Movies & series, especially those about modern daily life, are great Mandarin learning materials since plain language is used. Plus they’ll also show you a more realistic picture of Chinese culture than you’d find in textbooks.

If you have (or don’t have) a Netflix account, you can earn gift cards by referring friends to GoEast:
Get your friends to learn Mandarin too. Rewards await

Scroll down for movies.

Mandarin series on Netflix

Modern series (当代)

• Meteor Garden (流星花园) 2018 (Cute & widely recommended)
• Find Yourself (下一站是幸福) 2020
• Well-Intended Love (奈何老板要娶我) 2019
• Accidentally in Love (惹上冷殿下) 2018

Costume, novel drama (古装)

• The Untamed (陈情令) 2019
• Three Lives, Three Worlds, The Pillow Book (三生三世枕上书) 2012
• Once Upon a Time in Lingjian Mountain (从前有座灵剑山) 2019
• The Rise of Phoenixes (天盛长歌) 2018

Action, suspense (动作)

• The Disguiser (伪装者) 2015
• Tientsin Mystic (河神) 2017
• Day and Night (白夜追凶) 2017 (recommended)

Mandarin movies on Netflix

Chinese language Romantic comedy & drama (浪漫喜剧和戏剧)

• Us and Them (后来的我们) 2018 (Great ratings)
• This Is Not What I Expected (喜欢你) 2017
• Finding Mr. Right (北京遇上西雅图) 2013
• Ash Is Purest White (江湖儿女) 2018
• I Am Not Madame Bovary (我不是潘金莲) 2016, comedy

Mandarin action movies (动作片):

• Animal World (动物世界) 2018
• Operation Mekong (湄公河行动) 2016
• Railroad Tigers (铁道飞虎) 2016 (Recommended for beginners)

Chinese Fantasy & sci-fi (幻想与科幻)

• The Monkey King 2 (西游记之孙悟空三打白骨精), 2016
• The Mermaid (美人鱼) 2016
• The Wandering Earth (流浪地球) 2019

Historical series in Chinese language (历史)

• Curse of the Golden Flower (满城尽带黄金甲) 2006 (Oscar nomination)
• Coming Home (归来) 2014
• God of War (荡寇风云) 2017