The best French movies and shows, ranked, with where to stream

80 French-language titles from the recognizable third of the CouchRot catalog, ranked by quality and fame. Every page carries scare, gore, violence and emotional-weight tags, plus US streaming.

1. 1The Intouchables (2011)No gore · measured · RAn unlikely friendship blossoms between two men from different worlds, creating uplifting and wholesome comedy.Kanopy · Hoopla · YouTube (free)
2. 2Léon: The Professional (1994)Mildly scary · graphic gore · brutal violence · emotionally devastating · RA hardened hitman becomes the reluctant protector of a young girl seeking vengeance in a brutal world.YouTube (free) · Tubi
3. 3Amélie (2001)No gore · measured · RA shy Parisian waitress secretly orchestrates joy for others, finding whimsical romance along the way.
4. 4La Haine (1995)Mildly scary · light gore · strong violence · emotionally devastating · NRThree friends navigate the bleak aftermath of a riot, their intimate journey fraught with suspense and a gritty atmosphere.Criterion
5. 5Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir (2015) · seriesNo gore · brisk · TV-Y7Teenage superheroes in Paris balance secret identities and wholesome humor with brisk, whimsical adventures.Netflix · Disney+
6. 6Mommy (2014)No gore · strong violence · emotionally devastating · measured · RA grieving mother navigates her volatile son's outbursts while a new friend offers a fragile sense of hope.Tubi
7. 7Incendies (2010)Mildly scary · light gore · strong violence · emotionally devastating · RTwin siblings unravel their mother's past in a bleak, measured search for tangled roots and enduring love.The Roku Channel · Tubi
8. 8Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019)No gore · emotionally heavy · measured · RAn eighteenth-century painter captures a reluctant bride's essence, sparking an intimate, melancholy romance on an isolated island.Max · Kanopy
9. 9The Fifth Element (1997)Mildly scary · light gore · strong violence · relentless · PG-13A whimsical taxi driver races to save humanity with a mysterious woman, amidst relentless, pulpy, high-octane action.Netflix · AMC+
10. 10The 400 Blows (1959)No gore · emotionally heavy · measured · NRA neglected Parisian boy navigates a gritty world of adult indifference, yearning for a better life.Max · Criterion · Kanopy
11. 11Persepolis (2007)Mildly scary · strong violence · emotionally devastating · measured · PG-13A young girl's earnest dreams of revolution curdle into melancholy as a nation's hope darkens.
12. 12The Count of Monte Cristo (2024)Light gore · strong violence · emotionally heavy · brisk · NRAn innocent man escapes prison to deliver epic, gritty revenge on those who stole his life.MGM+ · Kanopy · Hoopla
13. 13A Trip to the Moon (1902)No gore · measured · GAstronomers blast to the Moon in a cannon-propelled rocket, encountering whimsical, pulpy perils on a surreal adventure.Max · Kanopy
14. 14Two Is a Family (2016)No gore · emotionally heavy · measuredA carefree man's life transforms with an abandoned baby, blossoming into a heartwarming, wholesome family comedy.
15. 15Three Colors: Red (1994)No gore · emotionally heavy · measured · RA model and a retired judge form an intimate bond amidst melancholy, atmospheric mystery and dreamlike romance.Max · Criterion
16. 16The Dinner Game (1998)No gore · briskA competitive dinner party for "idiots" unravels into a brisk, darkly comic, and absurd catastrophe.Kanopy
17. 17The Chorus (2004)No gore · emotionally heavy · measured · PG-13A new teacher brings heartwarming music and wholesome humor to disruptive boys in 1940s France.
18. 18Lupin (2021) · seriesNo gore · brisk · TV-MAA gentleman thief avenges his father, using charm and cunning to expose a wealthy family's dark secrets.Netflix
19. 19Amour (2012)No gore · emotionally devastating · a slow burn · PG-13An elderly couple's profound love faces its ultimate test after a devastating stroke, unfolding with intimate, bleak earnestness.
