Best 50 Movies for IELTS Listening

Are you worried about your upcoming IELTS exam? Do the accents and words seem unfamiliar right now? Never fear, because skills for a language can always be acquired by practice, reading, and listening. Be it IELTS or TOEFL, a major part of any English proficiency test is the listening segment, which evaluates the ability of the examiner to understand words spoken in different dialects and accents. This can often seem disconcerting for non-native speakers, with a wide-ranging vocabulary, pronunciation, and speaking fluency. Acing the IELTS test doesn’t come from reading books for IELTS preparation only, the best way is to engage in activities that provide you with options to listen and follow native speakers. This blog will explore some of the best movies for IELTS listening that feature a variety of pronunciations, a large number of words, and all the possible accents.

List of Best Movies for IELTS Listening

Watching movies for IELTS listening is one of the most effective ways to improve your comprehension of different accents, sentence patterns, and natural spoken English. In this List of Best Movies for IELTS Listening, we’ll explore movie categories that align with each IELTS Listening section to help you practice with purpose.

1. Slice-of-Life Dramas / Biographical Films

Slice-of-life dramas and biographical films are some of the best movie types for IELTS Listening preparation. These films usually feature everyday conversations, well-paced dialogue, and real-life situations, which mirror the natural language patterns tested in the IELTS Listening sections. 

Biographical films, in particular, often include more formal or academic vocabulary, making them especially helpful for Section 4, which involves academic talks or lectures. They also expose learners to clear pronunciation, regional accents, and professional English, which are all key elements in achieving a high IELTS Listening score.

Movie for IELTS Listening	Why It’s Good for IELTS Listening
The King’s Speech	A great choice for British accents and formal English. The focus on speech therapy ensures clear, well-pronounced dialogue. Ideal for understanding formal tones.
The Pursuit of Happyness	The movie uses everyday American English and motivational language. The pronunciation is clear and emotional cues help with understanding context. Excellent for informal conversation practice.
Forrest Gump	Forrest Gump features a slow, Southern American accent that’s easy to follow. Great for exposure to regional accents and personal storytelling.
The Social Network	The Social Network has fast but articulate dialogue related to business, entrepreneurship, and technology. Good for academic and topic-specific vocabulary.
The Imitation Game	The movie offers British accents and technical vocabulary related to computing, logic, and war. Helpful for formal, academic, and historical language patterns.

2. Animated Films

Animated movies are designed for a broad audience, which makes them a great choice for IELTS Listening preparation. The pronunciation in these films is often clear and slightly exaggerated, helping learners catch every word. 

Most animated movies also use simple sentence structures and everyday vocabulary. Since the plots are straightforward, it’s easier to follow the story even if you miss a few words,  making them perfect for beginners or anyone looking to build listening confidence.

Movie for IELTS Listening	Why It’s Good for IELTS Listening
The King’s Speech	A great choice for British accents and formal English. The focus on speech therapy ensures clear, well-pronounced dialogue. Ideal for understanding formal tones.
The Pursuit of Happyness	The movie uses everyday American English and motivational language. The pronunciation is clear, and emotional cues help with understanding context. Excellent for informal conversation practice.
Forrest Gump	Forrest Gump features a slow, Southern American accent that’s easy to follow. Great for exposure to regional accents and personal storytelling.
The Social Network	The Social Network has fast but articulate dialogue related to business, entrepreneurship, and technology. Good for academic and topic-specific vocabulary.
The Imitation Game	The movie offers British accents and technical vocabulary related to computing, logic, and war. Helpful for formal, academic, and historical language patterns.

3. Romantic Comedies (Rom-Coms)

Romantic comedies are a great pick for IELTS Listening because they focus a lot on conversations and relationships. The dialogue is usually casual, modern, and full of expressions you might hear in everyday life. 

Romantic comedy films often show how people interact in social settings, making them perfect for improving your understanding of natural speech and tone.

