Netflix’s catalog is full of hidden gems, including some French ones. We set up a list of the 15 best French shows on Netflix.
Call my agent!
Genre: comedy-drama
Our rating: 4/5
Description: In Paris, the agents of talent agency ASK are facing a tragedy. Their founder, Samuel Kerr, died and the future of their agency is unsure. Each episode is about a French comedian that requires the help of their agent. Real French celebrities are playing their own roles in a parodic way. All the agents have to both fight for and with their stars if they want to save ASK.
Call my agent! is an emotional show that will make you both laugh and cry, while showing how important agents are in the film industry.
Lupin
Genre: Thriller
Our rating: 4/5
Description: When he was a teenager, Assane Diop’s father was arrested for theft, but always claimed that he was innocent. Twenty-five years later, Assane is seeking revenge for his father who died in prison. He plans a spectacular robbery to steal a diamond necklace belonging to the Pelligrini family, the ones who accused his father. Inspired by his favorite hero, Arsène Lupin, he plans his perfect revenge.
Each episode shows flashbacks from Assana’s youth and the different events that led him to his final plan.
Lupin is probably the most popular French show in the last few years, both in France and in other countries. It’s one of the most popular non-Anglo-Saxon series on Netflix throughout the world.
The Hook-Up Plan
Genre: romance
Our rating: 4/5
Description: Two years ago, Elsa was dumped by Max, her boyfriend and she still can’t get over it. Her best friends, Charlotte and Emilie, decide to help her by hiring Jules, an escort, without Elsa knowing. Jules is supposed to take Elsa on two dates, but things don’t work out the way they should have.
A lot of misunderstandings will challenge the friends and their relationships.
Huge in France
Genre: comedy
Our rating: 3/5
Description: Gad Elmaleh is a famous French comedian who is unhappy in his life, despite his fame and success. After a call from his ex, he decides to leave France and settle in LA to reconnect with his son who wants nothing to do with him. Once there, he realizes that being famous in France doesn’t really mean anything in the United States.
This show aired while a scandal involving Gad Elmaleh happened in France. Because of this, both the critics and the public were very harsh on the show. However, international critics gave it a chance and appreciated this comedy.
Family Business
Genre: comedy
Our rating: 4/5
Description: Gérard Hazan is the owner of a Kosher butchery in Paris, but has been struggling since the death of his wife. His son, Joseph, thinks he has a solution. He heard from a reliable source that cannabis is going to be legalized soon. He decides to transform the butchery into a coffee shop. Before the legalization becomes official, he has to hide the new family business. Thankfully, the Hazan family is very good at keeping secrets. They are all hiding things from each other, but for how long?
Family Business was the first French show to be renewed for a third season.
Mortel
Genre: comedy
Our rating: 5/5
Description: Sofiane is a teenager who is in crisis after his brother, Reda, disappeared. Everyone around him believes that Reda ran away and will come back sooner or later, but Sofiane feels that there is more to his disappearance. While investigating, Sofiane meets Obé, a voodoo god who offers him a deal to find out what happened to Reda. Things don’t go according to plan. With the help of Victor, a boy from school who just recovered from a suicide attempt and Louisa, granddaughter of a voodoo priestess, Sofiane will try to uncover the truth.
Mortel (French for mortal or deadly) is an original show that plays with the classic codes of high school fantasy shows.
Marseille
Genre: drama
Our rating: 3/5
Description: Robert Taro has been the mayor of Marseille for more than twenty years and he’s about to leave his throne to Lucas Barrès, his mentee and deputy mayor. When things go south, they become rivals and fight for power in a corrupted city. Meanwhile, they have to face political intrigues and drug trafficking.
Despite being successful abroad, Marseille was canceled after two seasons. It didn’t interest the audience enough, despite a better second season.
Vampires
Genre: fantasy
Our rating: 4/5
Description: Paris, nowadays. A family of vampires is hiding there. Unlike the typical vampires, these are not bitten, but they were genetically transformed. The youngest of the family, Doïra, 16 years old, is slowly turning into a new kind of vampire which is still half-human. She has to deal with the problems of a regular teenage girl, her new powers, as well as mysterious vampires who are after her.
Vampires is a renewed version of a classic myth empowers.
Osmosis
Genre: SF
Our rating: 4/5
Description: In the near future, Paul and Esther, two siblings, created Osmosis, an app that will help you find your soulmate. Using nanobots and a special algorithm, Osmosis guarantees you will find your one true love. But behind this promise, Paul and Esther have their own interests to defend. When the beta test doesn’t go according to plan, things get complicated.
Despite positive reviews, Osmosis wasn’t as successful as Netflix had hoped and the show was canceled. There won’t be a second season.
A very secret service
Genre: comedy
Our rating: 4/5
Description: In the sixties, André Melraux became an intern for the French Secret Intelligence Services. Three agents are in charge of his training to help him become a French spy. This parody follows the traditional codes of spy movies to talk about colonialism, racism, and even the WW2 collaboration in France.
Despite great reviews, the show was canceled and will not get a third season.
The Forest
Genre: crime drama
Our rating: 4/5
Description: Jennifer, a young girl, disappears in the Ardennes forest right after calling her French Teacher, Eve. Gaspard Decker, the new captain of the police, and Lieutenant Musso are investigating. Eve, the teacher, is helping them. When she was a kid, she was found alone near the forest and couldn’t speak a word. This forest seems to have many secrets to tell.
This show is full of surprises and tensions. The investigation seems to be over very quickly, but there are surprises until the very last episode.
The Chalet
Genre: thriller
Our rating: 3/5
Description: In 2017, Manu Laverne decided to gather his friends in the village where they all grew up and that they all left. They come back to the chalet to celebrate Manu’s wedding with Adèle. Right after they get to the village, the bridge collapses. Since it was the only way in or out Valmoline, they are stuck there. Suddenly, accidents start to happen.
The episodes also show the characters’ pasts, in 1997, in the chalet. A classic technique that can make the story a bit confusing.
Marianne
Genre: horror
Our rating: 3/5
Description: Emma Larsimon is a successful author who decides she no longer wants to write the horror series that made her famous. She then realized that the monsters she wrote about are now alive. In fear for her close ones, she comes back to her hometown with her assistant. Once she is there, she has to face the demons from her nightmares if she wants to protect the people she loves.
Marianne is one of the rare French horror shows that had excellent reviews. Unfortunately, it wasn’t renewed for a second season.
La Révolution
Genre: supernatural drama
Our rating: 3/5
Description: What if the French revolution didn’t start the way you think it did? Set in 1787, people were murdered mysteriously in the kingdom of France. Joseph Guillotin, a doctor, is investigating these crimes. He discovers a virus, the “blue-blood”, that is affecting nobles, making them attack the “little people”. A rebellion is starting.
This show offers an original alternative to a classic theme. It was more popular abroad than in France and will not be renewed for a second season.
Black Spot
Genre: thriller
Our rating: 4/5
Description: Villefranche is a small, secluded village. It’s what is called a “white zone”, that is to say a place where there is no telephone network whatsoever. This village also has a high murder rate, six times higher than the national average. In here, Laurène Weiss, leader of the police, and Frank Siriani, the new prosecutor, have to solve investigations while dealing with the tensions in the village.
The first season was a success. The second season was less successful in France, but it was popular abroad. We don’t know if there will be a third season yet.
I aim to share my tips and recommendations for the beautiful country of France. My goal is to help you plan your next adventure, whether it’s a weekend getaway or a once-in-a-lifetime trip. From finding the best hotels and restaurants, to discovering unique activities and sights, I’ve got you covered!
