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20 Italian Movies You Can Watch to Improve your Italian

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E’ stata la mano di di Dio (2023)

DRAMA

La mano di dio, is the latest film of the Italian director Paolo Sorrentino (who also directed La Grande Bellezza). The film follows the director’s adolescence in Naples, as well as the events that shaped his desire to become a filmmaker. What’s the hand of god that has to do with it? The hand of God alludes to a soccer champion (Diego Armando Maradona) who was playing in Naples at the time and who plays a significant role in the protagonist’s story.

The movie is available on Netflix too and is candidate for the Oscars (foreign section) of 2022.

Il Traditore (2019)

The film tells the story of Tommaso Buscetta, a mafioso who later became a justice collaborator and a member of Cosa Nostra.  The film was chosen to represent Italy at the 2020 Academy Awards in the category of best foreign language film. IMDb

The movie is available on Netflix too

Call Me By Your Name (2017)

The film is set in northern Italy in 1983 and tells the love story of Elio, a 17-year-old Italian boy, and Oliver, an American student.  He was nominated for three Golden Globes and four Academy Awards in 2018. IMDb

The movie is available on Netflix too.

In Guerra Per Amore (2016)

Alert for my students – this is one of my favorite Italian movies ever!

Arturo is a young Sicilian man who emigrated to America and found work as a waiter at Alfredo’s restaurant. Flora Alfredo’s niece, is already engaged to Carmelo, a mafia boss’s son. The young girl has strong feelings for Arturo but must suppress them to avoid problems with her uncle. In reality, Alfredo must travel to Sicily to ask his father for Flora’s hand. Arturo, eager to be near his beloved, accepts the proposal and returns to his native land. Due to a series of bizarre events, Arturo joined the US army and was sent to Sicily. Arturo’s quest to find Flora’s father leads him to an island besieged by soldiers and criminals. – IMDb

The movie is available on Netflix too.

Nuovo Cinema Paradiso (1988) 

DRAMA

A filmmaker recalls his childhood when falling in love with the pictures at the cinema in his home village and forms a deep friendship with the cinema’s projectionist. – IMDb

Mediterraneo (1991) 

DRAMA

In WW2, an Italian Army unit of misfits occupies an isolated non-strategic Greek island for the duration of the war.  IMBd

Il Postino (1994)

The Postman – DRAMA/COMEDY

Il Postino movingly explores themes of love and friendship through sensitively depicted — and beautifully acted — relationships in 1950s Italy.–  Rotten Tomatoes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ak1PJEZhtks

Mio Fratello è Figlio Unico 

My Brother is an Only Child – DRAMA

Two brothers come of age in a small Italian town in the ’60s and ’70s. – IMBd

La Meglio Gioventù (2003)

The Best Youth – DRAMA/DOCUMENTARY 

An Italian epic that follows the lives of two brothers, from the 1960s to the 2000s – IMBd

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQoJTUGv2Oc

I Centopassi (2000)

One Hundred Steps – DRAMA

This is the story of Peppino Impastato, a political activist who opposed the Mafia in Sicily. The story takes place in the small town in the province of Palermo, the home town of the Impastato family. One hundred steps were the number of steps it took to get from the Impastato house to the house of the Mafia boss. Wikipedia

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Il Capitale Umano (2013)

The Human Capital – DRAMA

The destinies of two families are irrevocably tied together after a cyclist is hit off the road by a jeep in the night before Christmas Eve.IMBd

The movies is available on Netflix too

La Grande Bellezza (2013)

The Great Beauty – DRAMA

Jep Gambardella has seduced his way through the lavish nightlife of Rome for decades, but after his 65th birthday and a shock from the past, Jep looks past the nightclubs and parties to find a timeless landscape of absurd, exquisite beauty. – IMBd

The movies is available on Netflix too

Venuto Al Mondo (2012)

Twice born – DRAMA

A mother brings her teenage son to Sarajevo, where his father died in the Bosnian conflict years ago. – IMBd

La Mafia Uccide Solo D’Estate (2013)

