The Best Spanish Films
Buñuel's exile masterpieces, post-Franco allegories and del Toro's Spanish-language fables, ranked by our composite score.
Viridiana (1961) leads with a composite score of 3.59.
- 1Viridiana1961 · Luis Buñuel · Mexico / Spain · comedy, drama3.59
Palme d'Or winner 1961 · Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #52 · Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 1962 #4
- 2The Spirit of the Beehive1973 · Víctor Erice · Spain · drama, fantasy2.94
San Sebastián Golden Shell winner 1973 · Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #72 · Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #85
- 3All About My Mother1999 · Pedro Almodóvar · France / Spain · comedy, drama2.16
Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 2000 #2 · Kehr's annual top 10 1999 #1 · Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #157
- 4Afternoons of Solitude2024 · Albert Serra · Spain / France / Portugal · documentary2.11
Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 2025 #1 · San Sebastián Golden Shell winner 2024 · Film Comment year-end poll 2025 #6
- 5Talk to Her2002 · Pedro Almodóvar · Spain · drama, romance1.93
Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 2003 #2 · Sarris's annual top 10 2002 #1 · Film Comment year-end poll 2002 #4
- 6Pan's Labyrinth2006 · Guillermo del Toro · Mexico / Spain · fantasy, drama, war1.80
Ebert's annual top 10 2006 #1 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 2007 #10 · Film Comment year-end poll 2006 #15
- 7Close Your Eyes2023 · Víctor Erice · Spain / Argentina · drama1.50
Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 2023 #2 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 2024 #2 · Film Comment year-end poll 2024 #15
- 8The Room Next Door2024 · Pedro Almodóvar · Spain · drama1.43
Venice Golden Lion winner 2024 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 2025 #4
- 9Pain and Glory2019 · Pedro Almodóvar · Spain / France · drama1.26
Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 2019 #6 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 2020 #8 · Film Comment year-end poll 2019 #9
- 10La Ciénaga2001 · Lucrecia Martel · Argentina / France / Spain · drama1.09
Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #62 · Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #136 · Criterion Collection spine #743
- 11Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown1988 · Pedro Almodóvar · Spain · comedy1.08
TIFF People's Choice winner 1988 · NYT Best 1,000 Movies · Criterion Collection spine #855
- 12Cría Cuervos1976 · Carlos Saura · Spain · drama1.06
Cannes Grand Prix winner 1976 · Criterion Collection spine #403 · Sarris's annual top 10 1977 #9
- 13Tristana1970 · Luis Buñuel · France / Spain / Italy · drama1.02
Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1971 #7 · Sarris's annual top 10 1970 #3 · NYT Best 1,000 Movies
- 14El Lazarillo de Tormes1959 · César Fernández-Ardavín · Spain / Italy · drama1.00
Berlin Golden Bear winner 1960
- 15
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- 18Deprisa, Deprisa1981 · Carlos Saura · Spain / France · drama, crime1.00
Berlin Golden Bear winner 1981
- 19
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- 22Volver2006 · Pedro Almodóvar · Spain · comedy, drama0.93
Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 2007 #8 · Sarris's annual top 10 2006 #2 · Film Comment year-end poll 2006 #9
- 23The Motorcycle Diaries2004 · Walter Salles · France / Germany / United Kingdom · biography, drama, adventure0.83
Sarris's annual top 10 2004 #1 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 2004 #7
- 24Dream of Light1992 · Víctor Erice · Spain · documentary, drama0.77
Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1993 #5 · Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #243
- 25I Was a Parish Priest1953 · Rafael Gil · France / Spain · drama0.75
San Sebastián Golden Shell winner 1953
- 26