Movie for IELTS Listening	Why It’s Good for IELTS Listening
Notting Hill	Notting Hill features both British and American accents with lots of conversational language and light humor. Great for practicing everyday English in casual settings.
When Harry Met Sally	The film is dialogue-heavy and filled with realistic conversations. Useful for learning social expressions and improving listening to informal speech.
10 Things I Hate About You	10 Things I Hate About You is a  high school rom-com with clear American English. Good for understanding casual teenage language, sarcasm, and emotional tone.
Love Actually	Love Actually offers a variety of British accents and conversational scenes. Helps with listening to different speech speeds and tones across characters.
Crazy Rich Asians	The movie features a mix of American, British, and Singaporean English. The movie uses modern, humorous dialogue and showcases cultural expressions in everyday speech.

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4. The Business & Art of Movies

Business and Art of Movies more of a thematic category than a traditional film genre, but it’s incredibly valuable for IELTS Listening practice. These films often reflect the kind of content you will hear in IELTS Section 3 (academic discussions about film projects or coursework) and Section 4 (lectures on film theory, production techniques, or cinema history). They expose learners to formal, technical, and industry-specific vocabulary, making them perfect for building listening skills in academic and professional settings.

Movie for IELTS Listening	Why It’s Good for IELTS Listening
The Fabelmans	The Fabelmans follows the journey of a young aspiring filmmaker. It uses articulate American English and explores storytelling, creative vision, and the emotional side of film production — great for academic and personal listening practice.
Super 8	Super 8 centers on a group of teenagers shooting a short film. It includes clear, everyday American speech and introduces filmmaking terms like camera angles, editing, and direction — useful for technical listening.
Hitchcock	Hitchcock shows the process of making the classic film Psycho. It features both British and American accents and discusses production decisions, censorship, and creative risk — ideal for formal, academic vocabulary.
The Disaster Artist	This film documents the chaotic making of The Room, a cult classic. It’s filled with natural, informal dialogue and industry lingo, making it great for listening to casual speech within a professional setting.
Cinema Paradiso	Cinema Paradiso, though originally Italian, is available in English and tells the story of a boy’s love for films. It offers rich vocabulary related to cinema, projection, and storytelling — useful for cultural and historical listening.

5. Documentaries (Especially on Academic Subjects)

Documentaries focused on academic topics are highly relevant for Section 4 of the IELTS Listening test, where you will listen to a university-style lecture. These films often present formal language, structured arguments, and topic-specific vocabulary in areas like science, history, economics, or global issues. 

Watching documentaries on academic subjects helps learners improve their ability to follow complex explanations and understand advanced terminology, all while training their ears for formal academic English.

Movie for IELTS Listening	Why It’s Good for IELTS Listening
Inside Bill’s Brain: Decoding Bill Gates	This documentary explores the mind of Bill Gates through structured interviews and narration. It includes technical and academic vocabulary related to innovation, global health, and education, perfect for advanced listening.
Our Planet	Our Planet is narrated by Sir David Attenborough. This nature documentary features clear British English and complex explanations of environmental science and ecosystems. Great for Section 4-style academic listening.
The Social Dilemma	The Social Dilemma focuses on the effects of social media on society. Includes formal interviews with experts in psychology, computer science, and ethics, useful for listening to an academic tone and structured discussion.
Explained (Netflix Series)	Each episode of Explained explains a complex subject, from economics to linguistics, in a clear, well-paced format. The documentary features both American and British accents and formal academic vocabulary.
Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey	Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey is hosted by astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson. The documentary series explains scientific concepts with precision. It is ideal for picking up formal science vocabulary and listening to structured monologues.

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6. British TV Series (Especially Dramas and Sitcoms)

British TV dramas and sitcoms are a great resource for IELTS Listening practice, especially for Sections 1, 2, and 3, where you hear everyday conversations or academic discussions. These shows expose you to a wide variety of British accents, slang, humour, and cultural expressions. While they aren’t movies, they offer similar storytelling and dialogue structure, making them excellent listening tools for learners aiming to get comfortable with fast, natural English and region-specific vocabulary.

Movie for IELTS Listening	Why It’s Good for IELTS Listening
Sherlock	Sherlock features clear British English, complex reasoning, and fast-paced dialogue. Useful for formal language, critical thinking vocabulary, and understanding sarcasm or subtle meaning.
The Crown	The Crown offers articulate British accents and formal dialogue about historical and political themes. Great for learning high-level vocabulary and structured conversation.
Derry Girls	A Northern Irish comedy with fast, informal teenage speech and cultural references. Good for accent training and casual, humorous conversation.
Fleabag	Fleabag uses conversational British English with emotional depth and sarcasm. Great for exposure to informal expressions, storytelling, and internal monologue.
Downton Abbey	Downton Abbey, set in early 20th-century England, features formal British English, class-based vocabulary, and historical dialogue. The movie is excellent for both academic and cultural listening.

