The 20 Best Arabic Movies On Netflix For Learning Arabic

Learning Arabic? You’re probably wondering how you can start exposing yourself to the sounds and common phrases of Arabic. 

If you’re not in an Arabic-speaking environment, then you can always try watching Arabic movies on Netflix! 

There is a huge selection of Arabic movies on Netflix that are perfect for watching, whether you’re a beginner or advanced learner. 

You can also easily find Arabic movies in many of the different major dialects, despite the prominence of Egyptian cinema.

So with that said, here’s a list of some of the best Arabic movies on Netflix that you can put on your watchlist. 

You can either read this article in full, or navigate to a film that interests you by using the table of contents below.

#1 – Excuse My French / La Muakhza / لا مؤاخذة 

To start off this list, La Muakhza (Excuse Me/Excuse My French) was a box office hit that also stirred a lot of controversy in Egypt in 2014. 

It tells the story of Hany, a schoolboy who comes from a Christian family, who is forced to switch from private to public school after his father’s death. There, he is mistaken as a Muslim, and decides to play along, often with funny results. 

Because the movie is set in a school classroom, the dialogue is very easy to follow, making it perfect for beginners who are trying to learn the Egyptian dialect. 

#2 – Barakah Meets Barakah / Barakah Yuqabil Barakah / بركة يقابل بركة 

Set in Jeddah, this movie is the first Saudi Netflix film feature, and tells the unlikely story of romance between a government civil servant and a social media influencer in the midst of changing social norms. 

The dialogue is simple and there isn’t a lot of complicated vocabulary, making it a great film to watch for beginners.

And since the Gulf dialect is pretty similar to Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), it’s also great for practicing listening even if you haven’t started learning an Arabic dialect. 

#3 – Sand Storm / 3aSifa Ramaliya /  عاصفة رملية  

This movie literally took the world by storm in 2016 with its portrayal of Bedouin culture in the Negev desert and the powerful role of women.

Sand Storm explores the relationship between Layla and Jalila, a mother and daughter, who are both navigating the impacts of systemic patriarchy on their lives. 

Sand Storm is great if you’re trying to expose yourself to different variations of Levantine Arabic. The dialogue is not hard to follow, so it’s great for both beginner and intermediate learners. 

#4 – Mom is Pregnant / Mama Hamil / ماما حامل 

Two brothers in their thirties, Asim and Bassem, are forced to grow up after finding out that their mother is pregnant. 

This goofy movie from Egypt will be sure to make you laugh while you pick up new phrases. The free flow of conversation between family members makes for great listening practice for learners of all levels. 

#5 – When I Saw You / Lamma Shuftak / لما شفتك

After being forcibly displaced following the 1967 Six-Day War, Tarek, an 11-year old Palestinian boy living in Jordan, decides to go on a life-changing journey by joining a guerrilla training camp to reunite with his estranged father. 

This coming-of-age story is perfect for practicing the Levantine dialect. And the dialogue between children is especially helpful for beginner learners in spite of the heavy themes. 

#6 – Tomorrow / Ghodwa / غدوة 

Inspired by the events of the Tunisian revolution in 2011, this movie tells the story of Habib, a lawyer who is haunted by the old regime and frustrated by the lack of change following the revolution.

Against this context, his teenage son is increasingly taking charge of him. 

While the dialogue is more suited for intermediate or advanced learners, this is one of the rare movies on Netflix that is in the Tunisian or Maghrebi dialect, making it a gem if you’re trying to learn it. 

#7 – The Master Plan / AlKhaTa Al3ayima / الخطة العايمة 

Two bumbling and goofy thieves, Hamzoun and Abdullah, are hired and trained to steal important documents in a bank heist. 

This goofy comedy is set in Egypt, and it makes for great listening practice for beginner learners of Arabic.

There are also some fun scenes where the duo try to speak in other Arabic accents, which you can also refer to for practicing telling the difference between different dialects. 

