The most iconic French movies of all time, where we can witness the development of French cinema (le cinéma) from past to present.
Must-Watch Movies of French Cinema:
Many defining elements make elegant and realistic French cinema incredibly compelling. French cinema, which includes a very dramatic and philosophical narrative, sometimes humor, and almost always impresses with its depth of character, plays an important role in making European movies so popular with its sophisticated atmosphere. The most iconic French movies of all time allow us to witness the development of French cinema from the past to the present.
1. Anatomie d’une Chute, Anatomy of a Fall (2023) – IMDB Score 7.9
Director: Justine Triet
Cast: Sandra Hüller, Swann Arlaud, Milo Machado Graner
“Anatomie d’une Chute (Anatomy of a Fall)”, one of the most notable productions of the 2024 award ceremonies, won many awards, including the Best Original Screenplay Oscar and the Palme d’Or at Cannes. In the movie “Anatomie d’une Chute (Anatomy of a Fall)”, which is in the crime, drama, and thriller genres, a woman suspected of killing her husband and her blind sons, who are the only witnesses, faces a moral dilemma.
2. A Bout de Soufflé, Breathless (1960) – IMDB Score 7.7
Director: Jean-Luc Godard
Cast: Jean-Paul Belmondo, Jean Seberg, Van Doude, Jean-Luc Godard
In Jean-Luc Godard’s famous movie “A Bout de Soufflé”, we watch Michel and Patricia as they wander the streets of Paris and fall in love. A small-time thief steals a car and unintentionally kills a motorcycle cop. While wanted by the authorities, he meets up with a cool American journalism student and tries to persuade her to escape to Italy with him.
3. Les Quatre Cents Coups, The 400 Blows (1959) – IMDB Score 8.1
Director: François Truffaut
Cast: Jean-Pierre Léaud, Albert Rémy, Claire Maurier
François Truffaut’s cult movie “Les Quatre Cents Coups (The 400 Blows)”, set in Paris, is a must-watch for those who love crime and drama genres. Left adrift on the streets of Paris, a young boy dives into a life of petty crimes.
4. Hiroshima Mon Amour (1959) – IMDB Score 7.8
Director: Alain Resnais
Cast: Emmanuelle Riva, Eiji Okada, Stella Dassas
In the drama and romance movie “Hiroshima Mon Amour”, a French actress who is shooting an anti-war movie in Hiroshima has an affair with a married Japanese architect and they share different perspectives on the war.
5. Cache (2005)
Director: Michael Haneke
Cast: Daniel Auteuil, Juliette Binoche, Maurice Bénichou,
Famous director Michael Haneke’s movie “Caché” reflects how the lives of a normal family living in Paris can go from top to bottom. Georges hosts a television chat show and discovers the downsides of celebrity when he and his wife, Anne, begin receiving a series of videotapes filmed outside their home and wrapped in childlike drawings evoking violence.
6. Le Voyage Dans La Lune, A Trip to the Moon (1902) – IMDB Score 8.1
Director: Georges Méliès
Cast: Georges Méliès, Victor André, Bleuette Bernon
Considered the first science fiction movie in the history of cinema, “Le Voyage Dans La Lune (A Trip to the Moon)” is among the most iconic and important productions of French cinema, although it is in the short movie category. In the movie “Le Voyage Dans La Lune (A Trip to the Moon)”, a group of astronomers goes on an expedition to the Moon.
7. Trois Couleurs: Bleu, Three Colors: Blue (1993) – IMDB Rating 7.9
Director: Krzysztof Kieslowski
Actors: Juliette Binoche, Zbigniew Zamachowski, Julie Delpy
In the movie “Trois Couleurs: Bleu (Three Colors: Blue)”, the first of Krzysztof Kieslowski’s famous “Trois Couleurs (Three Colors)” trilogy, we watch the incredible efforts of a woman who lost her husband and child to continue living. The reason why the “Trois Couleurs” movie series has become so iconic is that it is a very deep directorial project. After “Trois Couleurs: Bleu”, be sure to watch the movies “Trois Couleurs: Blanc” (1994) and “Trois Couleurs: Rouge” (1994).
8. Portrait de la Jeune Fille en Feu, Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019) – IMDB Score 8.1
Director: Céline Sciamma
Cast: Noémie Melant, Adèle Haenel, Luana Bajrami, Valeria Golino
“Portrait de la Jeune Fille en Feu (Portrait of a Lady on Fire)”, on a deserted island in Brittany at the end of the 18th century, a female painter is forced to paint the wedding portrait of a young woman. “Portrait de la Jeune Fille en Feu (Portrait of a Lady on Fire)”, a romantic drama, became one of the most loved movies of 2019 by both audiences and critics.
9. Amélie (2001) – IMDB Score 8.3
Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Cast: Audrey Tautou, Mathieu Kassovitz, Rufus, Lorella Cravotta, Jamel Debbouze, Serge Merlin, Dominique Pinon
The magic of “Amélie”, directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet and written by Guillaume Laurant, is that it shows that our actions are what define us. Our unique features give us our character, and in this movie, we watch the unique love stories of truly unique people. The movie is filled with Amélie Poulain’s attempts to fix the broken people around her, even as she ignores her own happiness. Through Jeunet’s lens, we take a wild, exuberant, joyful look at Paris and its unique characters. While we are fascinated by Yann Tiersen’s unforgettable music, we go on a pleasant journey with the acting of Audrey Tautou and Mathieu Kassovitz.
