If you’re learning Spanish or wanting to learn more about the culture of Argentina, movies are a great place to start! There have been some brilliant films to come out of Argentina in recent years, as well as some old classics – the recommendations below are all ‘must-watches’.
The Spanish spoken in Argentina can be tricky to understand at times if you’re not used to it, so don’t be frustrated if you struggle! The first time I watched some of these films, there were a lot of things that I missed. A couple of years later, these movies helped me to understand loads of different things about Argentine culture and humour.
There are a ton of great Argentine movies to watch, but here are a few that are good to start with!
1. Relatos Salvajes (Wild Tales)
Relatos Salvajes (Wild Tales, in English) is one of Argentina’s most successful movies. Released in 2014, the movie is made up of six unrelated short stories, each one as ‘wild’ as the last.
The movie could be described as a dark-comedy or drama, and it can get pretty violent at points too! Although Relatos Salvajes isn’t based on true events (thankfully), a lot of the movie was inspired by every-day occurences and things that people go through in Argentina – it’s important to remember that the movie exaggerates these things greatly.
It’s definitely a good one to watch if you’re learning Spanish, although it can be a bit difficult at times to understand all the details, so don’t be scared of using subtitles!
2. El Secreto de Sus Ojos (The Secret in Their Eyes)
El Secreto de Sus Ojos has become an Argentine classic and won the Oscar in 2010 for the Best Foreign Language Film. The movie tells the story of a retired legal counsellor who tries to write a novel in an attempt to gain closure from an old homicide case in 1970s Argentina – a time when Argentina was under the control of a military dictatorship and both fair trials and justice were uncommon.
The film isn’t based on true events, but the story it tells grips you in from the beginning until the very end. El Secreto de Sus Ojos is a must-watch, even if you don’t understand any Spanish. It’s up there with the greatest movies of the 21st century.
3. Nueve Reinas (Nine Queens)
Nueve Reinas tells the story of two conmen in Argentina who are presented with an opportunity to quickly become millionaires. The film is set in the context of an economic crisis in Argentina and is a great one to watch to gain a better understanding of Argentine culture, and the meaning of the word “chanta”.
The two men, one young and the other a career conman, are given 24 hours to complete a swindle. The story shows lots of dirty tricks used by real-life conmen and is seen as one of the best movies of Argentina.
The movie contains a lot of language which is difficult to understand if you’re not used to Argentine Spanish, so it’s definitely a good idea to use subtitles if you’re Spanish is still basic!
4. Esperando La Carroza (Waiting for the Hearse)
Released in 1985, Esperando La Carroza is a true Argentine classic!
The movie tells the story of a typical Argentine family and the confusion that arises when they realise that their 80-year-old mother/grandmother, Mamá Cora, has disappeared. The name of the film comes from the fact that some of the family end up thinking that Mamá Cora is dead!
Esperando La Carroza is a comedy movie and is a really good place to start if you want to learn more about the culture of Argentina. A lot of the language can be difficult to understand, so again, it’s probably best to use subtitles if you’re Spanish isn’t too advanced.
5. El Robo del Siglo (The Heist of the Century)
In 2006, a group of men walked into the Banco Río de Acassuso in Buenos Aires and took 23 people hostage. They stole millions of dollars from the bank and then disappeared without a trace. El Robo del Siglo tells the true story of the biggest heist to take place in Argentina’s history.
Starring some of Argentina’s best actors, the movie is one that keeps you hooked throughout. The idea of the criminals was to take as much money as possible, without causing any harm to anyone – the Spanish Netflix series, La Casa de Papel (Money Heist) was actually inspired by the Banco Río heist! It was only a matter of time before a movie was made about the actual event!
Have you seen any of these films? Let me know what you thought in the comments below!
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