The films that make up France's cultural canon

France has a thriving film industry and a long cinema tradition, but there are some films that you really need to see because they are constantly referenced in everyday conversation or jokes. Aurore Laborie lists some of the must-watch movies.

Ever since the Lumière brothers invented the medium in 1895, film has had a special place in France, which has one of the biggest and most committed cinema audiences in the world.

For this reason, famous films and celebrated scenes form a major part of the cultural references of the countryBecause of the long history, we’ve skipped some of the more famous exports such as the French New Wave, and instead focused on films beloved by the French, which form part of the nation’s shared references.

Watch these movies and you are pretty much all set to understand French jokes and why everyone laughs when someone says “Vous savez, moi je ne crois pas qu’il y ait de bonne ou de mauvaise situation” (you know, I don’t believe there are good or bad situations).

La Grande Vadrouille (Don’t look now we’re being shot at) – 1966

A Franco-British movie set during WWII about French civilians who help the crew of a Royal Air Force bomber that has been shot down over Paris make their way through German-occupied France to safe territory.

For many years this held the record for the highest-grossing French film ever and it’s still regularly screened on TV.

One of the main actors is Louis de Funès, one of France’s favourite comedians, while Brits might recognise Terry Thomas, sporting an enormous moustache and a surprisingly creditable French accent.

Les Demoiselles de Rochefort (The young girls of Rochefort) – 1967

A musical comedy film. If you don’t like musicals, just listen to Chanson des Jumelles, which is really the iconic part of the movie. Fair warning, it’s catchy, you might find yourself humming the lyrics for a while: Nous sommes deux soeurs jumelles, Nées sous le signe des gémeaux, Mi fa sol la mi ré, Ré mi fa sol sol sol ré do…

Les Bronzés font du ski (French fried vacation 2) – 1979

Another French comedy film (you’ll notice most iconic French movies are comedies, we like our French humour) that is the sequel to Les Bronzés (1978). Set in the ski resort of Val d’Isère, a group of friends get together again and their adventures are hilarious.

Practically all the quotes from the movie are iconic but one that you have to know is: “Ils ne tomberont pas plus bas” – They will not fall any lower. You can say it whenever things can’t get any worse.

The film’s soundtrack is also iconic. If you happen to go skiing in any French ski resort, you will probably hear at least one French person sing at the top of their lungs on the lift: “Quand te reverrai-je, pays merveilleux, où ceux qui s’aiment vivent à deux?”

La Boum (1982)

If you’re looking for a wholesome teen movie, here’s the French version. This romantic comedy depicts the life of a thirteen-year-old girl amidst family drama and love. A staple of French teens’ slumber parties.

Le père Noël est une ordure (Santa Claus is a Stinker) – 1982

A comedy play turned into a movie, featuring Pierre and his co-worker Thérèse, volunteers at a telephone helpline for people with depression. They are stuck with the Christmas Eve shift in the Paris office. I think the title speaks for itself: Santa Claus is a scumbag.

Les Visiteurs (The visitors) – 1993

This is one of the most iconic French comedies. The plot is conducive to some good laughs: a 12th-century knight and his squire travel in time to the end of the 20th century and find themselves completely lost in modern society.

It’s frequently on TV – in fact during the 2022 presidential election one of the TV channels pointed screened this instead of the election debates.

Le Dîner de Cons (The dinner game) – 1998

Literally, “a dinner of fools.” A group of prominent Parisian businessmen hosts dinner parties where each one must invite an idiot whom the other guests can ridicule.

Le Fabuleux Destin d’Amélie Poulain (Amelie) – 2001

If you’re looking for a break from French comedy films, here is a stunning romantic masterpiece. This film is a whimsical depiction of a shy and quirky woman’s contemporary Parisian life, set in Montmartre. You may notice that French people almost always use her full name ‘Amelie Poulain’ to refer to either the film or the character.

L’Auberge Espagnole (Pot luck) – 2002

This movie will probably make you feel nostalgic if you’ve done an Erasmus year or participated in any university exchange programme.

It’s a romantic comedy film in which an economics graduate student from France moves to Barcelona for a year. He shares an apartment with other Erasmus students from all over Europe.

