9 Fabulous German Movies on Netflix to Improve Your Deutsch in 2022
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Loading... - Aria Scavo
- 25 Mar 2022
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I've co-produced a film in Germany, and was tremendously impressed by the sheer size of the industry and the skill of the professionals working in it.
It’s probably the largest, most dynamic film industry in Europe.
During a stay in Berlin years ago, I had the opportunity to discover many fabulous films.
My favorite experience was of watching “Oh boy” at the Freiluftkino (open air cinema) in Kreuzberg, one of Berlin’s coolest neighborhoods.
Some of the greatest masters of the art of moving images came from the land of Goethe and Schiller.
But hey, German movies aren’t just important from a historic standpoint, they’re also a fun and useful resource for German learners!
Okay, so you might hear the words “German film” and instantly think of Herzog, Fassbinder and other “brainy” filmmakers.
But I’ve got news for you: Whatever kind of movies you love, Germans have made them and done a great job of it!
Germans produce films and TV in many popular genres, including horror, comedy and science fiction.
Plus, films are simply ideal for learning German.
I actually think the improvement of my German during my stay in Berlin is owed more to the movies I watched there than to having held conversations in German!
Benefits of Watching German Films on Netflix
Wherever you may be in the world, chances are you only hear about German films after they’ve received an Oscar nod, like blockbusters “Good Bye, Lenin!” or “Das Leben der anderen” (The Lives of Others).
But fortunately, Netflix has expanded all over the world incredibly fast. Thanks to this expansion, the company is now offering more and more foreign films every day, and German films are no exception.
This is great news for German learners, as the benefits of watching films to learn German are manifold.
- Original language films with subtitles are great for language learners. If your German is from intermediate to advanced, there are lots of films you can watch with closed captions in German, which is even better. As Netflix offers many subtitle options, it’s an ideal platform for language learners.
- You have the ability to rewind and replay to learn vocabulary. You may prefer to watch the whole movie without stopping it the first time around, but if you found some cool slang in it that you wish you could learn, Netflix allows you to scroll through the movie to find it and replay it to your heart’s content.
- You’ll learn colloquial German and common expressions. Other than visiting a German-speaking country, there’s no better way to learn slang and colloquial language than watching movies. I cannot say enough about this, as I’ve learned half the languages I know almost exclusively from watching movies. Books often teach you expressions that people seldom use, while contemporary movies offer you a more current and real-life version of the language.
- You’ll get access to a great selection of quality films. Netflix offers a curated collection. As such, it leans toward the side of quality. Entertaining films can make learning fun, and Netflix is one of the world’s top choices when it comes to entertainment today.
9 Fabulous German Movies on Netflix to Improve Your Deutsch in 2022
1. “3 Türken & ein Baby” (Three Turks and a Baby)
Are you ready to learn German and laugh so hard your ribs will hurt? Well, “3 Türken & ein Baby” is the film for you.
This hilarious comedy film follows three brothers whose lives get turned upside down when one brother has to care for the baby of an ex-girlfriend after she gets hospitalized. Starring prolific actor Kostja Ullmann and German rapper Eko Fresh, the three brothers must put aside their own problemsâ —stemming from bad financial choices, bad luck and Ullmann’s character’s womanizing—to care for something other than themselves.
This film also draws heavily on the experience of immigrant Turkish families in modern-day Germany. I recommend this film for intermediate or advanced learners because the three brothers use a fair amount of slang.
2. “Lommbock”
Speaking of hilarious movies, “Lommbock” is also a great choice for a good laugh. Be warned, however! This film can get a little, um… raunchy.
“Lommbock” follows Stefan, a successful lawyer who thinks he finally has his life in order: He’s found a beautiful woman to marry him in Dubai and he’s been clean of drugs for many years. Before he can marry the woman of his dreams, he must return to Germany to get some documents in order. Enter Stefan’s old friend Kai: the man who threatens to turn Stefan into a sleazy bad boy all over again!
While this film can definitely ride the line of racy humor, Stefan and Kai’s relationship matures quite a bit as it is revealed that Kai is also in need of getting his life in order. I recommend this movie for intermediate learners—and definitely for adults only!
3. “Das Attentat — Sarajevo 1914″ (Sarajevo)
Historical buffs will love this film, which translates literally to “The Assassination Attempt” in English.
In case the city of Sarajevo or the year 1914 doesn’t sound familiar, these are the details of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, the event that launched Europe into World War 1.
This movie is a historical drama, drawing on the actual event but also fabricating some details for the sake of film. The main character, Leo Pfeffer, is a magistrate and must find the culprits of Franz Ferdinand’s assassination. As World War 1 threatens to break out, our main character uncovers that the officially released story of Ferdinand’s assassination is not the truth: rather, it is a ploy for Austria-Hungary to go to war against rival Serbia. Read More...
