Watching film and TV shows is one of the best ways to break barriers when learning a second language.
While classroom learning is helpful, the only way to really take your language to the next level is to immerse yourself in the culture of French language and France.
Nowadays, with access to so many streaming platforms, it is easier than ever to work constantly on your French even from the comfort of your own sofa.
For everyone, including early beginners, the best way to start is with French audio and French subtitles. You will be surprised just how much you understand from picking out certain words and applying them to the context of what is happening on screen, especially when following episodes of a TV series.
For really advanced learners, it is good to test yourself by removing the subtitles to help train your brain away from translating word-for-word. This will help you get used to real-life situations, in which you will have to process language without seeing it written down.
We share some film and TV recommendations that you could watch to help improve your French comprehension this month.
La Fille du puisatier
La Fille du puisatier is based on the book by one of France’s most celebrated 20th-Century writers, Marcel Pagnol.
It is a great film to try out your understanding of the accent du Midi, otherwise known as the Marseillais accent. The Marseillais accent is often described as singing, with stress on each syllable. Even native French speakers sometimes take time to adapt to hearing this accent, so the subtitles will come in handy for this film.
The original film came out in 1940, with the most recent (and recommended version) released in 2011.
Puisatier translates to “well-digger”, the people who were responsible for the digging and maintenance of water wells.
It is set in Provence and follows the story of a young woman, Patricia, who falls in love with a rich local man before he is sent to fight in World War Two. What follows is a family fall out when it is revealed Patricia is pregnant and sent to live with her auntie.
L’Amour c’est surcoté
L’Amour c’est surcoté was released in 2025, and largely divided French critics making it an interesting watch with lots of commentary to read after.
The romcom is newly available on Canal+ and is another film on this week’s list that is originally based on a book, this time by Mourad Winter.
The main character, Anis, has been dubbed as unlucky in love by his entourage, but when his best friend dies, he decides to seize the day and try his chance at falling in love.
Unconfident in his feat, he spins a tangled web of lies to try and impress a girl he has deemed out of his league.
One critic described it as a “modern love story” that explores unusual themes, while another penned it “really catastrophic”.
Whatever you think, it is worth a watch to see which camp you side with.
Les Lionnes
Set to drop on Netflix on February 5, Les Lionnes is about five women in financial difficulty who decide to rob a bank in order to survive.
To do so, they disguise themselves as men, and quickly become targets for police and other criminals.
The series comes from the creator of Netflix hit Family Business, and features some of France’s favourite actors - Jonathan Cohen and Rebecca Marder - as well as those newer to the screen.
Lol: In real life
Lol: Qui rit, sort is a very popular gameshow in France which sees French actors, comedians and singers all put together in a studio to try and make each other laugh. People who are caught laughing once are given a yellow card, and twice means they are eliminated from the game.
The show’s five series have been so successful that there is now a new hidden-camera spinoff show called Lol: In real life.
This new format will take the celebrities out of the studio and into real life situations - a busy airport - where they will try to trick passengers, all in the name of making their fellow players laugh.
All the episodes, including the first five series of Lol: Qui rit, sort, are available on Amazon Prime.
La Grande Classe
Available on Canal+, La Grande Classe is a new show during which the presenter, Mouloud Achour, invites a celebrity to go back to their old school.
The first episode, which came out at the end of January, stars Pierre Niney as he returns to his lycée in Paris, sharing with the students his memories of school and his career history.
One amusing section shows the students testing Niney on his knowledge of teenage 'slang' vocabulary.
Niney took part in the show in order to promote his most recent film, Gourou, released in cinemas on January 28. The thriller demonstrates the danger of power as a charismatic life coach gets carried away.
Césars
February is award month, and this includes the César Awards which are regarded as the highest film honour in France.
This year’s ceremony will take place on February 26 with the ceremony presided over by actress Camille Cottin. American actor Jim Carey is set to receive an honorary award at the 51st award ceremony, while some of France’s biggest names will fight it out to win one of the coveted trophies.
The ceremony will be streamed live on Canal+ from 21:00.
