Watching movies and TV is a big part of someone’s French language journey. Unfortunately, they are not always easy to find but I have the solution for you! 6 French movies to improve your French that are available on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.
Netflix
The film tells the story of a small-time drug dealer named François, who dreams of leaving his criminal life behind and starting a new life with his girlfriend and son in North Africa. However, his mother, a seasoned gangster, pulls him back into the drug trade, François finds himself caught up in a web of dangerous and chaotic situations.
The World is yours is a mix of comedy, drama, and crime.
I found this movie to be fast-paced with easy-to-understand French. You can hear different accents, which is great for getting you used to French accents.
Netflix
This is the story of a young Senegalese French man from humble roots who sets out to climb Mount Everest to impress the woman he loves — and slowly becomes a media sensation.
I do prefer “Le monde est à toi” simply because here they speak very fast on this one with a lot of slang. But if you feel that you are up for a challenge, by all means, watch it.
Intouchables has been my favourite movie ever. Even my husband, who doesn’t speak French, watched it several times with English subtitles, once without me.
Intouchables is based on a true story and tells the story of an unlikely friendship that develops between two men from very different backgrounds. Philippe, who is a wealthy quadriplegic hires Driss as a caregiver, a young man from the not-so-great part of Paris.
This is a classic of French cinema. It’s a beautiful story. And you have very formal French from the wealthy man and much less formal from the caregiver.
Le Fabuleux Destin d’Amélie Poulain, also known as “Amélie,” is romantic. The film tells the story of a young woman named Amélie Poulain who decides to improve the lives of those around her while struggling with her own loneliness.
The film won numerous awards and nominations. Just like Intouchables, it is a classic.
It was filmed in Paris, more specifically in Montmartre which gives you great views of Paris and French culture.
Le Prénom, also known as “What’s his Name?”, centers around a dinner party hosted by a couple, Vincent and Anna, in honor of their friend, Claude. The conversation turns to the name that Vincent and Anna have chosen for their unborn child, which sparks a heated argument that reveals deep-seated resentments and secrets among the guests.
The language is easy to understand and since the movie is based on conversations around the table, it’s perfect to learn more “natural French.”
I really hesitated to add this one. You will see why.
Bienvenue chez les Ch’tis, also known as “Welcome to the Sticks”, is the story of a post office manager in the south of France who is transferred to a small town in the north, which is famous for its cold and rainy weather and its peculiar dialect, Ch’ti.
The film explores themes of cultural differences, prejudice, and acceptance.
The reason why I hesitated to add it is because of the accent. The manager has a very clear French accent but the ch’ti is quite hard to understand. It’s also hard to understand for the manager. But I do find it to be a great movie, also a classic so I think you should just watch it and let me know what you think of it.
Let me know in the comments if you watched one of them or if you ahve any other recommendations for other learners.
Check out my Mastering French Pronouns Workshop to learn everything about French pronouns.
2 Responses
The audio won’t download on short stories
Hi Glen. I am not too sure what you are referring to in this article. Or maybe it is another one?