when a call from an old friend changes his life.
7 donne e un mistero (7 women and a murder, on Netflix)
In this light hearted murder mystery film, seven women related to each other, finds out their family patriarch is dead. As in any Agatha Christie-style story, each woman has ulterior motives and are trapped together in a mansion to solve the murder puzzle. It’s a bit of fun.
Anyway let me know if you watch any of these and what you think of them.
If you wish to read my other blog which lists techniques to use when watching films and videos, click here.
