10 Most Popular Spanish Movies

The 10 most popular Spanish movies presents stories both in the Spanish Civil War as well as contemporary tales of loss and love. A number of big name directors made their name in Spain, including Guillermo del Toro and Pedro Almodovar and their movies remain among the best in cinema history.

1. “Pan’s Labyrinth” – Guillermo del Toro directs this fantasy movie, one of the most popular Spanish movies of all time. A young girl is moved closer to the Spanish Civil War when her mother marries a cruel Spanish captain. She is then whisked into a fantastical world of horror with some of the most disturbing creatures put to film.
2. “Talk to Her” – Pedro Almodovar directs this movie of loss and love, one of the the most popular Spanish movies. Much of the movie takes place at a hospital where feelings of loneliness and desperation are abundant. The movie won an Oscar for Best Screenplay at the 2003 Academy Awards.
3. “All About My Mother”– Directed by Pedro Almodovar, “All About My Mother” is one of the most popular Spanish movies of the filmmaker’s career. The movie follows a mother who takes a journey to find the father of her recently deceased son. The movie is a touching portrait of a mother who seeks to find herself in the wake of a tragedy.
4. “Devil’s Backbone” – Guillermo del Toro directs this ghost story taking place at a boarding school during the Spanish Civil War, one of the most popular Spanish movies. A young boy is left at the school and soon encounters the ghost of another young boy. He must learn what this ghost wants before it is too late.
5. “The Orphanage” – Produced by Guillermo del Toro, “The Orphanage” is one of the most popular Spanish movies and reworks the ghost story in an interesting manner. The movie presents a young child who sees mysterious ghost amongst the backdrop of parental concerns. It is one of the best horror films of the 2000s.
6. “Timecrimes” – This sci-fi movie is one of the most interesting and most popular Spanish movies. The film takes a man and has him travel back in time one hour and subverts into a horror/adventure/sci-fi mishmash that challenges the viewers by creating a labyrinth story with amazing visuals.
7. “Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown” – This is the movie that made Pedro Almodovar a star and remains one of the most popular Spanish movies. The movie was nominated for an Academy Award and spawned a musical which opened on Broadway in 2010.
8. “Bad Education” – This Spanish film examines the religious school lives among boys in Franco-era Spain. It is one of the most popular Spanish movies, directed by Pedro Almodovar and starring Gael Garcia Bernal. The movie centers on a murder investigation where two former school friends are reunited, forcing them to face their dark past.
9. “Open Your Eyes” – Remade in America under the title, “Vanilla Sky,” this Alejandro Amenabár film is one of the most popular Spanish movies of all time. The movie takes a man who seemed to be living the perfect life and turns it upside down. The remake was interesting but this original was a masterpiece.
10. “Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!” – Antonio Banderas stars as a man who is released from a mental institution and immediately stalks a porn star he once had sex with. Pedro Almodovar directs this movie about role playing in a controversial movie which was awarded an NC-17 rating.