20. 20My Life as a Zucchini (2016)No gore · emotionally heavy · measured · PG-13An orphaned boy finds connection and belonging among new friends, navigating life's bittersweet challenges with earnest, wholesome humor.Kanopy
21. 21Anatomy of a Fall (2023)Light gore · emotionally devastating · measured · RA woman's murder trial unravels her marriage as her blind son faces an impossible moral choice.Netflix · Kanopy
22. 22Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra (2002)No gore · briskGauls and Egyptians collide in a brisk, absurdist adventure filled with broad humor and whimsical, crowd-pleasing antics.Prime Video · Kanopy · Tubi
23. 23The Artist (2011)No gore · measured · PG-13A silent film star's world fades with the advent of sound, but a new love story begins.Kanopy · Hoopla · YouTube (free)
24. 24Three Colors: Blue (1993)No gore · emotionally devastating · a slow burn · RA grieving widow navigates profound loss and unexpected connections, finding intimate freedom in melancholy.Max · Criterion
25. 25A Prophet (2009)Graphic gore · brutal violence · emotionally devastating · measured · RA young man navigates the brutal, unforgiving world of a French prison, slowly rising through its criminal ranks.
26. 26The Wolf's Call (2019)No gore · emotionally heavy · relentless · PG-13A young submariner's acute hearing holds his crew's fate, but one wrong call ignites a relentless, gritty quest.Prime Video · Tubi
27. 27Les Misérables (2019)Light gore · strong violence · emotionally heavy · measured · RNew police recruits navigate escalating tensions between Parisian gangs, leading to a gritty, suspenseful encounter.Prime Video
28. 28Breathless (1960)Mildly scary · light gore · strong violence · emotionally heavy · NRA small-time crook and his American girlfriend drift through Paris, dodging the law and their own desires.Max · Criterion · Kanopy
29. 29Martyrs (2008)Properly scary · extreme gore · brutal violence · emotionally devastating · RA young woman's quest for revenge becomes a chilling, gritty descent into depravity.Tubi
30. 30Blue Is the Warmest Color (2013)No gore · emotionally devastating · measured · NC-17An intimate romance unfolds with earnest melancholy as a young woman discovers desire and self-acceptance.Netflix · AMC+ · Kanopy
31. 31Irreversible (2002)Mildly scary · extreme gore · brutal violence · emotionally devastating · NRA relentless, gritty crime thriller portrays vengeance as a bleak and inescapable cycle of human impulse.
32. 32La Vie en Rose (2007)No gore · emotionally devastating · measured · PG-13A gritty, intimate look at a French icon's battle to sing, survive, and love.
33. 33The Big Blue (1988)No gore · emotionally heavy · measured · PG-13Two free divers push the limits of human endurance, finding solace and danger in the ocean's depths.
34. 34What's in a Name (2012)No gore · emotionally heavy · measuredA dinner party unravels as a provocative baby name ignites a darkly funny, intimate, and satirical battle of wits.Kanopy · Hoopla · Fandango at Home (free)
35. 35Delicatessen (1991)Mildly scary · graphic gore · strong violence · measured · RA post-apocalyptic apartment building serves up dark humor and surreal romance with a side of mystery meat.Kanopy · Tubi
36. 36Raw (2017)Mildly scary · extreme gore · strong violence · emotionally devastating · RA strict vegetarian's initiation into veterinary school awakens a visceral hunger and a monstrous true self.
37. 37Love Me If You Dare (2003)No gore · emotionally heavy · measuredChildhood friends play a lifelong game of dares, using outrageous stunts to mask their intimate, romantic connection.
38. 38OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies (2006)No gore · brisk · NRA French secret agent blunders through 1955 Cairo, unraveling a campy, pulpy web of international intrigue.Kanopy · Hoopla · Plex
39. 39Marianne (2019) · seriesProperly scary · light gore · emotionally heavy · measured · TV-MAA horror novelist confronts the chilling reality that her dark fiction is now bleeding into her life.Netflix
40. 40Joyeux Noel (2005)Mildly scary · light gore · strong violence · emotionally devastating · PG-13On Christmas Eve 1914, soldiers on both sides of the trenches forge an intimate, heartwarming, and melancholy truce.The Roku Channel · YouTube (free)
41. 41It's Only the End of the World (2016)No gore · emotionally devastating · measured · NRA dying writer's homecoming becomes a suffocating family reunion, thick with unspoken resentments and bleak truths.
