If like us you’re trying to find new programmes and films to watch now the weather is getting colder, I may have just the thing for you!

We are always on the lookout for a great Italian TV shows or movies, something not too dated and perfect for a Saturday night in.

We’ve had Amazon Prime membership for a year now. If you’re not aware of the service you pay £7.99 a month and get unlimited next day delivery on millions of items. This is extremely useful for me, if ever we’ve forgotten something at the supermarket, there’s a child’s birthday party we need to buy for or any other occasion. I know I can find it on Amazon and have it delivered in time.

What I didn’t realise was that Prime comes with other benefits such as free viewing of thousands of TV shows and films. Music, ebooks, magazines and comics! And they happen to have some Italian shows on Amazon Prime just like Netflix.

I can’t believe we didn’t know about this or make use of it in the past. So far I’ve just started using Prime Video.

I’ve saved hundreds of different shows to my ‘Watchlist’ for both Hubby and I, plus there are lots of brilliant films for children and many with Christmas themes which suits their incredibly early excitement about this upcoming holiday!

You can obviously choose any theme to watch but here I’m sharing some of the things we’ve found with an Italian flavour! Watching Italian movies can often be a great practice if you are learning Italian. Remember you can also add the Italian subtitles on amazon prime!

If you have Amazon Prime already go and check these out! If not and you would like to try it, there is a 30 day FREE Trial available here.

Now most importantly here is our selection of Italian movies on amazon prime!

5 Italian shows to watch this Winter with Amazon Prime

1. Mafia Undercover

This is a mafia tv series or show. It’s the story of undercover agent Marco Solo who is trying to discover the darkest secrets of the Mafia family Ndrangheta.

This Mafioso group are notoriously one of the most brutal. Based in Calabria and Rome you’ll discover some of the horrors through his eyes as he befriends the Son of the family and becomes a trusted confidante. And then what happens if he falls out of favour!

Quite a shocking but gripping series, scarily close to the reality of the Mafia, not the Hollywood version!

And yes he really looks this good!

2. Montalbano - Collection One

5 Italian shows to watch this Winter with Amazon Prime. Man's face and woman's body lying down.

If you already know Montalbano there are several series available to watch so you can stay up to date.

Inspector Montalbano is an Italian detective and head of Police in a small town in Sicily. The programmes are based on the many books written by famous Italian crime writer Andrea Camillieri.

Some of the stories are quite dark but they are offset by the amusing team Montalbano has around him.

Lovable but womanising Mimi. Loyal, young sidekick Fazio (who is the villain in Mafia Undercover above!). Adelina the cleaner and cook who makes sure Montalbano always has incredible food in the fridge and his feisty but long suffering Girlfriend Livia from Genova. It’s a good way to learn about Italian culture too.

This drama series is also an amazing way to see Sicily and get ideas for a trip!

3. Let me buy you a drink

5 Italian shows to watch this Winter with Amazon Prime. Man and woman on a scooter.

This is a very typically Italian movie. You may find it slow at first but persevere!

It’s the story of Christian an Italian from Genova who has moved to London in search of… something! He finds himself unemployed, being kicked out by his girlfriend, in debt and at a complete loss as to what happened to his life.

He doesn’t want to go home as it would mean losing face but he has no options left in London.

Something happens which takes him back home to Italy and he embarks on a journey where he is faced with the reality of the people’s lives he left behind. Trying to work out why he left and if the reasons are still the same or if he could settle and be happy there once again.

I say it’s a very Italian film because it’s slower in pace. It makes you reflect. There is a lot of dialogue between the actors which is exactly how Italians speak. By this I mean they talk at length about everything! They talk about the good and bad, there are no off limit topics! They have a bit of a dark sense of humour sometimes. It’s a good Italian language movie.

So if you’re looking for a less American version of an Italian story but the real thing, add it to your watchlist!

4. Twilight in Volterra

If you loved the Twilight books, here you can travel to the real town of Volterra, Italy.

A place where medieval magic and mystery combine and created the perfect setting for Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Saga.

Volturi are a fictional group of regal Vampires mentioned in the books.

Here you can see the town which inspired the location for the stories.

5. Love is all you need

5 Italian shows to watch this Winter with Amazon Prime. Man's face and sea behind him.

Finally something a bit lighter, about love and less about Italian criminality! Although we all enjoy a bit of that!

Here we have Pierce Brosnan at a summer wedding in Sorrento, a lonely, middle-aged English widower.

Of course, he doesn’t stay that way for long, because he’s Pierce Brosnan! And because the story has a romantic twist.

This is Italy after all! There’s a lot of pain, heartbreak and some feel-good scenes mixed with beautiful locations as with all films based in Italy.

And a bonus!

5 Italian shows to watch this Winter with Amazon Prime. Words Fantozzi 2.

I couldn’t just stick to 5! So if you’re happy to try a bit of Italian comedy take a look at Fantozzi 2.

These Fantozzi films are famous in Italy for their slapstick comedy and crazy skits. They are great Italian comedy movies.

They are very old school humour, the type of thing you remember watching with your parents and they were just innocently and stupidly funny!

If you’re looking for funny Italian shows with great Italian actors, be brave and try something very different like this!

Frequently asked questions

What are the most famous Italian movies?

Some of the most famous films are The Godfather, La Dolce Vita, Scarface, Casino and Cinema Paradiso.

What are the best films based in Italy?

Great films based in Italy are: The Talented Mr Ripley, Angels and Demons, Eat Pray Love, Under the Tuscan Sun, Tea with Mussolini, My Brilliant Friend and Roman Holiday. The list is endless but these are the most popular with British and American audiences.

What are the best Italian romance movies?

Wonderful Italian romance movies are Il Postino: The Postman, Call Me by Your Name, Malena, and Festa Di Laurea.

What are the best Italian comedy romance movies?

It’s hard to find specifically comedy movies which are also romances. They are mainly films made in America, in English with an Italian location and flavour. However if this is what you love to watch these are some films to try: Love is All You Need, Mediterraneo, The Tourist, Letters to Juliet and When in Rome.

What are the best new Italian movies?

Most releases of new Italian movies have been paused due to Covid-19. However, here you can find out which films are due to open and more information.

How do you find Italian tv shows on youtube?

On YouTube, there are usually only short clips of Italian TV shows. However, Rai, the main TV channel in Italy has a platform called Rai Play where you can catch up with many of their regular Italian TV shows. Check out what’s available here.