#8 – Going to Heaven / Sayer AlJanna / ساير الجنة 

Set in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, the movie tells the story of Sultan, a boy who lost his mother when he was young, who decides to seek out his estranged grandmother with his friend Saud. 

Since it’s set in the UAE, the movie is perfect if you’re trying to learn Gulf Arabic. The simple dialogue makes it suitable for learners of all levels. 

#9 – The Ghost / Al-Shabah / الشبح

This dark police thriller tells the story of a man who wakes up in a hotel with no memory, next to a dead man’s body.

The film follows with him being accused of murder and being chased by the police, all while he tries to solve the mystery of the murder himself. 

The film is set in Egypt, making it a great classic movie to watch if you’re learning the Egyptian dialect.

And while the dialogue is not too complicated, I’d recommend watching this if you’re an intermediate learner. 

#10 – Mousa / Mousa / موسى 

Here’s a perfect movie for all of the sci-fi fans! Yehia, a shy engineering student, decides to build a one of a kind robot in the Middle East after his father’s murder.

He trains the robot so that it can stand up against corrupt government officials and criminals and achieve justice. 

Like The Ghost, Mousa is set in Egypt and uses the Egyptian dialect. The sci-fi words in the film make it better viewing for intermediate and advanced learners. 

#11 – The Knight And The Princess / Al-Faris wa al-Amira / الفارس الأميرة

Looking for something unique to watch coming from the Arab world?

Look no further than The Knight and the Princess! It’s a Netflix special in Arabic that happens to be the first animated feature from the Arab world. 

While the film is originally from Egypt, animated features in Arabic tend to use Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), making it great if you’re trying to build your foundation in MSA while also learning a spoken dialect. 

#12 – Lift Like A Girl / 3ash ya Kabtan / عاش ياكابتن

If you’re all about watching documentaries, then here’s a movie for you.

Lift Like A Girl tells the true story of Zebiba, a 14-year old girl living in Alexandria, who gives a glimpse into the lives of female weightlifters in Egypt as they smash stereotypes about women. 

Because it’s a documentary and set in real life, the movie is great for learning how to speak in Egyptian Arabic in real life.

There’s something new to learn for learners of all levels. 

#13 – Time Out / Taym Aut / تايم آوت

A woman who is a DJ in Lebanon gets into an accident with her down-to-earth neighbour, but is saved by Cupid on the condition that she gets him to fall in love with her.

What follows is a series of hilarious encounters between these two opposite personalities. 

The simple and easy to follow dialogue in this movie makes it a great watch if you’re just beginning to learn the Levantine dialect. 

#14 – Apple Of My Eyes / A3az al-Walad / أعز الولد  

Five children are kidnapped and taken hostage on their way to school in exchange for ransom money from their parents.

But in a strange twist of events, the kidnappers didn’t realize that they might come up against their grandmothers who come to their rescue. 

This goofy movie set in Egypt is helpful for picking up simple phrases in Egyptian Arabic. The dialogue between the children is easy to follow, making it great for beginners. 

#15 – Halal Love (and Sex) / Bilhalaal / بالحلال 

The trailer is working by the way, just hit play!

This movie takes four different stories of men and women in Beirut as they navigate their romantic relationships, while also sticking to their religion.

What transpires is a series of hilarious stories and circumstances. 

As another movie set in Lebanon, this is a must-watch movie if you’re learning the Levantine dialect.

And like other movies, there’s plenty of dialogue that is useful for learning Arabic regardless of your Arabic level. 

#16 – The Tambour Of Retribution / Hadd al-Tar / حد الطار

This award-winning film from Saudi Arabia features a daughter of a wedding singer and the son of a swordsman who fall in love with one another.

The movie tells their emotional story of trying to get married with one another. 

I definitely recommend watching The Tambour Of Retribution if you’ve chosen to learn any variation of Gulf Arabic. 

