10 Films to Learn English (By Level, 2026 Guide)
Want to learn English through films? We rank 10 films from A1 to C1, explain exactly how to use subtitles, and which films are a waste of your time if you're still a beginner.
Learning English through films works — but only if you match the film to your CEFR level. An A1 student who starts with "Interstellar" switches to Instagram in 10 minutes. As Inlingua Baku teachers, we ranked these 10 films by level, explained the right subtitle strategy, and listed what grammar each one drills.
Subtitle rule — read this first
- A1–A2: Subtitles in your native language. You're mostly learning to recognise words, not to hear them.
- B1: English subtitles (not Azerbaijani). Your brain fuses sound with text.
- B2+: English subs on first watch, none on second.
- C1–C2: No subtitles. Replay a scene 3× or skip.
3 films for A1–A2 (beginner)
1. Finding Nemo (2003)
Simple sentences, repeating vocabulary, child-level dialogue. Clear actor diction. All Pixar films work at this level, but Nemo's calmer pace fits A1 best.
2. Toy Story 3 (2010)
"Happy", "sad", "angry", "excited" — 200+ emotional words in everyday context. The best A2→B1 bridge film we know.
3. The Lion King (1994)
Dialogue, teamwork, family themes. Watch the 1994 original, not the 2019 remake — audio is far clearer.
4 films for B1–B2 (intermediate)
4. Forrest Gump (1994)
Tom Hanks speaks plainly, and the film doubles as a 2-hour lesson in American history and idioms. Origin of "Life is like a box of chocolates".
5. Green Book (2018)
Don Shirley's diction is crystal-clear; Mahershala Ali speaks slowly. Moral dilemmas, friendship, a road trip — strong vocabulary uplift.
6. Dead Poets Society (1989)
Robin Williams as a teacher gives you the cleanest classroom English — assignments, homework, grades, essays. Essential B2 bridge.
7. The Social Network (2010)
Silicon Valley dialogue, business meetings, legal paperwork. B2+ only — Aaron Sorkin clocks in at 180 words/minute.
3 films for B2–C1 (advanced)
8. The King's Speech (2010)
Colin Firth's King George VI delivers Britain's purest Received Pronunciation. Mandatory for IELTS prep.
9. 12 Angry Men (1957)
12 men arguing in one room — the film is a vocabulary goldmine for IELTS Writing Task 2 (argument, objection, concession).
10. Arrival (2016)
The film literally is about linguistics. Dr. Louise Banks's dialogue is heavy with academic terms. A must-have for C1, but A2/B1 will need subtitles to survive.
3 rules for picking the right film
- The topic must genuinely interest you. A boring film "for English practice" gets abandoned in 20 minutes.
- Actors must speak clearly. Nolan films (Interstellar, Tenet) are unusable at any level — dialogue too muddled.
- Use licensed platforms. Pirated copies often carry wrong subtitles. Netflix, Amazon Prime, Apple TV are reliable.
Films + Inlingua method — how fast is the payoff?
Student data: 2 films/week + Inlingua lessons = one CEFR level in 3 months, roughly 3× faster than films alone, because the new vocabulary from the film becomes tomorrow's speaking practice in class.
Not sure what level you're at? Take a free placement test on WhatsApp +994 77 642 08 04.
FAQ
Films or TV series — which is better for learning English?
A1–B1: films (short focus). B2+: series (the characters repeat, so vocabulary compounds). Try "Friends" (B1–B2), "The Good Place" (B2), "Ted Lasso" (B2–C1).
Are Turkish-subtitled English films useful?
At A1–A2, yes — Turkish subs give you a wider catalogue than Azerbaijani. From B1 onwards, switch to English subs.
Netflix vs YouTube — which is better?
Netflix gives higher quality at ~15 AZN/month. YouTube is free but vocabulary is random — not a structured resource.
How many new words does one film teach?
Active viewing (with a notebook) gives 15–25 new words per film. 10 films = 150–250 words, enough to bridge A1 → A2.