17 Best Italian Series and Movies On Netflix [For Beginners]

Did you know that picking up a new language from your couch is no longer a fantasy? We’re not saying you’ll magically learn Italian just by watching Italian shows and movies on Netflix, but you can make serious progress if you stay present while you watch. Turn on subtitles, listen carefully, notice repeated words, and connect vocabulary to real scenes and emotions.

In this guide, we’ll give you the best Italian series on Netflix and Italian movies on Netflix for beginners, the ones that are easier to follow and packed with everyday language. You’ll get a full list of titles worth your time, plus practical tips on how to watch so you’re not just passively streaming.

Italian Shows on Netflix

The Law According to Lidia Poët

Genre: Period Drama / Legal Mystery
Language Level: Intermediate

Based on the true story of Italy’s first female lawyer, this series is set in 19th-century Turin and follows a woman fighting to practice law in a nation that refuses to let her. Every episode pairs a crime mystery with Lidia’s battle against a justice system built to keep her out, and she handles both with sharp wit and zero apology.

The Italian featured in this TV show is great for learners because you’ll pick up vocab around law, justice, and family dynamics. The story’s pacing is also very easy to follow, perfect for all intermediate learners. It’s one of those Italian series on Netflix where learning feels like a side effect of just being completely hooked.

The Monster of Florence

Genre: True Crime Drama
Language Level: Intermediate

Based on real events, The Monster of Florence follows one of Italy's most chilling unsolved crime cases that terrorized the country for over a decade. The story pulls you into the investigation, the fear that gripped Italian society, and the broken justice system that struggled to find answers. It's dark, mysterious, and the kind of series you watch in one sitting because you have to know what happens next.

For learners, true crime is one of the best ways to pick up how Italians talk about law, violence, and real-world events. The dialogue is grounded in everyday language, which means you're building vocabulary that actually gets used outside a classroom. If you want to learn Italian through something that feels urgent and real, this one delivers.

Deceitful Love

Genre: Romantic Drama
Language Level: Beginner-friendly

Deceitful Love follows a wealthy woman who, after turning 60, falls in love with a much younger man and refuses to apologize for it. The story gets complicated fast when her family starts raising doubts about his true intentions, turning what feels like a second chance at life into a battleground between her heart and everyone else's suspicions.

For beginners, the dialogue is grounded in family dynamics, relationships, and everyday emotion, which makes the vocabulary easy to absorb and practical to remember. You are watching real human conflict play out in Italian, which is one of the best ways to learn the language naturally. The generational tension between characters also gives you a great range of how different people speak and express themselves.

Suburra: Blood On Rome

Genre: Crime Drama
Language Level: Intermediate-friendly

Inspired by true events, Suburra is set in Rome and follows a brutal power struggle between the Italian government, the Vatican, and organized crime. The story pulls you into a world of violence, corruption, and characters who will do anything to win, making it one of the most-watched Italian series on Netflix for a reason. Every scene in this Italian TV series feels like it has real stakes because, in many ways, it did.

For learners, the Roman dialect and crime-world vocabulary give you a completely different side of the Italian language that textbooks never cover. The dialogue is fast and intense, which trains your ear to keep up with how Italians actually speak under pressure. It's also good for learning words and phrases related to politics, land ownership, and crime.

La Luna Nera

Genre: Historical Fantasy / Mystery
Language Level: Intermediate

Set in 17th-century Italy, La Luna Nera follows a young woman accused of being a witch who discovers she has real powers and finds a group of women living in hiding deep in the Italian countryside. The story is dark, mysterious, and built around fear, survival, and what happens when a nation decides to destroy what it does not understand. It is one of the more unique Italian TV series on Netflix and stands out from the usual crime dramas on the platform.

Anyone who want to learn Italian through something atmospheric and gripping, this series is full of rich vocabulary around nature, history, and emotion. The characters speak in ways that feel rooted in old Italy, which gives your language skills a completely different workout compared to modern Italian shows and movies on Netflix.

Summertime

Genre: Romance / Coming-of-Age
Language Level: Beginner-friendly

Summertime is set along the Italian coast and follows a group of young people who spend one summer figuring out love, dreams, and who they want to be. The story is light-hearted, easy to follow, and the kind of Italian TV series on Netflix that makes you want to book a trip to Italy before the first episode is even over. It is fun, warm, and genuinely hard to stop watching.

If you are a total beginner (like starting from zero, zilch, nada!) this is one of the best starting points on the platform. The dialogue is slow and clear, the vocabulary is conversational, and the emotions are easy to follow, even when you miss a word. It is proof that Italian movies and series on Netflix do not have to be heavy to be worth your time.

