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Five French films and series to watch this November
Language learning that can take place from the comfort of your own sofa
With colder days and earlier nights, the temptation to stay snuggled up on the sofa and watch a film or TV show hits new heights in November.
Fortunately, even this act of relaxation can be used to help improve your language skills.
Language learning has never been more accessible with hundreds of French-language shows and films at our finger tips.
It is useful to watch a range of genres to train your ear in different styles of French.
Documentaries can be easier to follow for learners, due to their structured nature and straightforward dialogue. Meanwhile, comedies are good for picking up slang, and are more likely to mirror the French you will hear in your everyday life.
Film is a big part of French culture, so watching films and series will not only help your language, but also develop your overall understanding of the French mentality, which is vital to entering the next level of fluency in French.
Where possible, using French audio and subtitles is the best way to improve, and as you get more confident, removing the subtitles can be a good way to practise for real life exchanges.
If you are earlier in your language learning journey, watching films or TV shows you have already seen can be helpful, as you will be able to focus more on the dialogue than the plot itself.
Alternatively, you can use English subtitles for French media, but this can limit how much you absorb.
Below are five TV shows and films to watch in November.
Le Charles
Brand new thriller Le Charles is set upon Charles de Gaulle, France’s most famous aircraft carrier.
Shortly after setting sail for a major mission, a crew member is found dead, and another vanishes without a trace.
A murderer now lives amongst them, but the commander refuses to abort the mission and instead a military investigator joins the crew to solve the mystery.
The language in Le Charles includes lots of military-specific terms.
However, it is fairly light on slang, meaning it is good for learners with a B1 level or above.
It is available to watch on Amazon Prime.
Surveillant!
This mockumentary style comedy has similarities with The Office, and revolves around Corinne, who runs a detention centre with the passion of an overprotective mother.
When her estranged son ends up in the unit, her already complicated situation intensifies as she tries to reconnect with her son while dealing with the everyday issues that arise in the centre
It is a good option for learners because there are lots of clear, one-to-one interviews direct to the camera, mixed with fast-paced comedy and slang from famed French actors Jean-Pascal Zadi and Benjamin Tranié.
Surveillant! is available to watch on Disney+.
Astérix et Obélix: L’Empire du Milieu
Fans of Asterix will be pleased to know that the 2023 film and fifth live action instalment of the series, The Middle Kingdom in English, is now on Netflix in France.
Starring some of France’s most loved actors, The Middle Kingdom is the first of the five films that is not based on an Astérix comic.
The plot sees the gang head to China, escorting a Chinese princess to help prevent a coup d’état.
The film is a marked move away from the earlier franchise, with Gérard Depardieu absent from the cast for the first time due to allegations made against him prior to the film’s casting.
It features cameos from several Francophone icons including Belgian singer Angèle, and former Paris Saint-Germain striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
The film is available to watch on Netflix.
L’Affaire Marie-Claire
Fancy a trip to the cinema? L’Affaire Marie Claire is based on the true story of the Bobigny trial, a landmark case which placed a 16-year-old girl on trial for having an illegal abortion after being raped by her classmate.
Marie Claire’s lawyer, Gisèle Halimi, put the law itself on trial, and successfully paved the way for the legalisation of abortion in France via the Veil Act in 1975.
The film captures the extreme psychological toll on Marie Claire, and how Ms Halimi built her brilliant defence that eventually led to legalising abortion and changing the lives of thousands of women in France.
L’Affaire Marie-Claire is released in cinemas on November 4 2026.
Lupin
Lupin quickly became one of France’s most loved TV shows around the world when it premiered in 2021.
Now the revered show starring Omar Sy returns for its fourth series after a three-year hiatus.
The story picks up four years on from where series three left off.
If you have not yet indulged in Lupin, now is the perfect time.
The plot revolves around Assane, whose father was framed by his wealthy employer and put in jail when Assane was a teenager.
Unable to live with the shame, Assane’s father hanged himself, leaving the young man fatherless. Now as an adult, Assane is desperately seeking revenge on his father’s employer, inspired by the literary thief Arsène Lupin.
The new series immediately topped the charts as the top non-English series on Netflix upon its release in October.
