IndieWire's The Best French Movies of the 21st Century
Created by Fergenaprido.
Favorited 2 times, disliked 0 times, added to 3 watchlists.
By Eric Kohn and David Ehrlich
Jun 30, 2017 10:27 am
Cinema was one of the truly international phenomenons of the last millennium, but France — more so than any other nation — has always been one of the medium’s most essential guiding lights. From the pioneer era of the Lumiere brothers, to the revolutionary New Wave that expanded our understanding of film’s potential, to the country’s recent defense of the theatrical experience, France has always pushed the movies forward while reminding us what we love about them in the first place. No country did more to help propel cinema into the 20th Century, and no country has done more to help sustain its integrity and its potential in the 21st.
From sultry thrillers to mind-blowing 3D experiments and one of the most heartbreakingly honest love stories ever told, these are the 25 best French films of the 21st Century.
Note: To qualify for our list, a film had to be predominately French-language and at least partially French-funded. With one exception, all of the films on this list are also set in France, as well.
Filter
-
1 new
Holy Motors
2012, in 11 top lists Check -
2 new
Amour
2012, in 15 top lists Check -
3 new
35 rhums
2008 — a.k.a. 35 Shots of Rum, in 4 top lists Check -
4 new
Adieu au langage
2014 — a.k.a. Goodbye to Language, in 6 top lists Check -
5 new
Eden
2014, in 2 top lists Check -
6 new
Un prophète
2009 — a.k.a. A Prophet, in 10 top lists Check -
7 new
Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain
2001 — a.k.a. Amélie, in 27 top lists Check -
8 new
Tomboy
2011, in 4 top lists Check -
9 new
Caché
2005, in 15 top lists Check -
10 new
La vie d'Adèle
2013 — a.k.a. Blue Is the Warmest Colour, in 13 top lists Check -
11 new
L'heure d'été
2008 — a.k.a. Summer Hours, in 3 top lists Check -
12 new
Visages villages
2017 — a.k.a. Faces Places, in 4 top lists -
13 new
Le scaphandre et le papillon
2007 — a.k.a. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, in 7 top lists Check -
14 new
Un conte de Noël
2008 — a.k.a. A Christmas Tale, in 4 top lists Check -
15 new
Un amour de jeunesse
2011 — a.k.a. Goodbye First Love, in 0 top lists Check -
16 new
L'Apollonide (Souvenirs de la maison close)
2011 — a.k.a. House of Tolerance, in 2 top lists Check -
17 new
Quand on a 17 ans
2016 — a.k.a. Being 17, in 0 top lists Check -
18 new
De battre mon coeur s'est arrêté
2005 — a.k.a. The Beat That My Heart Skipped, in 4 top lists Check -
19 new
Après mai
2012 — a.k.a. Something in the Air, in 0 top lists Check -
20 new
Entre les murs
2008 — a.k.a. The Class, in 4 top lists Check -
21 new
P'tit Quinquin
2014 — a.k.a. Li'l Quinquin, in 3 top lists Check -
22 new
Swimming Pool
2003, in 0 top lists Check -
23 new
Des hommes et des dieux
2010 — a.k.a. Of Gods and Men, in 4 top lists Check -
24 new
L'homme du train
2002 — a.k.a. Man on the Train, in 0 top lists Check -
25 new
La sapienza
2014 — a.k.a. La Sapienza, in 0 top lists Check
Last updated on Feb 18, 2021; source