Best German Movies To Learn German

If you’re passionate about films and languages, why not combine them to speed up your journey to language fluency?

It sounds like a good idea. After all, viewing flicks is an effective method to develop an ear for the language. So, here are twelve must-watch movies for learning German.

The benefits of language are astonishingly evident, and I wrote extensively about that. Of all the language choices, German consistently ranks as one of the most sought-after foreign tongues.

If you’re reading this article, then most likely, you already know German.

Maybe you’re keen on studying German, and you want to make sure you’re getting the best out of your German courses.

Do you know you can make your German lessons both fun and engage at the same time?

That is what watching German movies offers you when learning the German language.

Films are probably one of the most powerful language learning approaches because it provides you enough entertainment to move northwards in acquiring the German language ability.

How Watching Movies Helps in Learning German Language

The key to successful language learning is MOTIVATION! That’s right. You may have all the resources you need and the time it requires to achieve the knowledge.

But, if you lack inspiration, even the most enabling environment will not help you succeed in your quest to master German, the “language of science and machines.”

Watching German movies is one excellent way you can motivate yourself to learn a foreign language.

When you watch German talkies, it helps you tackle the various grammatical peculiarities that form part of the language.

Also, German films help you enhance the lesson process despite language complexity, making it less cumbersome and enjoyable.,

Between German classes, it’s essential to immerse yourself in a language’s culture.

And watching movies is a great way to improve history, customs, and German language skills.

Thanks to modern technology, you can now enjoy hundreds of films with different audio and subtitles at your comfort whenever and wherever you wish.

12 Best German Movies for Learning Germans

As long as you have the time, learning German through films is one thing you will never get bored doing.

So, below is a compilation of some of the best 12 German movies for learning German.

Sit back, relax, grab some popcorn, and lets the amusement begin!

1. The Lives of Others (Das Leben Der Anderen) — 2006 (R)

The list will be incomplete without mentioning Das Leben Der Anderen (The Lives of Others) by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck. It is a masterpiece that explores the pervasive suspicion of East Germany.

The storyline:

The story narrates an insight into what life was like in communist East Germany in the 80s’.

The time when citizens were often under surveillance by the secret police, also known as the Stasi.

Critically acclaimed, this movie is about an agent Gerd Wiesler conducting surveillance on a writer and his lover to determine that the writer is committing treason.

He, eventually, becomes personally involved in the case through his thoughts and desires.

Language Benefits:

Winner of Best Foreign Film at the Academy Awards is one of the best German movies ever made. The Lives of Others is a flick for everyone — especially those studying German — should watch.

The lengthy dialogues about complex sociopolitical will undoubtedly prove to be difficult but valuable for advanced learners.

2. Good-Bye, Lenin! — 2003 (R)

If you’re a fan of comedy and social commentary, Good Bye Lenin is a must-watch for you.

It is one of the best German-rated films of the 21st century, directed by the legendary Wolfgang Becker.

The storyline:

The film tells the hilarious story of a young, energetic man whose mother (a socialist) came out of a coma caused by a heart attack. She was unaware that the East and West have been reunified.

The son has to make sure that her mother doesn’t discover the truth. It is to prevent her from slipping back into another coma.

Thus, he has to come up with many tricks to make her believe that nothing has changed. And her republic is still much thriving.

Learning benefits:

It teaches divergent in the cultural point of understanding from a German view and perception regarding the reunification. There is a lot of exciting vocabulary for discussing political ideology.

3. The Educators (The Edukators) — 2004 (R)

If you love being in suspense and thrilled, this movie will help you get into a top engagement in gaining German.

The storyline:

The Edukators is about a group of enthusiastic activists from Berlin who break into the homes of wealthy people to make them feel insecure. They leave behind confusing notes and rearranging the furniture of the house they broke into.

It happened when one of the wealthy homeowners came home unexpectedly, forcing the young activists to scheme and plot how to kidnap the homeowner.

Learning Benefits:

The cinema offers an ample opportunity to understand everyday speech.

It will also help you to enhance your pronunciation and accents.

4. The Crocodiles — 2001

If you love shorts videos related to family and kids, this movie will help.

The storyline:

The film is derived from a famous German novel for young adults, which tells the story of two closed outcasts that later teamed up with a gang from the locality.

Then follow the hilarious nature of things as they unfold on a considerable foe.

Thanks to its immense popularity, the filmmaker also produced two sequels from it.

Learning benefits:

This movie is excellent for learning kid speech in German. It brings you the best of the German version spoken by youths of the modern era.

5. Downfall (Der Untergang) — 2004 (R)

For history lovers and the events during the Second World War, this is the movie to watch.

This is one of my all-time favorite German movies, along with The Lives of Others.

The storyline:

Downfall paints a gripping picture of what transpired in the last week and three days (10 days) of the German Fuehrer’s life, Adolf Hitler, while in his underground bunker.