7. Period Dramas / Historical Films

Historical and period dramas are excellent for IELTS Listening preparation, especially for Sections 3 and 4, where the content often reflects academic-style conversations and lectures. These films usually feature clear, often formal dialogue and a wide range of vocabulary, including terms related to politics, culture, war, and societal structures. Watching these movies helps learners understand well-articulated speech, historical contexts, and structured discussion, all of which are useful for academic and semi-formal listening tasks.

Movie for IELTS Listening	Why It’s Good for IELTS Listening
The King’s Speech	The King’s Speech offers slow, formal British English and focuses on speech clarity. Ideal for practising pronunciation, historical vocabulary, and understanding formal tone.
The Imitation Game	The movie features British accents and technical terms related to WWII, computing, and logic. Good for academic and historical listening practice.
Lincoln	Lincoin focuses on legal, political, and historical discourse with articulate American English. The movie is seful for learning formal language and rhetorical speech.
Pride and Prejudice (2005)	A period drama with refined British English and complex sentence structures. Excellent for vocabulary development and understanding traditional language patterns.
Darkest Hour	Darkest Hour features speeches and political dialogue in strong British accents. Great for exposure to persuasive speech, war-time vocabulary, and historical references.

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8. Investigative/Procedural Dramas (TV Series)

Investigative and procedural TV series are excellent for improving listening skills required in Section 3 (research discussions) and Section 4 (explanations of processes) of the IELTS Listening test. These shows often involve problem-solving, legal or scientific reasoning, and step-by-step procedures, helping you follow logical arguments, understand technical vocabulary, and identify key details. While these are TV series, their dialogue and structure make them as valuable as films for IELTS preparation.

Movie for IELTS Listening	Why It’s Good for IELTS Listening
Sherlock	Sherlock offers fast-paced, British English with deductive reasoning, crime-solving vocabulary, and intellectual dialogue. The movie is ideal for training in logic and complex conversations.
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation	Crime Scene Investigation features clear American English and explains forensic procedures step by step. Great for learning technical and scientific language used in investigations.
Mindhunter	The investigative movie focuses on psychological profiling with formal language, FBI interview techniques, and academic discussion about behaviour patterns. Excellent for listening to structured analysis.
Broadchurch	Broadchurch combines regional British accents with emotionally intense, detail-heavy investigations. Good for picking out key information and emotional tone in dialogue.
Bones	Bones centres around forensic anthropology and legal investigations. Uses scientific terminology and logical explanations, useful for following academic procedures.

9. How-To Videos / Educational Documentaries (Short Form)

Short-form educational videos and how-to documentaries are perfect for IELTS Listening Sections 1, 2, and 3, where you’re often asked to follow instructions, understand step-by-step sequences, or label diagrams. These videos mimic real-life processes and academic presentations, making them incredibly useful for improving listening accuracy, identifying detail, and understanding factual explanations. Though not traditional movies, many of these are documentary-style films or video essays that offer high-quality, structured English ideal for IELTS preparation.

Movie for IELTS Listening	Why It’s Good for IELTS Listening
Jiro Dreams of Sushi	A beautifully structured documentary that clearly explains the sushi-making process. Ideal for listening to sequences, craftsmanship vocabulary, and workplace descriptions.
The Mind, Explained (Netflix)	A short-form educational series with clear narration and structured content on memory, anxiety, and dreams. Great for diagram-based listening and academic vocabulary.
Abstract: The Art of Design	Abstract explores the creative processes of top designers with a clear, instructional tone. Useful for understanding procedure-based vocabulary and technical explanations.
YouTube’s “BBC Earth Lab” Channel	Offers short, science-based videos with clear British narration and focused explanations. Excellent for practising listening to instructions and factual information.
Explained (Netflix)	Each episode of Explained breaks down a topic (like cryptocurrency or diets) using short, well-structured segments. The visual piece is great for flowchart or process-based practice of listening.

