French cinema has always maintained that certain je ne sais quoi – a mixture of elegance, intricacy, and absolute feeling – which keeps on inviting people over and over again. No matter if you are a hardcore Francophile, brushing up your French, or simply wanting a nice story, there are heaps of great ones to watch. And these days, with streaming sites, you don’t have to be in the City of Lights to see them. Grab some popcorn—or maybe a nice new baguette—and let’s dive into the 15 best French films that you can watch in the U.S. today.
15. Baby Bump(s) (Telle mère, telle fille)
This quirky comedy is the perfect match for mother and daughter in the most unlikely of ways—both pregnant at the same time. The movie balances humor and sentimentality as it delves into family ties, intergenerational conflicts, and the mayhem of motherhood.
14. The Gardener (2025)
Jean-Claude Van Damme as a gardener hiding a government secret? Believe it. This action-comedy throws Van Damme into a cat-and-mouse chase with agents, complete with suspense, laughs, and plenty of over-the-top twists.
13. The Women and the Murderer (La Femme et le Tueur) (2021)
For fans of true crime, this documentary is compelling from beginning to end. It follows the hunt for serial killer Guy Georges in Paris in the 1990s, featuring both a dogged police chief and a victim’s mother. Through interviews and archival footage, the film brings out the singular obstacles women encountered in the justice system.
12. Les Harkis (2022)
Set amidst the Algerian War, this gripping drama is about Algerian men who join the French Army and the repercussions they suffer on a personal level afterward. It’s a very strong tale of loyalty, identity, and the cost.
11. Diabolique (Les Diaboliques)
A thriller classic for fans of old, Diabolique is suspenseful and full of shocking surprises. A wife and mistress plot together to kill the same man—only for events to go in a creepy, surprising direction. If you’re a Hitchcock fan, add this French masterpiece to your queue.
10. Under Paris (Sous la Seine)
Yes, it’s just what it seems: a giant shark attacking the Seine during a triathlon. Half horror movie, half action spectacular, Under Paris is a high-energy disaster film with a distinctly French setting.
9. The Mad Women’s Ball (Le Bal des folles)
Set in the 1800s, this drama is about a woman unjustifiably committed to an asylum who plots an escape during the institution’s yearly ball. It’s chilling, heartbreaking, and a testament to strength in the face of unfairness.
8. Smoking Causes Coughing
Leave it to director Quentin Dupieux to create a superhero spoof like no other. The Tobacco Force embarks on a retreat that soon descends into surreal, absurdist madness. It’s bizarre, funny, and utterly unpredictable.
7. The Three Musketeers: D’Artagnan
A new retelling of Alexandre Dumas’s action-packed adventure, this movie tracks the young and ambitious D’Artagnan as he battles his way into Musketeer legend. Get ready for sword battles, intrigue in the palace, and a lot of high drama.
6. Freedom (Libre)
Based on true events, Freedom is the story of Bruno Sulak, a dashing French burglar renowned for his non-violent burglaries in the 1980s. This biographical drama explores his theory, personal life, and clash with authority.
5. La Bête dans la jungle
Two individuals spend 25 years waiting for a strange occurrence in a nightclub that could—or could not—alter their lives. This poetic, slow-burning drama explores fate, fixation, and the length of time.
4. Family Pack (Loups-garous)
After a family gets transported into a medieval world with werewolves by playing a weird board game, things go haywire. Family Pack is a fantasy, comedic, and adventurous movie that is ideal for family viewing.
3. Paris, 13th District (Les Olympiades) (2021)
Filmed in chic black and white, this contemporary drama gets to the heart of love and identity for four young people in a Parisian community. It’s vulnerable, romantic, and painfully contemporary.
2. The Taste of Things (2023)
Food and love are inseparable in this bountiful period drama headlined by Juliette Binoche and Benoît Magimel. From 1889, it traces the long-term collaboration of a chef and his cook, a dance of love, passion, and French cuisine.
1. The Count of Monte Cristo (2024)
This sumptuous new adaptation of Dumas’s classic tops the list. Tracing Edmond Dantès’s path from treachery to vengeance, it’s filled with action, deception, and universal themes of justice and redemption.
French films are more than trendy looks and subtitles—gallant storytelling, icons, and unbridled emotion live there too. Need romance, suspense, history, or simply an escape? The movies here are an ideal place to start. The only question is, which do you stand in line for first?