With the most successful film industry outside of the United States, France has given us everything from easy comedies to Cannes-winning oeuvres. If you want to brush up on your français, here are the best movies featuring the French language.
Cléo from 5 to 7 (1962)
8.6
Agnès Varda crafted a new perspective in this contemplative, thoughtful study of mortality
A Hard Day’s Night (1964)
8.0
The definitive rock-and-roll mockumentary musical from the Fab Four
The Mauritanian (2021)
7.5
A straightforward legal drama depicting the eye-opening, brutal memoir
Assassination (2015)
7.2
Double agents and resistance fighters wage a web of lies and betrayal in this historical spy thriller
Clue (1985)
7.3
In the House (2012)
7.3
A teacher becomes obsessed with his student’s writing in this tense, dark comedy drama
Laapataa Ladies (2024)
8.4
Two brides are accidentally swapped in this refreshing comedy of errors
Lie with Me (2023)
7.5
A novellist remembers his first love in this emotional, if familiar, drama
The Red Shoes (1948)
9.5
A fantastical, transcendent Technicolor classic that stands as the definitive ballet drama
Death on the Nile (1978)
7.3
A star-studded riverside murder mystery classic
Memoir of a Snail (2024)
8.6
A crack of hope shines through in this heartbreaking animated film about preservation and perseverance
Mysteries of Lisbon (2010)
7.9
An orphan uncovers the labyrinth of his family history in this sprawling, lavish, mesmerizing period drama