Say Bonjour! To the Ultimate French-Inspired Movie Marathon

Looking to bump up your watchlist? Grab some macarons and curl up under a blanket — this French-themed movie marathon is très magnifique!

Kaija Strong –
Just For Fun Pop Culture TV & Movies
A photo of the Eiffel Tower against a blue sky and beside pink floral trees. To the left is a black movie clapper with a faded French flag detailing and the word French Twist Movie Marathon in white text. On the right is a pink and white popcorn bucket, a blue candy bar, and two pink movie tickets.

There’s nothing like the perfect movie night to help you escape from the humdrum troubles of daily life. And how many of us wouldn’t love to escape to France? Whether you’re drawn to the glitz and glamor of Paris or enchanted by the rustic cottages of the countryside, there’s bound to be a corner of French paradise you’ve always wished to see. And thanks to the magic of movies, you finally can! Read on for a perfectly curated movie marathon bound to enchant your inner Francophile.

Please note: all movies marked “not rated” were made before the creation of the Motion Picture Association film rating system.

Amélie

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Rated R: Sexual Content

A still from Amélie. A woman with short dark hair wears a dark jacket and smiles while holding a red patterned umbrella.
IMAGE VIA CLAUDIE OSSARD PRODUCTIONS

The titular Amélie is a Parisian waitress who has a bright hunger for life, despite her own isolation. From her quiet perch, Amélie pulls hidden strings and works to improve the lives of those around her. But improving everyone else comes at the sacrifice of her own growth, and Amélie must learn to prioritize her own needs before her chance at love fades from her life forever.

Ratatouille

Genre: Comedic Drama

Rated G

A still from Ratatouille. A gray rat sits on a red and white checkered cloth with a fleur de lis pattern surrounded by food. There are red grapes, part of a baguette and two different types of cheese with a knife embedded in one of the blocks.
IMAGE VIA PIXAR ANIMATION STUDIOS

Remy is not very good at being a rat. While the rest of his family seems content to eat garbage and huddle in the shadows, Remy dreams of professional cooking and stepping into the spotlight like his idol, the late Chef Gusteau. Linguini is not very good at keeping a job. He will do anything to keep his latest gig at Gusteau’s Restaurant — including trying to talk to a rat. When Remy and Linguini collide unexpectedly, the world of French cuisine will never be the same.

Funny Face

Genre: Musical, Romantic Comedy

Not Rated: Contains Smoking

A still from Funny Face. A young woman with brown hair holds a stack of red books in a bookshop and looks up at a posing model. A hang with red fingernails holds a gold magnifying glass in front of the frame that emphasizes the woman holding the books.
IMAGE VIA PARAMOUNT PICTURES

When hotshot fashion photographer Dick Avery accidentally snaps a photo of shy bookstore employee Jo Stockton, he knows he’s struck gold. Unassuming as Jo may be, her beauty is undeniable, and Dick thinks she has what it takes to be a model. Dick convinces Jo to accompany him to France, where he photographs her against the gorgeous Parisian background and the two fall madly in love.

Chocolat

Genre: Romantic Drama

Rated PG-13: A Scene of Sensuality and Some Violence

A woman in a red top stands in a chocolaterie wrapping boxes in gold paper and ribbon. The wall behind her is blue and hand painted with brown Mayan drawings.
IMAGE VIA DAVID BROWN PRODUCTIONS

Vianne and her young daughter, Anouk, live a mysterious, nomadic life. Blowing in and out of different towns, the two follow the wind to enrich strangers’ lives in the only way they know how: through chocolate. In 1959, the two arrive in a small, conservative French village and open a sinfully delicious chocolaterie — just in time for Lent. Will Vianne’s magical knack win over the community? Or will the wind call them away before their work can be completed?

The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939)

Genre: Drama

Not Rated: Contains Violence and Frightening Images

A black-and-white still from the 1939 version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame. A hunchbacked man follows a woman wearing a long dress. She looks over her shoulder at him. Behind them is a river.
IMAGE VIA RKO RADIO PICTURES

If you love the Disney version of Victor Hugo’s tale, you may be enthralled by the 1939 film that the animation studio drew some of its inspiration from. When French Chief Justice Frollo develops an unhealthy obsession with Romani woman Esmeralda, he sends his ward Quasimodo to kidnap her. Quasimodo’s attempted kidnapping ends in arrest and public flogging, and among the screaming crowd, Esmeralda is the only person who shows him kindness. When Esmeralda is falsely accused of a crime, Quasimodo and the rest of the Romani fight to free her from the gallows.

Loving Vincent

Genre: Historical Drama, Mystery

Rated PG-13: Mature Thematic Elements, Some Violence, Sexual Material, and Smoking

A still from Loving Vincent. An oil painted illustration of a bearded man holding up two pieces of white paper in front of a man in a black hat with a yellow suit. The background behind them is blue.
IMAGE VIA BREAKTHRU FILMS

Meticulously rotoscoped and animated in the artist’s same oil painting technique, Loving Vincent enters the world of acclaimed impressionist painter Vincent Van Gogh. When a man is sent to the late Van Gogh’s French home to deliver his final letter, he is consumed by a desire to learn the truth behind the troubled artist’s death. But just like his paintings, the answer may not be so easily defined.

