7 French movies you should see on Netflix

If you have Netflix and would like to practice your French while relaxing and having a good time, this is for you!
My personal recommendations (yep, I’ve seen all of them!) with no spoiler! Ready? Here we go for French movies on Netflix! 😉

1. L’Ascension

This movie is based on the true story of a young man living in the suburbs who decides to climb Everest to impress the girl he is in love with… Locals follow every single step of his journey and he even becomes a big buzz in the national media. But he has no experience and this journey might be more difficult and dangerous than he expected…

Ahmed Sylla, a very talented comedian, has the lead role. It’s funny but also has a nice message: what would you do for love?

Here is the trailer of L’Ascension:

2. Bienvenue à Marly-Gomont

Another true story here: a doctor from Congo, who just graduated from French medicine school, is hired in a small village in the middle of the French country side, where people have never seen people with black skin before… We follow him and his family as they try to adapt and fit in; culture shock would be an understatement!

Still very funny, this movie also shows the racism that was (and still is) very present in some places in France. Away from the usual stereotypes and clichés, here is a side of French culture that we don’t see often!

This story was made into a movie after the giant buzz of the song by Kamini; you can watch it here (watch out, he speaks VERY fast lol)! So this movie tells the story of his family.

Here is the trailer of Bienvenue à Marly-Gomont:

3. Je ne suis pas un homme facile

A philanderer has an easy life in a man’s world, but what if it was a woman’s world? This well done movie questions with humour and details the presence of sexism in every part of our societies. From job position to body hair, embark on this journey that will give you a woman’s perspective…

Here is the trailer of Je ne suis pas un homme facile:

4. 10 jours en or

A single salesman on the road sees his life turned upside down when he unexpectedly has the responsibility of a child. Several paths that will cross and impact each other; a beautiful story of life and humanity…

Franck Dubosc has the lead role; he’s a famous comedian, both in one-man show and on the screen.

Here is the trailer of 10 jours en or:

5. Banlieusards

The story of 3 brothers, very different but connected by the blood. Again, this movie shows us another side of French society that you won’t see in advertising…

The word banlieusard means someone who lives or comes from the suburbs; people from the (Parisian) suburbs are still discriminated against, as they are mostly families of immigrants.

Family, religion, the power of words or money, this one gives us a piece of the raw truth, the reality of many people living there: who am I and how can I survive?

Here is the trailer of Banlieusards:

6. Break

As you may know, I’m a huge music lover and dancing is one of my passions, so I’ve seen pretty much every single dance movie on Netlfix lol! When this one popped up, I was like « Wait, a French dance movie? I’m not sure about that… »; yes, I do have a tendency to be sceptical at first lol.
But I did watch it and today I put it on the list because it’s a very nice story of starting fresh, healing and moving on when life gets complicated…

Don’t be fooled by the English title, this movie is a French one and you might know the main actress if you’ve watched Plan Coeur (I’ll come back to it in another article). This movie also introduces Slimane, a famous French singer/song writer, playing a best friend in a wheel chair. I encourage you to check his music out; he’s talented and has his very specific own voice.

Here is the trailer of Break:

7. Mauvaises herbes

As a teacher, this is one of my favorite French movies on Netflix: it reminds me why I chose this job…

This movie tells the story of a grown-up delinquent who is kind of forced to be a substitute teacher for a group of teenagers having issues at school. In addition of being very funny, it’s a beautiful story of lives influencing one another, as well as a reflection on our education system and society.

As an instructor and humble woman, I keep in mind 2 things from this movie: « A child who causes problems is a child who has problems…« , and a quote from our great Victor Hugo « My friends, remember this: there are no weeds, no bad men. There are only bad cultivators…« .

Here is the trailer of Mauvaises herbes:

Now to watch these French movies on Netflix, here is my advice depending on your level:

• Beginners: play the movie in French with English subtitles
• Intermediate: play the movie in French with French subtitles
• Advanced: play the movie with no subtitles

If you enjoy a little challenge, then go for the immersion experience! 😉

Share your thoughts in the comments but no spoilers! Bon film! 🙂