42. 42Nikita (1990)Mildly scary · graphic gore · brutal violence · emotionally heavy · RA condemned felon becomes a government assassin, navigating a relentless, gritty world of suspense and pulpy action.
43. 43The Visitors (1993)No gore · brisk · RA medieval knight and his servant wreak absurd, crowd-pleasing havoc after a whimsical, time-traveling spell goes awry.Prime Video · Kanopy · Tubi
44. 44Tell No One (2006)Mildly scary · light gore · strong violence · emotionally heavy · NRA man races against time to unravel a mystery, as a wife's reappearance implicates him in her murder.Plex · Tubi
45. 45The Bélier Family (2014)No gore · measured · PGA singing teenager in a deaf family finds her voice, leading to heartwarming and whimsical changes.Kanopy · YouTube (free)
46. 46Climax (2018)Properly scary · graphic gore · brutal violence · emotionally devastating · RA dance troupe's sangria-fueled celebration descends into a surreal, relentless, and bleak nightmare.Prime Video · Kanopy · Hoopla
47. 47Little White Lies (2010)No gore · emotionally heavy · measuredFriends on a beach vacation unravel intimate deceptions, revealing witty and melancholic truths about their relationships.
48. 48An Officer and a Spy (2019)No gore · emotionally heavy · measuredA wrongful conviction for treason ignites a gritty, suspenseful fight for justice in 19th-century France.
49. 49OSS 117: Lost in Rio (2009)No gore · briskA clueless French spy stumbles through 1960s Rio, satirizing international intrigue with brisk, dark humor.Prime Video · Kanopy · Plex
50. 50C'est la vie! (2017)No gore · measuredA veteran wedding planner navigates a chaotic, witty celebration with a measured, heartwarming touch.
51. 51Serial (Bad) Weddings (2014)No gore · brisk · PGFour daughters upend their parents' traditional world with a brisk, wholesome, and heartwarming series of marriages.
52. 52The Crimson Rivers (2000)Mildly scary · graphic gore · strong violence · emotionally heavy · RTwo grim detectives uncover a university's dark secrets while hunting a killer in the bleak French Alps.Kanopy · Hoopla
53. 53Sink or Swim (2018)No gore · measuredMiddle-aged men find whimsical purpose and uplift their spirits by joining a synchronized swimming team.
54. 54Taxi (1998)No gore · briskA speedy taxi driver and a bumbling cop chase German bank robbers through Marseilles in a broad, brisk caper.Prime Video · Kanopy · Hoopla
55. 55District B13 (2004)Light gore · brutal violence · relentless · RIn a gritty 2010 Paris, an undercover cop and an ex-thug relentlessly race to defuse a neutron bomb.Prime Video · Kanopy · The Roku Channel
56. 56Babysitting (2014)No gore · brisk · PG-13A raunchy birthday celebration turns into an absurd, darkly comedic missing persons case.
57. 57Welcome to the Sticks (2008)No gore · measuredA postal worker fakes a disability for a Riviera transfer and finds unexpected joy in the French sticks.Prime Video · Kanopy · Hoopla
58. 58High Tension (2003)Terrifying · extreme gore · brutal violence · emotionally heavy · RA quiet weekend at a secluded farmhouse becomes a relentless, chilling fight for survival against an unknown horror.Kanopy · Plex · Tubi
59. 59Into the Night (2020) · seriesMildly scary · light gore · strong violence · emotionally heavy · TV-MAPassengers on an overnight flight race west to outrun a killer sun, and the tension never breaks.Netflix
60. 60Brotherhood of the Wolf (2001)Mildly scary · graphic gore · strong violence · measured · RA Chevalier and his Native American companion hunt a mysterious beast in a gritty, atmospheric 18th-century France.Prime Video · Kanopy · The Roku Channel
61. 61Love (2015)No gore · emotionally devastating · a slow burn · NC-17An American in Paris navigates a sexually charged, melancholic relationship that blurs into surreal intimacy.
