In this post, we’ve compiled the Top 5 Portuguese TV Series to Watch on Netflix to help complement your language learning. Whether you’re into crime dramas, thrillers or comedies, there is always a great Portuguese Language television series or film waiting on Netflix.
Watching TV series and films can help you learn Portuguese faster! Watching with the subtitles can help reinforce your language learning and grow your vocabulary of the language. It is also an excellent opportunity to learn conversational phrases and pronunciations.
Most content on streaming platforms is both subtitled and captioned in various languages. Whilst subtitles are standard for a language translation of the dialogue, captions also include things like speaker differentiation and description of sound effects.
If you’re looking for more Portuguese learning resources, check out these Portuguese Language Facts and Free Online Portuguese Resources.
So whether you’re new to learning Portuguese, or are just looking to binge-watch some great series, here are our top 5 Portuguese TV series to watch on Netflix right now:
Top 5 Portuguese TV Series to Watch on Netflix
1. Sintonia – 2 Seasons
Crime teen drama series starring Christian Malheiros, Jottapê and Bruna Mascarenhas.
First premiered in 2019, Sintonia, a Brazilian crime series, is told through three different characters’ perspectives, exploring the interconnectedness of music, drug trafficking, and religion in São Paulo.
Created and directed by KondZilla, a Brazilian screenwriter and director, the series received good reviews from critics. Including one from the digital reviewer Decider, describing the series as a “fascinating look at life in São Paulo’s favelas, where people are creative and hopeful, despite difficult circumstances.”
2. Glória – 1 Season
Historical spy thriller series starring Miguel Nunes, Matt Rippy and Stephanie Vogt.
Based in the 1960s at the height of the Cold War, Glória do Ribatejo is a small village with gripping ‘spies, lies and secrets’. Privileged Radio Free Europe engineer, João Vidal, takes on several high-risk espionage missions that threaten world history.
Well regarded by fans with reviews describing Glória as ‘beautifully capturing the ’60s aesthetic and the feeling of Cold War paranoia’.
Did you know? Glória is the first Netflix production originating in Portugal. Additionally, Glória is the most expensive TV production in Portuguese history
3. O Mecanismo (The Mechanism) – 2 Seasons
Brazilian political drama series starring Selton Mello, Caroline Abras and Enrique Diaz.
Third on our list is O Mecanismo/The Mechanism, a drama loosely inspired by an investigation of corruption in Brazil’s oil and construction companies. Follow detective Marco Ruffo as he breaks open the case and attempts to gather enough evidence against money launderer Roberto Ibrahim.
When the series first started in 2018, The Mechanism was nominated for Best Director by the São Paulo Association of Art Critics Awards and Best Cinematography (TV) by the Associação Brasileira de Cinematografia. Since then, fans continue to praise the series for its gripping storyline and has been the first Portuguese-language series watched by many non-native speakers of the language.
Watch The Mechanism on Netflix
4. Boca o Boca (Kissing Game) – 1 Season
Thriller series starring Caio Horowicz, Iza Moreira and Michel Joelsas.
Set in a small Brazilian cattle-ranching town, teenagers panic when they’re threatened by the outbreak of a contagious infection transmitted by kissing. Boca o Boca/Kissing Game is popular with fans across the globe and has even bagged a high rating on the media review site Rotten Tomatoes. If you’ve ever watched the British drama Skins, you’re sure to love this Brazilian series.
Did you know? Boca o Boca translated to English means ‘mouth to mouth’
5. 3% – 4 Seasons
Dystopian thriller series starring Bianca Comparato, Vaneza Oliveira and Rodolfo Valente.
Last up on our Top 5 Portuguese TV Series to Watch on Netflix is 3%, a highly addictive Brazilian series created by Pedro Aguilera. The post-apocalyptic thriller, set in Brazil, depicts life for a lucky few (3%) selected to join an elite society. But first, they must go through an intense process to escape from the crowded slums.
Did you know? 3% was the first Portuguese-language Netflix original series
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