#17 – Wadjda / Wadjda / وجدة 

A girl in her pre-teens in Saudia Arabia dreams of riding a bicycle.

This dream pushes her to sign up for a Qur’an recitation competition so that she can buy a bicycle for herself and make her dream come true. 

This award-winning feature is one of the first films from Saudi Arabia directed by a female director.

Because there’s plenty of dialogue between children and between a mother and daughter, you can watch this movie even as a beginner. 

#18 – Amr’s In Trouble / Istada3a’ Wali Amro / استدعاء ولي عمرو

Amr, a schoolboy, gets in trouble at school.

But when his school principal calls his family to report his behaviour at school, he finds out that things are a lot more crazy at home, setting off a series of insane encounters. 

You can watch this movie if you’re learning Egyptian Arabic. Because the dialogue can be fast-paced at times, it’s a better movie for intermediate or advanced learners. 

#19 – Habibi / Habibi Rasik Kharban / حبيبي راسك خربان

This movie revolves around Qays and Layla, both students at a university, who fall in love with each other but are forbidden from getting married due to their different social status. 

The movie is a retelling of the forbidden tragic love story between 7th century poet Qays ibn al-Mulawwah and Layla, but with the twist that it takes place in modern-day Gaza. 

Because it’s set in Gaza, I highly recommend it if you’re learning the Levantine dialect. The movie is best for intermediate and advanced learners. 

#20 – The Day I Lost My Shadow / Youm ADha3t Zalli / يوم أضعت ظلي 

A mother in Damascus in the early days of the war in Syria goes to the nearby countryside to find a replacement gas canister.

But this simple task sets off a chain of events that makes her realise that the people around her are losing their shadows. 

This movie is great if you’re trying to learn the Syrian variation of the Levantine dialect. But because of the complex metaphors that underpin the movie, it’s more suitable for intermediate and advanced learners. 

How To Learn Arabic Through Films

Now that you have a list of Arabic movies to get you started, here are a couple of pointers to keep in mind for learning Arabic. 

Subtitles

For the most part, the Arabic movies on Netflix will have English subtitles.

If you’re watching a movie for the first time, then it can be useful to follow the dialogue with the subtitles so that you can catch new words and phrases. 

As you progress and become more fluent, you can try challenging yourself by watching the same movies again, but without subtitles, to test yourself and see how much of the dialogue you can catch. 

You might also want to try fully immersing yourself into the film by deciding to watch without subtitles.

If that’s the case, then you can always try reading a summary of the film beforehand so that you can follow the dialogue. 

Another thing you can try doing if you want to avoid learning with the subtitles is to watch shorter segments of the film at a time.

That way, you can let yourself fully concentrate in shorter spurts to catch as much dialogue as possible without tiring out your brain. 

Arabic Dialects

The other important thing to keep in mind when learning Arabic through film is the dialect.

Of course, while you’ll probably be able to catch some Arabic phrases in any of the films, you may want to prioritize watching the movies that are in the specific dialect you are learning, whether that be Egyptian, Levantine, Gulf, or Maghrebi. 

And as you can see from this list, there’s a huge variety in genres in Arabic movies.

Try starting with comedies if you’re a beginner, since the dialogue is generally simpler.

And as you advance, you can try watching one of the many award-winning dramas on Netflix with more complex conversations. 

Arabic Movies On Netflix

That’s a wrap! These are the 20 best Arabic movies on Netflix for Arabic learners. 

With these films, you’re sure to improve your listening skills in Arabic and learn new phrases in a variety of dialects.

Best of all, you can count on these films to help you get a better understanding of the nuances of Arabic culture across different countries. 

To help you watch and understand these movies, you can also rely on the StoryLearning method. It’s a fun, easy, and effective way to learn how to speak and read in Arabic fluently through stories, not rules. 

So sit back, relax, and enjoy one of these Arabic movies on Netflix!