If you’re learning Spanish and are particularly interested in learning how it’s spoken outside the classroom, watching movies and reading books is a great way to learn it. If you’re interested in how Spanish is spoken particularly in Mexico, please for the love of God don’t watch Emilia Pérez. There’s so many things wrong with that movie I could write a whole blog post about it. Instead, here are some recommendations for you to watch! I ranked them in order of the level of Spanish I estimate you need to comfortably understand what’s going on, from easiest to hardest.
No se aceptan devoluciones (Instructions not included): This movie is so wholesome but be prepared to sob. There’s significantly less slang than in other Mexican movies and the characters speak slower. It’s a perfect movie for beginner Spanish learners and I highly recommend it. You can watch in on Prime Video or rent it on Apple TV.
Natalia Lafourcade: Lafourcade is a Mexican pop singer that has written some amazing songs. My personal favorites are Nunca Es Suficiente, María la Curandera, and Soledad y el Mar. I also just discovered there’s a translate button on Spotify in case you want to listen to the song in Spanish while reading the words in English!
Marco Antonio Solís: Marco Antonio is a Mexican artist who I would describe as the Mexican version of songs like Africa by TOTO or Sweet Caroline. It’s something your mom would listen to along with Luis Miguel, but I really like him. My favorite song by him is Si No Te Hubieras Ido.
Los de abajo (Underdogs): I read this book for a class here at Reed and I thought the book was pretty good. It’s an easy read with some confusing chapters that might be harder to follow along to if you’re a beginner. It’s about the Mexican Revolution, so if that’s a topic that interests you, you should check this book out!
El laberinto del fauno (Pan’s labyrinth): This is one of my favorite movies ever. It’s a little bit scary, but it’s a phenomenal movie. It’s on the fast-speaking side, but it’s not too bad with subtitles. It’s only available to rent, but it’s definitely worth the $3.99.
Y tu mamá también: This is also one of my favorite movies. It’s a must watch for everyone, but it’s veeeeery R rated. If intense sexual content, foul language, or essentially any disclaimer that can be put in a movie makes you uncomfortable, this movie probably isn’t for you. It’s such an interesting depiction of Mexican culture, and the best way I can describe it is as a Mexican Challengers. The slang is advanced and they speak pretty fast, so if you’re a beginner I would definitely watch it with subtitles. It’s on Netflix, Prime and also available to rent.
That’s it for now, but I’ll definitely be uploading more recommendations later, so be on the lookout for new blog posts! If you want more recommendations or want to chat about any of the media I posted, feel free to reach out!