In recent years, Spain has seen a high recognition for its series and motion pictures. With writer/director Pedro Almodovar’s most recent film, Parallel Mothers, being nominated for two Oscars, it’s interesting to consider what movies made in Spain have been well-received internationally and highly rated.
Spanish cinema has actually been influential since the beginning of film history with movies like Luis Buñuel’s collaboration with Salvador Dalí on The Andalusian Dog (1929). History has continued to see great Spanish films released.
10 Open Your Eyes (1997) – 7.7
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This psychological thriller by writer/director Alejandro Amenábar twists and turns through reality and dreams. A handsome wealthy man meets a woman who he thinks is the love of his life until he’s in a car accident and can remember very little.
Penélope Cruz stars with Eduardo Noriega. Interestingly, Cruz also appears in the American remake by Cameron Crowe, Vanilla Sky, one of Tom Cruise’s underrated movies. The movie still holds up well today with a plot that keeps the viewer guessing until the end.
9 Talk to Her (2002) – 7.9
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The story is about two men who strike up an unusual friendship while looking after two women who happen to both be in comas. The film blends many art forms into Almodar’s signature style–dance and musical performance, bullfighting, and silent movie melodrama and romance.
This unique movie ranks as one of writer/director Pedro Almodovar’s best. Winning both a Golden Globe and an Oscar, this critically-acclaimed film is considered one of the top international movies of the 2000s.
8 The Spirit of the Beehive (1973) – 7.9
Stream On The Criterion Channel
The movie follows two young girls on an adventure of imagination after they’ve seen the original Frankenstein movie. One of them believes that she needs to search for the monster.
This cinematic allegory captures both the magic of childhood and the drama of adulthood. Set in a remote Spanish village during the 1940s, the movie is said to have influenced both The Devil’s Backbone and Pan’s Labyrinth.
7 The Executioner (1963) – 8.0
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This drama/comedy is about an undertaker who falls for the executioner’s daughter. The two marry but when the executioner retires, his son-in-law must reluctantly take over the despicable job.
Though a dark comedy, this film by Luis García Berlanga is considered one of the best Spanish movies of the ’60s and a Spanish classic. The Executioner won numerous awards nationally and internationally and is part of the Criterion collection.
6 The Sea Inside (2004) – 8.0
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The story revolves around a real Spaniard who suffered a diving accident that left him paralyzed. The man fought for more than 25 years for the right to assisted suicide.
This movie was written and directed by Alejandro Amenábar, who also wrote and directed Open Your Eyes and The Others. It stars the now-internationally famous Javier Bardem. Among many other accolades, The Sea Inside won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
5 Welcome, Mr. Marshall! (1953) – 8.0
Stream On The Criterion Channel
This comedy takes place in a rustic Spanish village that hopes to entice American diplomats to invest in their town through the Marshall Plan which provided aid to Europe. The Spaniards only reinforce stereotypes about themselves through flamenco and traditional costumes.
With Berlanga, the same director as The Executioner at the helm, this light-hearted vehicle for a flamenco star took on greater meaning about the delusion of depending on other countries for their support. The movie received a special mention at the Cannes Film Festival that year.
4 Cría Cuervos (1976) – 8.0
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This drama by award-winning writer/director Carlos Saura takes place at the very end of Franco’s dictatorship. Three orphan girls are taken in by an authoritarian aunt and the youngest struggles to process the death of both her parents. The title is the Spanish equivalent of “you reap what you sow.”
The youngest girl is played by the same lead from The Spirit of the Beehive whose character again struggles between her internal life and the external. The talented Geraldine Chaplin (Charlie Chaplin’s daughter) plays two roles in the film. Today this movie is considered both a social and political cinematic treasure and is one of the many must-see movies on the Criterion Channel.
3 Viridiana (1961) – 8.1
Stream On The Criterion Channel & Kanopy
A novice is about to take her final vows as a nun when she’s summoned by her uncle. Viridiana’s mother superior encourages her to visit the man, who attempts to rape her and destroys her chances of returning to the convent.
This Cannes Film Festival Palme d’Or winner was originally banned by Spanish censors and denounced by the Vatican. The movie succeeded in the festival circuit but failed commercially until years later when it was recognized as a classic.
2 The Holy Innocents (1984) – 8.1
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Based on the Miguel Delibes novel of the same title, this film revolves around two families in rural Spain, one rich and the other poor. Very much an upstairs/downstairs story set in the 1960s, the two families are shown in stark contrast. The poor family must serve the rich and work as tenant farmers on their land.
Filmed in the stark landscapes of Extremadura, this portrayal of rural life in Franco’s Spain won three awards at the Cannes Film Festival. Two of the leads, Francisco Rabal and Alfredo Landa, won best actor awards.
1 Pan’s Labyrinth (2006) – 8.2
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It’s the summer of 1944, five years after Franco has won the civil war, and a young girl goes with her mother to live with her new step-father, a violent military man. The story blends a harsh reality with fairy tales from around the world. The fascinating storytelling and gorgeous cinematography are no surprise from writer/director Guillermo del Toro.
This horror/fantasy enthralled audiences internationally and won hundreds of awards including three Oscars. Even though Hollywood offered del Toro huge budgets, he refused to make the movie in English. This labor of love continues to be adored and appreciated worldwide.
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