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- 28Demons in the Garden1982 · Manuel Gutiérrez Aragón · Spain · drama0.75
San Sebastián Golden Shell winner 1982
- 29Half of Heaven1986 · Manuel Gutiérrez Aragón · Spain · drama0.75
San Sebastián Golden Shell winner 1986
- 30Letters from Alou1990 · Montxo Armendáriz · Spain · drama, comedy0.75
San Sebastián Golden Shell winner 1990
- 31
- 32A Place in the World1992 · Adolfo Aristarain · Uruguay / Spain / Argentina · drama0.75
San Sebastián Golden Shell winner 1992
- 33Running Out of Time1994 · Imanol Uribe · Spain · drama, thriller0.75
San Sebastián Golden Shell winner 1994
- 34
- 35Wind with the Gone1998 · Alejandro Agresti · Argentina / France / Spain · comedy, drama0.75
San Sebastián Golden Shell winner 1998
- 36The Ruination of Men2000 · Arturo Ripstein · Spain / Mexico · drama, comedy, crime0.75
San Sebastián Golden Shell winner 2000
- 37Mondays in the Sun2002 · Fernando León de Aranoa · Spain / Italy / France · drama, comedy0.75
San Sebastián Golden Shell winner 2002
- 38The Double Steps2011 · Isaki Lacuesta · Switzerland / Spain · drama, documentary0.75
San Sebastián Golden Shell winner 2011
- 39
- 40Magical Girl2014 · Carlos Vermut · Spain / France · film-noir, drama0.75
San Sebastián Golden Shell winner 2014
- 41Between Two Waters2018 · Isaki Lacuesta · Spain · documentary, drama0.75
San Sebastián Golden Shell winner 2018
- 42The Rye Horn2023 · Jaione Camborda · Spain / Portugal / Belgium · drama0.75
San Sebastián Golden Shell winner 2023
- 43
- 44Parallel Mothers2021 · Pedro Almodóvar · Spain · drama0.73
Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 2022 #3 · Film Comment year-end poll 2021 #19
- 45The Devil's Backbone2001 · Guillermo del Toro · Spain / Mexico · horror, fantasy, drama0.59
Sarris's annual top 10 2001 #2 · Criterion Collection spine #666 · Edgar Wright's 1,000 favorite movies
- 46The Sea Inside2004 · Alejandro Amenábar · Spain / Italy / France · biography, drama0.58
Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 2005 #5 · Sarris's annual top 10 2004 #5
- 47Butterfly's Tongue1999 · José Luis Cuerda · Spain · drama0.53
Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 2001 #7 · Sarris's annual top 10 2000 #5
- 48The Holy Girl2004 · Lucrecia Martel · Argentina / Italy / Netherlands · drama0.43
Film Comment year-end poll 2005 #12 · Hoberman's annual top 10 2005 #8
- 49The Secret in Their Eyes2009 · Juan J. Campanella · Argentina / Spain · crime, drama, thriller0.36
Letterboxd Top 250 #240 · Ebert's annual top 10 2010 #7
- 50Carmen1983 · Carlos Saura · Spain · romance, drama, musical0.36
Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1984 #6
- 51
- 52Japón2002 · Carlos Reygadas · Mexico / Germany / Spain · drama0.34
Film Comment year-end poll 2003 #45 · Criterion Collection spine #968
- 53Whisky2004 · Juan Pablo Rebella, Pablo Stoll · Uruguay / Germany / Spain · drama0.33
Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 2005 #7
- 54
- 55Miracle of Marcelino1955 · Ladislao Vajda · Spain · drama, comedy0.32
Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1957 #8
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- 57The Skin I Live In2011 · Pedro Almodóvar · Spain · thriller, drama0.31
Film Comment year-end poll 2011 #31 · Edgar Wright's 1,000 favorite movies
- 58
- 59Who's Stopping Us2021 · Jonás Trueba · Spain · documentary0.29
Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 2022 #10
- 60The Other Way Around2024 · Jonás Trueba · Spain / France · drama, comedy0.29
Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 2024 #10
- 61Bad Education2004 · Pedro Almodóvar · Spain · film-noir, drama, mystery0.28
Film Comment year-end poll 2004 #11
- 62El Planeta2021 · Amalia Ulman · United States / Spain · comedy0.26
Film Comment year-end poll 2021 #14
- 63
- 64Neruda2016 · Pablo Larraín · Argentina / Chile / France · biography, drama0.23
Film Comment year-end poll 2016 #19