Good news: multiple dialogues in the movie are in English!

Astérix & Obélix, Mission Cléopâtre (Asterix and Obelix: Mission Cleopatra) – 2002

You’ll probably recognise the main characters in this movie. Based on the eponymous comic books Astérix and Obélix, the movie is one of the most successful French movies of all time.

Our famous Gaul fighters sail for Egypt to help Cleopatra build a palace in three months to show Julius Caesar that Egypt is the greatest nation. You can definitely watch this movie with children. It’s packed with visual jokes, puns and pop culture references.

It’s also home to one of the most iconic French cinematic monologues of all time. Edouard Baer, who plays Otis, improvised a long monologue about being a scribe, which starts with “Vous savez, moi je ne crois pas qu’il y ait de bonne ou de mauvaise situation” (You know, I don’t believe there are good or bad situations.) 23 years since the release of the movie and you’ll find that many French people still know the monologue by heart.

And if you fall in love with Astérix and Obélix, there is a new Netflix cartoon series of their adventures.

Brice de Nice (2005)

Another comedy film made famous for its soundtrack. The Casse de Brice was probably the song I heard the most in primary school. If you want to understand why a French person will sometimes say, in what sounds like nostalgic irony, j’t’ai cassé! (I broke you), watch this movie.

Brice from Nice (played by Jean Dujardin) is a bit of an idiot — he spends his days hoping for a wave to surf in a completely waveless bay — but that’s the whole point.

OSS 117, Le Caire, nid d’espion (Cairo, nest of spies) – 2006

Probably one of the most politically incorrect French movies of recent times. It is iconic, however. The film is a spy comedy film set in Cairo, featuring OSS 117, a moronic agent who somehow always manages to get out of extremely dangerous situations. It’s meant to be a caricature of the French mindset in the 50s and 60s, and is also something of a James Bond spoof. Just like Bond, there’s a whole series of OSS 117 films and books.

Today, the movie still sparks debate over whether we can laugh about everything. You’ll notice French people will definitely have an opinion on this topic.

LOL (2008)

Another staple of French slumber parties – this romantic comedy is a coming-of-age story about a high school girl, her boy troubles, her school friends, and her relationship with her mother. It’s genuine, wholesome, and a great time.

In fact, it’s such a good movie, the United States did their own version of it called LOL (USA). Having watched both movies multiple times, I can safely attest that the original French film is better (sorry Miley Cyrus).

Bienvenue chez les Ch’tis (Welcome to the Sticks) – 2008

Imagine living in the beautiful South of France and, oh the horror, your job sends you to work up north in the Pas-de-Calais . . . That’s what happens to postal office worker, Philippe Abrams, in this comedy film (the most successful French film ever).

If you want to understand a bit more about the north of France, this movie is a loving rendition of all its clichés.

Intouchables (The Intouchables) – 2011

Looking for a touching iconic movie? This is the one. Intouchables is a moving comedy drama film, inspired by the life of Philippe Pozzo di Borgo (former director of Pommery, the champagne brand), who became quadriplegic in 1993 following a paragliding accident, and his friendship with Abdel Yasmin Sellou, his home help.

It’s truly a beautiful film and launched the career of French superstar Omar Sy.

Le Prénom (What’s in a name) – 2012

What if your friend decided to name their child Adolf? How would you react? Would you be fine with the connotations behind that name? Well, this movie will answer these questions for you. And more . .

Bonus: TV shows

Kaamelott (2005)

If a French person tells you “c’est pas faux” (It’s not wrong), there is a high chance that they watched this comedy medieval fantasy television series. Based on Arthurian legends, it follows the daily lives of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. Trust me, it’s really funny.

La Flamme (2020) and Le Flambeau (2022)

Now, this is the newest iconic French TV show. It’s very popular amongst young French people, who constantly reference it online. It’s a parody of famous reality TV shows, such as The Bachelor or Koh Lanta.

If you’re a fan of French films you can find more recommendations in our French film section, you can also check out the cinema club Lost in Frenchlation which holds regular screenings of French films – both new and classics – with English subtitles. Feel free to add your own suggestions in the comments section below.

The films that make up France’s cultural canon

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