10. Cléo from 5 to 7 ( 1962) – IMDB Score 7.9
Director: Agnès Varda
Cast: Corinne Marchand, Antoine Bourseiller, Domonique Davray, Dorothée Blanck
The movie ” Cléo de 5 à 7 ( Cléo from 5 to 7)” bears the signature of master director and screenwriter Agnès Varda, one of the most important names in the history of cinema. “Cléo de 5 à 7”, in the comedy and drama genres, centers on Cléo, a singer and hypochondriac. While waiting for her doctor to give her test results, we follow the very personal story of Cléo, who becomes increasingly worried that she may have cancer.
11. Playtime (1967) – IMDB Score 7.8
Director: Jacques Tati
Cast: Jacques Tati, Barbara Dennek, Rita Maiden
French master Jacques Tati, who creates his own sense of humor without resorting to any dialogue, satirizes the dilemmas of the modern age through his character Mr. Hulot. With his 1967 movie “Playtime”, Jacques Tati reveals not only the predicament of Paris but also the stereotyping and alienation of the whole world. “Playtime” is a masterpiece set on the set called “Tativille” by this comedy master who broke new ground with his visual language.
12. Amour (2012) – IMDB Score 7.9
Director: Michael Haneke
Cast: Jean-Louis Trintignant, Emmanuelle Riva, Isabelle Huppert
It would be impossible not to include Michael Haneke’s tragic love story “Amour” in the list of the most iconic French movies. Georges and Anne are a couple in their eighties. The daughter of two cultured and retired music teachers is also a musician. One day, Anne suffers a stroke and the couple’s bond of love is severely tested after all these years.
13. Mommy (2014) – IMDB Rating 8.0
Director: Xavier Dolan
Cast: Anne Dorval, Antoine Olivier Pilon, Suzanne Clément
In the movie “Mommy”, directed by Xavier Dolan, one of the popular young French directors and screenwriters, a widower and single mother who raises her violent son alone finds new hope when a mysterious neighbor enters their house.
14. Persepolis (2007) – IMDB Score 8.0
Director: Marjane Satrapi, Vincent Paronnaud
Voice Cast: Chiara Mastroianni, Catherine Deneuve, Gena Rowlands, Danielle Darrieux, Simon Abkarian
Marjane Satrapi adapted her autobiographical comic book, about a girl growing up during the Iranian Revolution, for the big screen. Although “Persepolis,” which received an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature, is largely based on Satrapi’s experiences in Iran, it deals with universal themes and touches the hearts of the audience. While Vincent Paronnaud adapted Marjane Satrapi’s comic book into the screenplay, the two directors jointly directed the movie.
15. Grand Illusion (1937) – IMDB Score 8.1
Director: Jean Renoir
Cast: Jean Gabin, Dita Parlo, Pierre Fresnay
In the drama and war movie “Grand Illusion”, two French soldiers are captured during World War I and imprisoned in a German prisoner of war camp. After several attempts to escape, they are eventually sent to a seemingly inescapable castle.
16. Les Yeux Sans Visage, Eyes without a Face (1960) – IMDB Score 7.6
Director: Georges Franju
Cast: Pierre Brasseur, Alida Valli, Juliette Mayniel
In the horror and drama movie “Les Yeux Sans Visage (Eyes without a Face)”, a surgeon causes an accident that cripples his daughter and does his best to give her a new face.
17. La Passion de Jeanne d’Arc, The Passion of Joan of Arc (1927) – IMDB Score 8.1
Director: Carl Theodor Dreyer
Cast: Maria Falconetti, Eugene Silvain, André Berley
In the movie “La Passion de Jeanne d’Arc (The Passion of Joan of Arc)”, which is in the genres of biography, drama, and history, Jeanne d’Arc is brought to trial on charges of heresy in 1431. Canon lawyers try to force Jeanne to renounce her claims to divine vision.
18. Un Chien Andalou (1929) – IMDB Score 7.6
Director: Luis Buñuel
Cast: Pierre Batcheff, Simone Mareuil, Luis Buñuel
In the iconic fantasy and horror movie “Un Chien Andalou”, Luis Buñuel and Salvador Dali present 16 minutes of strange, surreal images.
19. Intouchables (2011) – IMDB Score 8.5
Director: Olivier Nakache, Eric Toledano
Cast: François Cluzet, Omar Sy, Anne Le Ny
In the comedy and drama movie “Intouchables”, an aristocrat who is paralyzed after a paragliding accident hires a young man to take care of him.
20. La Vie d’Adèle, Blue is the Warmest Color (2013) – IMDB Rating 7.7
Director: Abdellatif Kechiche
Cast: Léa Seydoux, Adèle Exarchopoulos, Salim Kechiouche
In the romantic drama movie “Blue is the Warmest Color (La Vie d’Adèle)”, Adèle’s life changes when she meets Emma, a young blue-haired woman who helps her discover desire and assert herself as a woman and an adult. Adèle grows, searches for herself, loses herself, and ultimately finds herself through love and loss.