Framed! A Sicilian Murder Mystery

Genre: Comedy
Language Level: Beginner-friendly

Framed! A Sicilian Murder Mystery follows two ordinary friends who accidentally film a Mafia murder and spend the rest of the series trying to hide the evidence while avoiding the criminals hunting them down. It is one of the most fun Italian TV series on Netflix and proves that Italian comedy has a completely different energy from anything else on the platform. Created by the iconic Sicilian duo Ficarra e Picone, it is impossible to watch without laughing.

For learners, comedy is one of the most underrated ways to learn Italian because the jokes only land when you understand the words. Sicilian humor runs on wordplay, timing, and everyday expressions, which means your vocabulary grows without you even realizing it. If you want to learn Italian while genuinely enjoying yourself, this is one of the best Italian series on Netflix to start with.

Zero

Genre: Superhero Drama
Language Level: Beginner-to-Intermediate

Zero is set in Milan and follows a shy young man who discovers he can turn invisible, using his power to protect the neighborhood he grew up in. It is the first Italian Netflix series with a predominantly Black cast and tells a story about identity, creativity, and what it means to belong in a country that does not always make you feel welcome. It is one of the freshest Italian TV series on Netflix right now and completely worth your time.

Basically, this Italian TV show features a language that is modern and fast, with Milan slang and contemporary words used today. Following a young lead character through his world gives you exposure to a side of Italian culture and language that most Italian movies and series on Netflix do not show. If you want to learn Italian that feels current and real, Zero delivers.

An Astrological Guide For Broken Hearts

Genre: Romantic Comedy
Language Level: Beginner-friendly

An Astrological Guide for Broken Hearts follows a young woman working in television who decides to let the stars guide her love life after a series of relationship disasters. Set in Milan, the story is light-hearted, fun, and full of the kind of romantic chaos that makes Italian series on Netflix so easy to binge. It is the perfect couch watch when you want something feel-good without turning your brain off completely.

For beginners looking to learn Italian, this series is a great find. The dialogue is conversational and driven by friendship, romance, and everyday life in Italy, which means the vocabulary you pick up is practical and easy to remember. An astrological guide for broken hearts proves that Italian TV series on Netflix can be just as fun and addictive as anything else on the platform.

Luna Park

Genre: Drama / Mystery Language Level: Intermediate

1960s Rome is the backdrop for one of the most visually stunning Italian series on Netflix right now. Luna Park tells the story of two women from completely different worlds — one from a wealthy family, the other from a Roma community working at an amusement park — who discover they may be sisters. Family secrets, hidden identities, and the question of justice make this a series that grabs you from the first episode and does not let go.

Language learners get something genuinely interesting here since period Italian sits at a more formal register than modern Italian movies and shows on Netflix. This means every episode pushes your vocabulary into new territory! The contrast between characters from different social backgrounds also means you hear the language used in very different ways across each scene — something that is hard to find in most Italian TV series on Netflix and genuinely accelerates how fast your ear adjusts.

Vendetta: Truth, Lies and The Mafia

Genre: True Crime Documentary
Language Level: Intermediate

Vendetta: Truth, Lies and The Mafia digs into the real story of a journalist who spent years investigating the Sicilian Mafia and paid a devastating price for it. It is raw, uncomfortable, and makes you rethink everything you thought you knew about justice and corruption in Italy. If true crime is your thing, this is one of the most gripping Italian series on Netflix right now.

Documentaries are an underrated way to learn Italian because you hear real people speaking naturally rather than scripted dialogue. Interviews and narration expose you to how Italians actually talk about serious topics like crime and politics, building vocabulary that fictional Italian TV series on Netflix simply cannot replicate.

Generation 56K

Genre: Romantic Comedy
Language Level: Beginner-friendly

Generation 56K is set in Naples and follows two childhood friends who reconnect as adults and start to realize their feelings for each other run deeper than friendship. The story jumps between their lives as kids in the 90s and who they have become today, using the internet, nostalgia, and a lot of bad decisions to tell one of the most charming love stories in recent Italian TV series on Netflix. It is funny, warm, and impossible not to relate to.

Naples gives this series a distinct flavor that sets it apart from Milan or Rome-based Italian shows and movies on Netflix, and that comes through in the language too. You get a natural mix of everyday conversation, regional expressions, and emotional dialogue that makes it a genuinely rich watch for anyone trying to learn Italian. The dual timeline also means your ear gets double the practice without it ever feeling like work.

Italian Movies on Netflix

The Children's Train

Genre: Historical Drama
Language Level: Intermediate

The Children's Train is based on the true story of a young boy from Naples who is sent to live with a family in northern Italy after World War II, part of a real movement that relocated thousands of children from the devastated south. It is a story about family, loss, and what happens when a child is asked to belong to two different worlds at once. One of the most emotionally rich Italian movies on Netflix and absolutely worth your time.