The Mafia Kills Only in Summer – DRAMA/COMEDY 

The Italian Senate President and former anti-mafia magistrate Pietro Grasso referred to this film as the best film work on Sicilian Mafia ever made.[3] It was awarded best comedy film at the 27th European Film Awards. – Wikipedia

La Leggenda del Pianista sull’Oceano (1998)

The Legend of the Pianist on the Ocean – DRAMA

It was Tornatore’s first English-language film. The film is inspired by Novecento, a monologue by Alessandro Baricco. The film was nominated for a variety of awards worldwide, winning several for its soundtrack. – Wikipedia

La Vita è Bella (1996)

Life is Beautiful – COMEDY/DRAMY

When an open-minded Jewish librarian and his son become victims of the Holocaust, he uses a perfect mixture of will, humour, and imagination to protect his son from the dangers around their camp. – IMBd

Perfetti Sconosciuti  (2016)

Perfect Strangers – COMEDY

The film was a critical and commercial success, winning the David di Donatello in the Best Film Category and grossing more than €16 million in Italy. It has been remade in many countries including Spain (, Mexico, South Korea, France, Hungary, Greece, China, and Russia. – Wikipedia 

Il Divo (2008) 

The Celebrity – BIOGRAPHY

The film presents the story of Giulio Andreotti, a seven-time prime minister of Italy notorious for his alleged ties to the Mafia. The narration covers Andreotti’s seventh election in 1992, his failed bid for the presidency of the Italian Republic, the Tangentopoli bribe scandal and his trial in 1995. – Wikipedia  

Saturno Contro (2007)

Saturn in Opposition – DRAMA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGcj8SFE-IA

La Pazza Gioia (2016)

Like Crazy – COMEDY/DRAMA

It tells the story of two women from different backgrounds who become friends while being treated at a mental institution. – Wikipedia 

Caterina Va in Città (2003)

Caterina in the Big City – COMEDY/DRAMA

Caterina, forced to leave her small town at the age of thirteen, faces the complications of living in the big metropoly of Rome – IMDb

Notte Prima degli Esami (2003)

Night Before the exams – COMEDY

It describes the lives of two groups of Italian teenagers during the preparation of the esame di maturità (the final exam of Italian high school). It is set in Rome during the year 1989.

Why is learning Italian through movies a great idea?

Movies are an easy and effective way to recreate the Italian immersion experience in your homeExposure to authentic language will significantly enhance your overall language learning journey.

Beyond language acquisition, watching Italian films provides a wealth of knowledge about Italian culture. This goes far beyond just language learning. Watching Italian movies will help you:

  • Adapt to the natural rhythm and speed of Italian conversation, including common filler words
  • Discover Italy’s diverse landscapes, cities, and regional settings
  • Learn about Italy’s rich cinematic tradition and film industry

Is watching movies in Italian suitable for all proficiency levels?

Absolutely! Movies offer an enriching cultural experience, so don’t wait until you reach advanced proficiency to start watching Italian films.

You can effectively use movies to learn Italian at any stage of your language journey.

Let’s dispel the myth that you need advanced Italian skills to benefit from watching Italian movies.

How to use Italian movies based on your proficiency level:

Beginners

If you’re just starting with Italian, watch Italian movies with English subtitles. Even if you don’t understand most of the dialogue, you’ll begin familiarizing yourself with Italian sounds, cultural settings, and conversational pace.

Intermediate learners

At the intermediate level, watch Italian movies with Italian subtitles. While you can likely read Italian well at this stage, following natural conversation might still be challenging. Using Italian movies will help you connect spoken sounds with written words. You’ll see remarkable improvement—guaranteed.

Advanced learners

At this stage, you can remove the subtitles completely and enjoy the full immersive experience.

Check out also:

Serena Capilli

I’m the creative force behind both this blog and my collection of short stories in simple Italian for language learners, available on Amazon.

Ciao👋! I’m Serena.

Teaching Italian is my vocation! I’ve been writing this blog since 2015 and publishing easy readers for language learners since 2022. I specialize in teaching adults.

My latest book releases 📖

Le Avventure di Paul a Roma

Gioielli, Caffè e Firenze

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I’ve created a free online Italian test to help you determine it.