Dhruv SharmaFrench cinema has really been catching up with us lately. Their artistic stories, beautiful cinematography, and brilliant directing are being appreciated all over the world. Movies like the unusual romantic ‘Amelie’, touching drama ‘The Intouchables’, and the romantic masterpiece ‘Blue is the Warmest Color‘, have all won our hearts and we surely want more. Propelling and bold are two words that truly define the nature of French Cinema; propelling because French films and shows have literally acted like a driving force for international cinema better than any other country now, and bold because French cinema leaves no boundaries or confinements to the infinite lines of creativity.
So if you’re a Francophile yourself, you’re probably familiar with all the great French films of the 21st century that are out there. But you don’t have to end your obsession with these because there are some really good French TV shows out there and we’ve compiled some of the finest ones for you. So, here’s the list of really good French TV shows on Netflix that are available to stream right now. The list includes French drama series and French detective series.
7. Call My Agent (2015)
‘Call My Agent’ revolves around the lives of the employees of a talent agency. The story is mainly about four talent agents who find themselves in some deep trouble after their leader, the owner of the talent agency passes away. They struggle with maintaining the reputation of the agency after a storm of problems tries to suffocate them after the man’s death. The agents juggle their work like with their own personal lives with unprecedented wit and humor as they try to fulfill the demands of the celebrities involved with them. This series is starting to gain immense popularity for its unique comedy. This show can get very addictive and once you’ll start watching, you will not be able to stop. With well rounded and extremely diverse characters this satire comedy is definitely a must watch and if you’re sick of watching American sitcoms, then this is going to be something very refreshing for you.
6. The Hook Up Plan (2018)
This eight episodes romantic comedy show is set up in the city of Paris. It follows the story of a girl named Elsa who has always been unlucky when it comes to love and relationships and her friends keep rallying around her for that. To make her situation a little better, her friends hire a male escort so that Elsa can have her confidence back and can get back in the game. But this misguided attempt to help her brings something more to her life and leads her to find something deeper than what her friends had intended. The storyline of this one is completely on point and the performances of the leads are amazing. This colorful love story will make you fall in love with this show. The sad part is that only one season has come out till date with only eight episodes on Netflix. So make sure that you go a little slow on this one because you’ll be depressed once it’s over.
5. The Chalet (2018)
‘The Chalet‘ is another great mystery thriller French TV show that’ll keep you hooked onto it throughout. It revolves around a few friends who plan a summer getaway at a remote Chalet located in the French Alps. But a dark secret from the past waits for them there and when it comes up, things start to get a little nasty. A series of unfortunate events leads to a realization that all of it could be related. They start breaking under the pressures of this situation and one of them sets out on foot to seek help while another discovers certain things that pit everyone against each other. Flashbacks from the past come into picture showing what exactly had happened to a family that had forcefully left the Chalet 20 years before they had arrived there. This suspense thriller will initially confuse you a little with the introduction of too many characters in the first two episodes but by the time you reach the third episode, you’ll be hooked to the series all the way to the end. The ending is phenomenal and does justice to the show.
4. A Very Secret Service (2015)
This comedy series has 2 seasons on Netflix right now and is absolutely hilarious. Even with the subtitles, you won’t be able to stop laughing while watching this show. It is about a young officer named Andre Merlaux who works under the leadership of three other officers. All of them together have to be a part of the most dangerous secret operations to protect the interests of their country, France. The show pokes a lot of fun at French stereotypes around the Cold War and World War II Europe. This show is the complete package when it comes to humor. From visual humor to epic one-liners to comical sound effects, the show has everything. All the jokes are very subtly executed with a meaningful storyline. It’s more or less of a political comedy show that everyone will love.
3. Mortel (2019 -)
Created by Frédéric Garcia, ‘Mortel’ is a supernatural drama series that stars Carl Malapa, Nemo Schiffman, Manon Bresch, and Corentin Fila. The story revolves around Sofiane and Victor, two teenagers who make a pact with voodoo god Obé on the grounds of avenging the murder of Sofiane’s brother. While the former gains the ability to manipulate other people’s actions, the latter gets the power to read people’s minds. However, as soon as they are given their powers, the duo changes their stance, and with the help of an acquaintance, they decide to banish Obé from the world.
2. Ganglands (2021)
Featuring stand-out performances by Nabiha Akkari, Sami Bouajila, and Salim Kechiouche, ‘Ganglands’ is a crime-drama streaming television series created by Hamid Hlioua and Julien Leclercq. The show centers upon a qualified robber named Mehdi and his apprentice thief Liana who collaborate with one another after the niece of the former unfortunately come in contact with a dangerous drug lord. The events that follow eventually lead to a fierce turf war in which the lives of their loved ones are on the line.
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1. Lupin (2021 -)
Based on the character created by Maurice Leblanc, ‘Lupin’ is a mystery thriller streaming television series that features Omar Sy, Ludivine Sagnier, Clotilde Hesme, and Vincent Londez. The story follows a Senegalese-French man named Assane Diop, who lost his father at a young age due to suicide. Unfortunately, even though he knows that false accusation and then shameless framing for a crime lead to such a drastic decision, Assane couldn’t do much about it for several years. However, after becoming a professional thief with countless tricks up his sleeve, he sets out to take revenge on the family responsible for his father’s death.
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