The regional contrast at the heart of this film is a goldmine for learners. You hear southern Italian and northern Italian in the same story, which gives you a rare side-by-side look at how much the language shifts across the country. If you want to understand Italy beyond Rome and Milan, start here.

7 Women and a Murder

Genre: Comedy Mystery
Language Level: Beginner-friendly

When the patriarch of a wealthy Italian family is found dead during a Christmas gathering, every woman in the house becomes a suspect. Seven women, one murder, and enough family drama to last a lifetime. It is sharp, funny, and the kind of Italian movie on Netflix that keeps you guessing while making you laugh at the same time.

The setting keeps the dialogue contained and character-driven, which makes it great for learners. You hear how different generations of an Italian family speak to each other, argue, and hide things, all in one room. Short, punchy exchanges mean the vocabulary sticks fast.

Rose Island

Genre: Adventure Comedy
Language Level: Beginner-friendly

Rose Island is inspired by the true story of an Italian engineer who built his own island in the Adriatic Sea in 1968 and declared it an independent nation. It is funny, bold, and the kind of story that feels too wild to be real until you remember it actually happened. One of the most fun Italian movies on Netflix and a great entry point for beginners.

The language is light and conversational, making it easy to follow without strong Italian yet. Beyond the vocabulary, the story gives you a fascinating window into Italian culture, bureaucracy, and the national identity of a country that does not always take kindly to people who decide to make their own rules.

Vanished into the Night

Genre: Thriller
Language Level: Intermediate

A father discovers his two children have disappeared from their mother's home, and what starts as a custody dispute quickly unravels into something far more mysterious and dark. Vanished into the Night is tense, fast-moving, and one of those Italian movies on Netflix where every scene makes you trust someone a little less. It is gripping from start to finish.

For learners, thrillers are a great way to build vocabulary around family, law, and fear because the emotional stakes keep you locked in. The dialogue is urgent and natural, which trains your ear to follow Italian when people are speaking with real emotion rather than at classroom pace.

Benvenuti Al Sud

Genre: Comedy
Language Level: Beginner-friendly

A northern Italian postal worker gets transferred to a small town in southern Italy as a punishment and arrives expecting the worst. What he finds instead changes everything he thought he knew about the country he grew up in. Benvenuti al Sud is warm, hilarious, and one of the most beloved Italian movies on Netflix for a reason.

The north-south culture clash is the engine of this film, and it is genuinely one of the best ways to learn Italian because you see the same language used in completely different ways depending on where you are in the country. The humor is accessible, the characters are impossible not to love, and it will make you want to visit southern Italy before the credits finish rolling.

Why Not Learn Italian With Lingopie Instead?

Watching Italian series and movies on Netflix is a great starting point, but there is a catch. When the subtitles are right there, it is incredibly easy to just read along and never actually absorb the language. You finish an entire series, it was great, and your Italian has barely moved. Passive watching feels productive but often is not.

Lingopie is built to fix exactly that. Instead of watching and hoping the language sticks, you are actively engaging with every scene through tools designed to make learning stick:

• Interactive subtitles that let you click on any word instantly
• Built-in flashcards to review vocabulary from the shows you actually watched
• Slow-down playback so you never miss a word
• Full translations without having to pause and search
• A growing library of Italian TV shows, films, and more across 15 languages

There is a big difference between watching Italian content and learning from it. Lingopie is what makes that gap disappear.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Become Fluent From An Italian TV Show?

Watching Italian series on Netflix alone will not make you fluent, but it builds real vocabulary, trains your ear, and makes the language feel natural faster than studying from a textbook. Pair it with active learning tools like Lingopie, and you will get there much sooner.

Should I Use English or Italian Subtitles?

Start with English subtitles to follow the story, then switch to Italian subtitles as your vocabulary grows, so your brain is forced to connect the words to the language. Watching Italian movies and series on Netflix with Italian subtitles is one of the fastest ways to improve your reading and listening at the same time.

Does it Matter which Italian TV Shows I Watch?

The best Italian series on Netflix to learn from is whichever one you actually finish, because consistency matters more than content. That said, starting with beginner-friendly shows like Summertime or Baby gives you clearer dialogue and vocabulary that is easier to absorb early on.

I Don't Like Dramas. What Else Can I Watch to Learn Italian?

There are plenty of Italian movies and TV series on Netflix outside of drama, from comedies like Framed and Benvenuti al Sud to feel-good romances like An Astrological Guide for Broken Hearts and Summertime. Light-hearted Italian series are actually ideal for beginners because the language tends to be clearer and easier to follow.

Ready To Learn With Lingopie?

This list gives you plenty of Italian series and movies on Netflix to keep you busy for a long time. But if you want to make sure all that watching actually turns into real Italian skills, Lingopie is the smarter way to do it. Stop watching passively and start learning actively now by clicking below!