- 65In the City of Sylvia2007 · José Luis Guerin · Spain / France · drama0.20
Film Comment year-end poll 2008 #29
- 66Broken Embraces2009 · Pedro Almodóvar · Spain · romance, drama, thriller0.20
Film Comment year-end poll 2009 #30
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- 68The Silence Before Bach2007 · Pere Portabella · Spain · musical0.19
Film Comment year-end poll 2008 #40
- 69Calle 542000 · Fernando Trueba · Spain / Italy / France · documentary, musical0.17
NYT Best 1,000 Movies
- 70Death of a Cyclist1955 · Juan Antonio Bardem · Spain / Italy · drama, crime0.16
Criterion Collection spine #427
- 71Not on Your Life1963 · Luis García Berlanga · Spain / Italy · comedy, drama0.16
Criterion Collection spine #840
- 72
- 73Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!1989 · Pedro Almodóvar · Spain · comedy, crime, romance0.16
Criterion Collection spine #722
- 74La Torre de los Siete Jorobados1944 · Édgar Neville · Spain · horror, comedy, thriller0.11
Rosenbaum's Essential Cinema
- 75
- 76La residencia1969 · Narciso Ibáñez Serrador · Spain · horror0.11
Edgar Wright's 1,000 favorite movies
- 77Vampir - Cuadecuc1970 · Pere Portabella · Spain · documentary, horror0.11
Rosenbaum's Essential Cinema
- 78Let Sleeping Corpses Lie1974 · Jorge Grau · Spain / Italy · horror, sci-fi0.11
Edgar Wright's 1,000 favorite movies
- 79Who Can Kill a Child?1976 · Narciso Ibáñez Serrador · Spain · horror0.11
Edgar Wright's 1,000 favorite movies
- 80Lovers of the Arctic Circle1998 · Julio Médem · Spain / France · romance, drama, mystery0.11
Rosenbaum's Essential Cinema
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- 83Wild Tales2014 · Damián Szifron · Argentina / Spain · comedy, drama, thriller0.11
Edgar Wright's 1,000 favorite movies
Cinema against the censor
Spanish film history is inseparable from the forty-year shadow of the Franco dictatorship, and its canon is largely a history of evasions. The keystone case is Luis Buñuel's Viridiana (1961): the regime, hungry for cultural legitimacy, invited its most famous exiled director home to make a film — and Buñuel delivered a fable of a novice nun whose charity ends in a beggars' orgy staged as a parody of the Last Supper. It won the Palme d'Or at Cannes as Spain's official entry, was immediately banned in Spain and denounced by the Vatican's newspaper, and existed for years only because the negative had left the country. No film better embodies the gap between state canon and world canon that composite measurement makes visible.
The subtler masterpiece of the dictatorship years is Víctor Erice's The Spirit of the Beehive (1973), made while Franco still lived: a village child sees Frankenstein at a traveling cinema and goes looking for the monster, in a film whose every silence is about the Civil War no one onscreen may mention. The censors, reading only the surface, let it pass. Critics' polls have ranked it steadily higher for fifty years — it now stands among the top hundred films in the Sight & Sound poll and is routinely called the greatest Spanish film ever made.
After Franco: exuberance and export
Democracy released the pressure, and Spanish cinema swung to the opposite pole: Pedro Almodóvar's melodramas — All About My Mother (1999) the most laureled — made post-Franco Madrid's freedom itself the subject. The industry also became a platform for the Spanish-language canon beyond Spain: Guillermo del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth (2006), a Spanish-Mexican co-production set in the Francoist 1944 countryside, folded the dictatorship's violence into dark fairy tale and became one of the century's most internationally decorated films. And Spain's studios had already served the world's genre trade for decades — Leone's Westerns were shot in Almería's deserts. Ranked by composite score, the Spanish list is compact but sharply defined: a canon forged under censorship, vindicated by festivals and polls the censors couldn't reach.