Moulin Rouge!

Genre: Musical, Romantic Drama

Rated PG-13: Sexual Content

A still from Moulin Rouge!. A redheaded woman in black lingerie dances with a man in black tuxedo with a red vest. They are in a gilded room decorated with yellow, red, and blue accents. The entryway they dance in is shaped like a heart.
IMAGE VIA BAZMARK PRODUCTIONS

In 1899, Bohemian writer Christian arrives in Paris to find fame and success. When he is drawn into the flashing lights and splendor of the Moulin Rouge nightclub, he is immediately enchanted by the beautiful star performer and courtesan, Satine. She, in turn, falls in love with Christian, but their budding romance is thwarted by Satine’s promised marriage to the Duke. As the lovers fight to stay together, another, more dangerous element threatens to destroy their plans.

Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris

Genre: Comedic Drama

Rated PG: Suggestive Material, Language, and Smoking

A still from Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris. A woman wearing a blue floral dress with matching work apron and a pink headscarf holds up and admires a purple gown covered in multicolored intricate beading work.
IMAGE VIA EONE FEATURES

Living in London in the 1950s, widowed cleaning woman Mrs. Harris lives a simple and rather mundane life. When she sees an exquisite Dior gown, she is consumed by the desire to own one herself. Undaunted by the price tag, Mrs. Harris works tirelessly to obtain the money and takes off for Paris to view Dior’s fashion show. Her quest to acquire couture revolutionizes not only her own life but the very makeup of the House of Dior itself.

Beauty and the Beast (1991)

Genre: Musical, Romantic Fantasy

Rated G

A still from the 1991 version of Beauty and the Beast. A young woman in a blue dress with a white undershirt looks on in shock at a large beast figure with brown fur, a lion-like snout, and dark horns. He clamps his paws protectively around a glowing pink rose in a glass display case. The beast glares at the young woman menacingly.
IMAGE VIA WALT DISNEY FEATURE ANIMATION

When a selfish French prince is cruel to a disguised enchantress, she curses him and the rest of the castle as punishment. The prince is doomed to live as a beast unless he can learn to love and receive it in turn before a magical rose loses its last petal. Years later, a young and intelligent beauty named Belle discovers that the Beast has taken her ill father prisoner in the enchanted forest. Belle begs the Beast to spare her father, and in exchange, she will live in the castle in his place. During their period of isolation, the unlikely pair grows closer, but a posturing hunter named Gaston lurks in the shadows, waiting to take Belle for himself.

French Kiss

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Rated PG-13: Some Sexuality, Language, and Drug References

A still from French Kiss. A blonde woman in a white tank top leans over a plate of cheese and looks out the window at a gorgeous country view. Opposite her at the booth is a man wearing a dark jacket with a cigarette in his mouth.
IMAGE VIA WORKING TITLE FILMS

When Kate is jilted by her fiancé, Charlie, for a French “goddess,” she vows to do anything to win him back — including conquering her fear of flying to confront him in Paris. On the journey, she meets French thief Luc, who secretly slips a diamond necklace and a grapevine (both stolen) into her bag for safekeeping. Kate’s first day in Paris ends in disaster and lost luggage (including, supposedly, the necklace), and to make matters worse, Charlie has proposed to his new lover and taken off for Cannes. Out of options, Kate has no choice but to rely on Luc (who’s still looking for that necklace) to guide her through France and help her win Charlie back. The more time the pair spends together, though, the more they start to sense that the answer they’ve been looking for might be right in front of them.

Hugo

Genre: Adventure, Dramatic Mystery

Rated PG: Mild Thematic Material, Some Action and Peril, and Smoking

A still from Hugo. A boy in a brown jacket and trousers with a tan, green, and red striped sweater hangs onto the outer edge of a golden clock face. Through the clear glass is a view of the Paris skyline, complete with the Eiffel Tower.
IMAGE VIA INFINITUM NIHIL

Based on the groundbreaking visual novel by Brian Selznick, Hugo follows an orphan boy who lives in the walls of a Parisian train station in the 1930s. Using the tinkering knowledge given to him by his father, Hugo spends his days secretly repairing the various clocks in the station. He also wishes to one day fix a broken automaton — the only item he has left from his father. Eventually, Hugo meets an old shopkeeper and his goddaughter, Isabelle. The two children investigate the mysterious old man, whose memories may contain an unexpectedly thrilling story.

With a mix of romance, adventure, comedy, and drama, this watchlist has everything! Now, if only we could actually enter France through our screens! Oh, well — c’est la vie.

For another curated movie marathon, click here.

Check out our Book to Screen bookshelf on Bookshop for a list of fantastic novels adapted to film.

FEATURED IMAGE VIA BOOKSTR / KAIJA STRONG