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Did you know that you could learn Portuguese and relax at the same time? Now, you must be wondering, what on Earth are we talking about? And how’s that even possible?
It is possible.
You can learn Portuguese by watching Portuguese movies on Netflix.
As you already know, Netflix has a vast collection of movies, TV-series, and shows from all over the world.
What is even more incredible is that Netflix is aware that watching movies in another language helps students, so every language learner, no matter their proficiency level, can learn the language by watching movies. So, if you don’t want to miss the chance to see how you can turn an entertaining night (or afternoon) into a fun way of learning Portuguese, stay with us.
We will show you how every Portuguese student can benefit from watching Portuguese movies on Netflix, and also which ones to choose. So now, let’s dive in.
For Beginners: English Movies With Portuguese Subtitles
If you’ve just started learning Portuguese, for a start, take baby steps. Netflix movies with Portuguese subtitles are a great starting point. Since you already know English, you can choose whichever movie you want and put Portuguese subtitles.
If you already know some common Portuguese phrases, you will quickly learn new ones and slowly build your vocabulary. You can pause the movie to read sentences or write down some particularly essential phrases.
For Beginners/Intermediate Learners: Portuguese Movies With English Subtitles
When you’ve learned some words and phrases, you can choose some of the following Portuguese movies and turn on English subtitles. You’ll have the translation to understand the context, and you will develop a sense of pronunciation, accent, and intonation in Portuguese.
As a beginner, you can write down any phrase or word you consider helpful. In this case, you’ll also practice how to write. If you’re unsure whether you’ve written it right, you can always turn to Portuguese tutors to check.
For Upper-Intermediate/Advanced Learners: Portuguese Movies With/Without Portuguese Subtitles
Watching Portuguese movies and following with Portuguese subtitles is, in fact, a completely immersive approach. That’s why you need to know some vocabulary, have a developed feeling of pronunciation, and learn to read. It is an excellent method to get to the advanced language learning level. This way, you improve your reading and listening skills at the same time and also boost your vocabulary with new expressions and slang.
At first, it can be challenging, but you’ll notice that quickly you’ll learn to concentrate on your skills. It’s not mandatory to use subtitles. You can watch movies without them, of course. Turn off the subtitles and practice your listening skills only.
For example, you can play a game. Choose some part of the movie, listen to it a couple of times, and try to write down what you’ve heard. Then turn on the subtitles and check what you wrote.
The List of 7 Awesome Portuguese Movies You Must Watch
Now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for. In the following lines, you will find some of the best Portuguese movies you can find on Netflix.
Carandiru
Carandiru is one of the best drama-crime movies you’ll even see.
It is about São Paolo’s largest prison called Carandiru. It is also considered the largest prison in Latin America.
The movie is based on the prisoners’ real stories and experiences, making it quite serious and not easy to watch. Therefore, if you feel you may be too sensitive to watch, you better skip it. The truth which shows what happened in prison is based on the book Estação Carandiru by Dr. Drauzio Varella. It tells different stories about what precisely happened in prison over the years. After the terrible massacre in 1992, when 111 prisoners were killed and 102 killed by the police, the prison was demolished in 2002.
Interestingly, the prison’s last purpose before it was demolished was to make this movie.
Ciudade de Deus (City of God)
There’s a chance that you’ve already heard of this movie. It is not only the best Brazilian movies on Netflix; it is one of the best films of all time.
The movie is based on the novel of the same name by Paulo Lins. The story takes place in Rio de Janeiro’s suburb called ‘Cidade de Deus’ between the 1960s and 1980s.
The movie is about a boy, Rocket, who lives in Rio de Janeiro’s suburb called ‘Cidade de Deus.’ Rocket’s biggest wish is to become a photographer and once and for all leave the poor suburb. On the other hand, Rocket’s brother doesn’t care about the law and he's not interested to find a better life, so they tend to get into a fight often. Even though there is a lot of love, hope, and dreams of a better life, the movie is also dark and violent, so you might want to prepare yourself before watching it. It perfectly describes today’s reality in one of the poor suburbs and the struggle young people face.
There’s a log of Portuguese slang you can hear. It can be a little challenging to understand, but besides that, actors speak pretty clearly.
O Homem do Futuro (Man From The Future)
The ‘man from the future’ gives you everything you need to have fun: time travel, mad scientist, romance, jokes, etc.
This Brazilian comedy is about a weird but brilliant scientist João ‘Zero’ Henrique, who starts making a time machine. One of his wealthy friends sponsors him, and the other one becomes his assistant. However, his secret love humiliates him publicly, which makes him angry and frustrated. The scientist knows that there’s nothing he can do to make people look at him in a different way, so he becomes obsessed with finishing the time machine. One day, he decides to test his machine and goes back to 1991; the same day he was publicly embarrassed.
By watching this hilarious movie, you can hear the language characters use, gestures, and accents typical for Rio de Janeiro.
Love.com
Even though this movie can be placed in a romance-comedy category, on another hand it shows the reality of today’s life.
Technology is all around us. No person in the world lives without it. It brings people together. Or does it? This story is about a fashion blogger, Katrina, and a video game blogger, Fernando. Kartina is a modern blogger, satisfied with herself, full of confidence. She accidentally runs into Ferdinand on one of the virtual platforms. They start communicating often, and their relationship turns to something more serious, so it’s time for the two to meet face to face. But will they meet one another’s expectations? Are they exactly like the presented themselves?
Besides learning modern Portuguese idioms of the internet world, the movie is perfect for everyone who wants to relax and enjoy.
A Busca (Father’s Chair)
This drama-thriller movie shows us that some inner things are more important and material.
Theo is a father, a man whose priority was always his career. He’s a successful doctor living in a wealthy neighborhood. Even though it seems that everything is perfect, one by one, things start going upside down. His mentor is dying, and his wife wants to divorce him. But all these awful things are nothing compared to something horrible. One day, his 15-year-old son goes missing without a trace.
Searching for his son through the whole country, Theo slowly realizes what is essential in his life and discovers himself on that path.
Mais Forte Que o Mundo (Stronger Than The World)
This movie is based on a true story. It is about a young man, José Aldo, a mixed martial artist, the winner of several championships.
However, something holds him back from becoming number one. Coming from a low-income family, emotional experiences, and traumas from a young age prevent him from moving forward. First, to achieve something and become the best, he has to get rid of the traumas and overcome them.
The film shows the reality many people face and how you can get a better life if you're strong enough to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
E Ai...Comeu? (Did You...Score?)
Let’s make a closure with a comedy. You’ll like this one.
Three male friends meet in a bar every night and talk about women. One of them is married with two kids, but the relationship with his wife is pretty distant. The other got separated but hoping that his wife will get back to him, and the third friend is single, mainly having fun with call girls and married women. Every one of the three men tries to make some progress in their love lives. Will they succeed?
Truthfully speaking, you don’t need too much concentration to understand the movie. Instead, focus on words and expressions, pronunciation, and the Brazilian accent.
Final Thoughts
Now, you are equipped with some of the best Portuguese movies. Watching movies is one of the best ways to learn Portuguese.
But we have to be honest: watching movies won’t make you fluent in Portuguese. If you want to learn the language perfectly, you have to combine it with other learning methods to develop your language skills.
In the end, nothing gets better closure than practicing all the phrases and expressions with Portuguese tutors.
Enjoy making your Portuguese learning unforgettable!
And book your native tutor on Justlearn.