The intense, gripping, and enthralling scenes will assuredly keep you at the edge of your seat.

Learning benefits:

This movie teaches you the accent of the German language as spoken in Austria.

The actions and pictorial presentation allow you to follow the flow of the vocabulary used in the film.

6. Ostwind 2 (Windstorm 2) — 2015

Ostwind is another fabulous movie for the viewing pleasure of families and children.

The storyline:

The storyline is a very touching one. It is a family talkie that employs the confirmed method of pairing a girl and a strong-looking horse.

You may have seen this movie before, but have you seen it in German?

Learning benefits:

The movie is a great way to learn and understand the German language—all from a child’s perspective.

It also offers many vocabulary and expressions for your learning advantages.

7. Soul Kitchen — 2009

It is a typical comedy movie for the fun-loving German language enthusiasts.

The storyline:

The film rounds in on Zinos, a German-born Greek proprietor, and his local restaurant’s financial problems in Hamburg.

Zinos who don’t have any form of medical insurance end up with a disc problem.

With his girlfriend going to China and his brother out of prison, the storyline led to a coherent, funny movie that boasts a huge cast.

Learning Benefits:

Many valuable and entertaining vocabularies make it easy to follow the movie.

It opens up one’s understanding of the German way of life between food and relationship.

8. Funny Games — 2007 (R)

If you love programs about psychos, this Austrian psychological thriller is a must-watch.

The storyline:

Funny Games is a psychological masterpiece movie that describes the life of psychopaths.

Two friends who are psychopaths hold a family in their cabin and kept them hostage.

The two young hostage-takers and the events that follow their escapades characterize the movie as criticism and reflection of violence portrayed in the media.

Learning Benefits:

The psychopathic display uses an extensive vocabulary that motivates one to listen carefully and understand the speech pattern used by the 21st century young Germans.

9. Nowhere in Africa (Nirgendwo in Afrika) — 2001 (R)

Nirgendwo in Afrika is a must-watch for typical history lovers.

It is a film that won the Academic Award in 2003 for the world’s best foreign-language film.

The storyline:

The film focuses on a Jewish family that went through many issues when relocating from Germany to Kenya in World War 2.

The film saw several intriguing and emotional moments as the family was faced with unprecedented challenges and hurdles.

Learning benefits:

If you’re just learning how to speak German, this film will surely help you.

The language spoken by the actors is clear and simple, making it a perfect option for beginners to pass the Goethe-Zertifikat exam.

10. The Boat (Das Boot) — 1981 (R)

The Boat is a classic German movie. It is one of the most expensive films ever produced in Germany.

The storyline:

The film describes how life is for soldiers during the war in the seas.

It is the story of the German U-boats operating in the Atlantic Ocean during the toughest hours of World War 2.

For these movies, two complete U-boat submarines were built for the exterior and interior filming.

The soldiers’ scraggy beards and pale faces depict life for soldiers doing battle on the war fronts. It is such a touching and engaging movie.

Learning benefits:

The sailors speak raw German, which is suitable for a beginner. The vocabulary and speech pattern is simple to grasp and follow coherently.

11. The White Ribbon (Das Weisse Band) — 2009 (R)

A black-white movie perfect for those language students that admire watching movies with a dark tone.

The storyline:

The White Ribbon portrays religion, state authority, and immense violence. It was set in a small but determined German town, signifying life in the early period of the 1980s.

The movie shows an action pack and thought-provoking series of suspense-filled events affecting this little German village and its Protestant inhabitants.

Learning benefits:

The slow pace of the spoken language makes sit a perfect movie for students preparing for various German language proficiency tests.

12. Run Lola Run (Lola Rennt) — 1998 (R)

Directed by Tom Tykwer, this is another fast-paced drama movie where Lola, a woman running around the city searching for a big bag of cash to save his boyfriend.

Storyline:

If you like a movie with lightning speed with a thrilling plot, you will inevitably like Run Lola Run. Manni, Lola’s boyfriend, loses a bag with 100.000 Deutschmarks (the old currency of Germany) that belong to his criminal boss.

To save her boyfriend’s life, she had to find the money quickly. The flick plays in three strings that show three possible storylines.

The capitative movie will make you think about various possibilities.

Learning benefits:

This movie serves its purpose well, exhibiting plenty of slang at a rapid pace.

It would be challenging to watch if you’re an elementary-level German student. If you want to understand, watch it with subtitles.

Rounding Up (The Final Words)

Learning German can be fun if you relish watching films. The German-speaking countries produce some well-known producers, directors, music composers, actors, and actresses.

I hope you enjoy our selection of German movies, which can improve the language’s natural flow. Have fun!

If you want additional tips or suggestions for the must-watch movies for learning German, let me know in the comment section below.