10. Comedy Panel Shows / Debates (TV or Podcast)

Comedy panel shows and debate-style programs are extremely useful for IELTS Listening Section 3, which often features group conversations or discussions involving multiple speakers with different opinions. These shows help learners practice identifying speaker viewpoints, switching between fast-paced conversations, and understanding humor, tone, and disagreement in real-time. While they aren’t movies, they offer authentic, unscripted spoken English — making them one of the best tools to sharpen listening skills for real-life situations and the IELTS test.

Movie for IELTS Listening	Why It’s Good for IELTS Listening
Mock the Week	A fast-paced British comedy panel show with multiple speakers, humour, and current events. Excellent for picking out opinions, jokes, and speaker tone.
Would I Lie to You?	Would I Lie to You features storytelling, quick wit, and British accents. Great for identifying lies, speaker opinions, and informal debate patterns.
QI (Quite Interesting)	QI combines humour with factual knowledge, presented in a panel format. Useful for multi-speaker listening and understanding detailed trivia with British English.
Intelligence Squared Debates (Podcast/YouTube)	Intelligence Squared Debates are formal debates on serious global topics. Clear speech, structured arguments, and contrasting opinions make it ideal for tracking academic-style discussions.
The Big Fat Quiz of the Year	A British comedy quiz show with multiple teams. Helps improve listening for humour, opinion-based answers, and speaker interaction in group settings.

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Why Practice IELTS Through Movies?

Watching movies to improve your English has been a tried-and-tested method. Humans learn a lot by observation and listening and movies cover it all. These flicks help us familiarise ourselves with multiple words, phrases, sentence formations, etc. While watching a movie, we not only build our vocabulary but also learn the correct pronunciations of words. People can also learn newer proverbs, phrases, idioms, and metaphors used in the movies along with the correct context. Another essential part of watching movies are subtitles. These subtitles help us know the correct spellings of words and also help in improving our reading skills.

Tips to Improve English While Watching Movies

Here are some effective tips to improve your English while watching movies, especially for preparing for the IELTS Listening test.

• While watching movies, it is important you keep a few things in mind to help fulfil your purpose. It is important that you decide whether you’re watching a movie for your Sunday evening entertainment or to improve your English. If your answer is the latter, make sure you’re prepared with the same intention and have a notebook and pen ready before watching it.
• While subtitles can be a pro for you as it helps your reading skills, they can also make you depend on them without putting in the effort to understand what is being said. Try to keep the subtitles (in your native language or in English)  on initially and turn it off the second time you watch. This will help you understand what the character is saying and also assist in your practice.
• Try reading along with the subtitles while the character is saying the lines. Or else, you can also rewind and say the line along with the thespian. s
• An important aspect of learning English through movies is knowing the script. Reading scripts help you grasp a lot of very useful tidbits which can often get lost in the real-time communication of a movie.
• Keep a notebook and pen handy while watching a movie and note down words, phrases, and proverbs that are being said, You might also come across some sentences or words that are difficult to understand. Use the dictionary to search for difficult meanings instead of searching them on google. The more effort you put in, the better you can retrieve.

IELTS Listening Test Format

Before choosing the right movies and TV shows for IELTS Listening practice, it’s helpful to understand the format of the test. The listening section is divided into four parts, each testing different types of real-life listening skills. Knowing what to expect can help you select movies that best reflect the kind of audio you’ll hear in the exam.

Section	What You Wiil Hear	How It Connects to Movie Practice
Section 1	A conversation between two people in an everyday social setting.	Scenes involving booking tickets, asking for schedules, or general customer service exchanges in movies.
Section 2	A monologue set in a social context.	Movie scenes where one person gives a tour, explains an event, or describes a process, similar to short educational talks.
Section 3	A conversation among up to four people in an educational or training context.	Group discussions about projects, film assignments, or rehearsals, often seen in TV dramas or shows about filmmaking.
Section 4	A lecture or monologue on an academic topic.	Documentaries and films with historical or technical narration (like those explaining cinema history or science topics).

IELTS	IELTS Sample Answers
IELTS Listening	IELTS Reading
IELTS Speaking	IELTS Writing

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Exploring these movies for IELTS listening is a smart and enjoyable way to improve your understanding of accents, vocabulary, and natural speech. With regular practice, you will build confidence and perform better in the IELTS Listening test.

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