10 Great French Movies on Netflix to Watch in 2024

May 8, 2024

Whether you’re looking to learn French or just hoping to mix up your movie nights, you’re in luck – you’re in luck – there are tons of great French movies to watch on Netflix in 2024.

When it comes to finding French films on Netflix, you’ll be spoiled for choice. Provided, of course, that you know where to look.

Revelation, we know. You can get French movies on Netflix – they’re just not always easy to find. Fortunately, Netflix has added a feature where you can search ‘French’ and then filter down to French movies or French television series.

To help you find the right French flick, we’ve compiled a list of the top French films on Netflix right now, with movies from France and the wider French-speaking world.

Whether it’s a rip-roaring comedy or a tear-jerking drama you’re after, trust us – there’s no better way to learn French and familiarize yourself with the French accent than a great film.

Note: We’ve marked which country each film comes from, and included films with actors from a variety of places. Just like with our articles on Spanish movies on Netflix and Netflix’s Spanish series, different French speaking countries have different accents and phrases.


Expand your horizons with these 10 French movies on Netflix 

1. Friendzone 2021

Tomatometer: 90% (audience only)

Genre: Rom-com

Country of origin: France

Friendzone is a light-hearted, fairly run-of-the-mill romantic comedy about a man who tries to change himself to attract his crush but ends up pushing her away instead. If you’re looking for something fluffy with a French twist, Friendzone will do the trick!

2. Athena – 2022

Tomatometer: 86%

Genre: Action, drama

Country of origin: France

This certified fresh action flick follows a family thrown into chaos – and danger – after the unexpected death of their youngest sibling. A fast-paced thriller with car chases, tension and even hints of social commentary, it’s perfect for action fans looking for a heart-pounding way to work on their French.

3. Mademoiselle de Joncquières (Lady J) – 2018

Tomatometer: 85%

Genre: Period drama

Country of origin: France

Mademoiselle de Joncquières is a visually striking period romance for fans of Les Liaisons dangereuses and Atonement. Inspired by a story from the novel Jacques the Fatalist by Denis Diderot, the story follows a widow who tries to exact revenge on a womanizer who breaks her heart by making him fall in love with someone of lower social standing. The film was nominated for six César Awards including Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Actress and Best Actor.

4. Anelka: Misunderstood – 2020

Tomatometer: 76%

Genre: Sports documentary

Country of origin: France

Anelka: Misunderstood profiles the career of the one-time bad boy of French football, Nicolas Anelka, and has him weigh in on his own rise and fall. One of Netflix’s original offerings in the French language, fans of The Last Dance looking for another sports doc about a highly competitive, capable player will find an interesting profile of a controversial yet talented football (soccer) player.

5. Atlantics – 2019

Tomatometer: 96%

Genre: Drama, romance

Country of origin: Senegal, France, Belgium

Rendered in a combination of Wolof and French, Atlantics takes place in a suburb of Dakar, following a pair of young lovers and the looming construction of a new high-rise tower. A rare drama that successfully weaves together themes of romance, revenge, migration and a touch of the supernatural, Atlantics made waves (no pun intended) both for its universal acclaim and as the first film made by a black woman to be featured in competition at the Cannes Film Festival. 

While the Senegalese accent may be a bit tricky at first for French learners, it’s a good challenge. Just make sure you have the subtitles on – unless you speak Wolof, too!

6. Bon Cop, Bad Cop – 2006

Tomatometer: 78%

Genre: Action, Comedy

Country of origin: Canada

This hilarious Québécois action comedy follows two police officers – one English and one French speaking – who are forced to work together to stop a serial killer. While its critical score is somewhat low, it was popular enough to spawn a sequel, which is also available on Netflix (if not as widely loved). 

The French in Bon Cop, Bad Cop is Québécois through and through, so it could be tough to understand if you’re used to the French spoken in France.

7. La Femme la plus assassinée du monde (The Most Assassinated Woman in the World) – 2018

Tomatometer: 86%

Genre: Mystery and thriller, period drama

Country of origin: Belgium, France

Set in the 1930s at the Grand Guignol Theatre in Paris, La Femme la plus assassinée du monde loosely portrays the life of real-life actress Paula Maxa. In the film, Paula – who has been murdered on stage thousands of times as part of her work with the famously gruesome theater company – finds herself being stalked by a real would-be assassin.

8. Je ne suis pas un homme facile (I Am not an Easy Man) – 2018

Tomatometer: 80%

Genre: Comedy, satire

Country of origin: France

This fantastical rom-com takes a chauvinist man and plops him in a matriarchal world, where women rule and men get catcalled. While the territory of a person getting hit on the head and awakening to find themselves in a topsy-turvy world is well-trodden in the rom-com space, reviewers and audiences agree that Je ne suis pas un homme facile does it with a fresh take and a sparkle that many similar films have lacked.

9. Les Affamés (Ravenous) – 2017

Tomatometer: 87%

Genre: Zombie, thriller

Country of origin: Canada

Idiosyncratic, nuanced and laidback are not words usually used to describe zombie films. But this Canadian indie entry into the zombie apocalypse genre is exactly that. Set in a small town in rural Québec, Les Affamés has humor, philosophy and gore. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and was nominated for Best Motion Picture at the Canadian Screen Awards.

10. J’ai perdu mon corps (I Lost My Body) – 2019

Tomatometer: 96%

Genre: Animation, sci-fi, fantasy, drama

Country of origin: France

An original, creative and gruesome animated film, J’ai perdu mon corps follows a hand that’s been cut off, seeking its body. The hand remembers their life together (hand and body), including meeting a woman and falling in love.

And there you have it! Those are the 10 best French movies on Netflix today. 

But wait: there’s more…

Immersion at home doesn’t have to start and end with French movies on Netflix.

These days, there’s also a plethora of binge-worthy French films on other streaming channels, like HBO and Amazon Prime. 

French movies on Max

Lucky souls with a Max login have access to a huge library of cinema classics, including the works of some of the major directors of the French New Wave. Here are our recommendations for the best French movies to watch on Max:

  1. Au revoir les enfants (Goodbye, Children)
  2. Cléo de 5 à 7 (Cléo from 5 to 7)
  3. Essential films by François Truffaut: Tirez sur le pianiste (Shoot the Piano Player); Jules et Jim (Jules and Jim); Le Dernier métro (The Last Metro)
  4. Essential films by Jean-Luc Godard: À bout de souffle (Breathless); Masculin Féminin (Masculine Feminine)
  5. Les Parapluies de Cherbourg (The Umbrellas of Cherbourg)

5 recommendations for French films available on Amazon Prime

And if you’re looking to rent some of the best French films of the last 20 years, you can turn to Amazon Prime to watch these:

  1. Paris, je t’aime (Paris, I Love You) – Free with ads via Freevee
  2. Délicieux (Delicious) – Free with Prime
  3. Les Parfums (Perfumes) – Free with Prime
  4. La Vie d’Adèle – Chapitres 1 & 2 (Blue is the Warmest Colour) – Available for rent
  5. Coco avant Chanel (Coco Before Chanel) – Available for rent
  6. Amelie  – Available for rent

Wow! You really have a lot of choices – on Netflix and beyond. All you need to do now is hit the couch and watch something! So, what French movie will take your French to the next level?


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