Discover the best of South American cinema, film, and television
Discover the definitive list of popular and critically-acclaimed movies and TV shows from South America. Find your next binge-watch, streaming on Netflix, HBO, Hulu, Prime Video, and other top services!
The cinema of South America
South American cinema is a cinema of searing passion and defiant spirit, born from a history of social upheaval and artistic resistance. It is a film culture that tells stories with a raw, beating heart and a profound social conscience. Its modern voice was forged in the fire of the 1960s and 70s, with groundbreaking movements like Brazil's 'Cinema Novo' and Argentina's 'Third Cinema'. These were not just film styles; they were declarations of cultural independence, using the camera to challenge dictatorships, question colonialism, and give a powerful voice to the people. This legacy of powerful storytelling continues to thunder across the globe. Argentina has captivated audiences with Oscar-winning thrillers like The Secret in Their Eyes and darkly comic masterpieces such as Wild Tales. Brazil stunned the world with the visceral energy of City of God, while Chile and Colombia have earned international acclaim for their deeply humanistic and visually breathtaking films. Now, this cinematic energy is fuelling a golden age of television, with gripping series from across the continent finding huge international audiences, building on the long and beloved tradition of the telenovela. What makes South American cinema so unforgettable is its unflinching honesty and emotional depth. It is a cinema that confronts its past while celebrating its vibrant culture, offering a journey into the very soul of a continent.
Best South American series
Radioactive Emergency 2026
Physicists and doctors race to contain a massive radiological disaster and save thousands of lives.
Netflix77
Envious 2024
After a devastating breakup, Vicky, almost 40, embarks on a quest for new love, unaware it will lead her to a profound—and hilarious—self-discovery.
Netflix77
In the Mud 2025
Five female prisoners forge a unique bond after a deadly accident... until corruption and turf wars within a ruthless prison threaten to destroy them.
Netflix72
The Boss 2022
Eliseo is the superintendent of an upscale building. On the surface, is cordial and docile in his role, but underneath Eliseo believes himself the omnipotent figure of the community — meddling in the affairs of residents and pulling strings as he sees fit. Eliseo's only concern is protecting his job, which comes under threat by a proposed pool project.
Star+79
Fake Profile 2023
Camila meets her Prince Charming through a dating app. After an idyllic romance, she plans to surprise him — only to end up trapped in a false paradise.
Netflix66
Community Squad 2023
The members of a diverse vigilante group formed to boost the police's image are put in jeopardy when they stumble upon an unexpected drug deal.
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Best South American movies
The Secret Agent 2025
Brazil, 1977. Marcelo, a technology expert in his early 40s, is on the run. Hoping to reunite with his son, he travels to Recife during Carnival but soon realizes that the city is not the safe haven he was expecting.
72
Caramelo 2025
After a life-changing diagnosis, a promising chef finds hope and humor with the help of a fur-midable dog friend.
75
Latin Blood – The Ballad of Ney Matogrosso 2025
From a repressive childhood to artistic revolution, Ney Matogrosso transforms Brazil's stages — and himself — through music, creativity and inner fire.
79
City of God 2002
In the poverty-stricken favelas of Rio de Janeiro in the 1970s, two young men choose different paths. Rocket is a budding photographer who documents the increasing drug-related violence of his neighborhood, while José “Zé” Pequeno is an ambitious drug dealer diving into a dangerous life of crime.
85
Wild Tales 2014
Injustice and the demands of the world can cause stress for many people. Some of them, however, explode. This includes a waitress serving a grouchy loan shark, an altercation between two motorists, an ill-fated wedding reception, and a wealthy businessman who tries to buy his family out of trouble.
79
Elite Squad 2007
In 1997, before the visit of the pope to Rio de Janeiro, Captain Nascimento from BOPE (Special Police Operations Battalion) is assigned to eliminate the risks of the drug dealers in a dangerous slum nearby where the pope intends to be lodged.
82
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