62. 62Elle (2016)Properly scary · light gore · strong violence · emotionally devastating · RA woman's precisely ordered life unravels into a gritty, darkly comic game of cat and mouse.
63. 63The Brand New Testament (2015)No gore · measuredGod's rebellious daughter upends existence itself with surreal, darkly comic, and absurdist interventions.Kanopy · Hoopla · Fandango at Home (free)
64. 64Arthur and the Invisibles (2006)No gore · measured · PGA young boy enters a whimsical animated world of tiny people to find treasure and save his grandfather's home.Prime Video · Kanopy · Hoopla
65. 65Revenge (2017)Mildly scary · extreme gore · brutal violence · emotionally devastating · RA woman's romantic getaway turns into a brutal fight for survival against her boyfriend and his friends.AMC+ · The Roku Channel
66. 66Oxygen (2021)Mildly scary · light gore · emotionally heavy · relentlessA woman trapped in a cryogenic chamber races against time, facing chilling amnesia and relentless dread.Netflix
67. 67Alibi.com (2017)No gore · brisk · PG-13A whimsical alibi company's broad deceptions create brisk, campy chaos for a new romance.
68. 68Inside (2007)Terrifying · extreme gore · brutal violence · emotionally devastating · RA pregnant woman's Christmas Eve turns into a relentless, chilling fight for survival against a brutal home invader.Tubi
69. 69It Boy (2013)No gore · measured · PG-13A whimsical, witty romance blossoms as an uptight editor finds her career key in a charming young man.
70. 70Emilia Pérez (2024)Light gore · strong violence · emotionally heavy · measured · RA jaded lawyer navigates a criminal underworld where justice is for sale and humor is darkly satiric.Netflix
71. 71Beauty and the Beast (2014)Mildly scary · emotionally heavy · measured · PGA beautiful daughter enters an enchanted castle, finding whimsical romance and atmospheric dread with a hideous creature.Prime Video · Hoopla · The Roku Channel
72. 72Taxi 2 (2000)Light gore · strong violence · relentlessA cabdriver and a cop race through Paris in a pulpy, high-octane rescue mission with broad humor.
73. 73Titane (2021)Mildly scary · extreme gore · brutal violence · emotionally devastating · RA woman with a metal plate in her head embarks on a surreal, gritty journey into the bleak unknown.Kanopy · Tubi
74. 74The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec (2010)No gore · brisk · NRA popular novelist navigates a whimsical 1910s Paris, encountering broad humor, monsters, and a briskly paced mystery.Prime Video · Fandango at Home (free) · YouTube (free)
75. 75Blood Father (2016)Mildly scary · graphic gore · brutal violence · emotionally heavy · RA gritty ex-con protects his estranged daughter from violent drug dealers in a brisk, tense thriller.
76. 76Asterix and Obelix Take On Caesar (1999)No gore · briskGaulish heroes use a magic potion to battle Caesar's Roman legions in a brisk, wholesome, and epic adventure.Prime Video · Kanopy · Tubi
77. 77Arthur and the Revenge of Maltazard (2009)Mildly scary · brisk · PGA whimsical animated adventure unfolds as a young hero answers a princess's urgent, feel-good distress call.Starz · YouTube (free) · Tubi
78. 78Taxi 3 (2003)No gore · relentlessA super-taxi and bumbling cops chase a Santa Claus gang in a relentless, raunchy, and pulpy crime comedy.
79. 79Arthur 3: The War of the Two Worlds (2010)Mildly scary · brisk · GA tiny hero and his friends embark on an epic, whimsical adventure to stop a giant villain.Starz · Hoopla · YouTube (free)
80. 80Asterix at the Olympic Games (2008)No gore · briskA whimsical, brisk adventure unfolds as heroes compete in absurd Olympic Games to win love and outwit a conniving Brutus.Prime Video · Hoopla · Fandango at Home (free)

This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB. Intensity, tone and pace tags are CouchRot's own.