So, you know, I sat here, racked my memory (my hand got tired from all the scrolling!) and realized: the French detective genre is a separate art form. It’s not just “whodunit?”, it’s the atmosphere, the psychology, and, damn, those actors! Putting this list together was a matter of honor. I’m going to lay everything out for you now, but without that dry, official drudgery. The detective genre, by the way, has always been a litmus test for cinema because it demands not just a plot, but also depth.
So, let’s get started. Here is the list I’d watch myself when it’s raining outside and you need food for thought. Are you ready to dive into a world of intrigue?
The Crime Is Mine
Well, what can I say, it’s 2023, and they still know how to surprise. This is the story of the young actress, Madeleine Verdier, who gets caught up in the murder of a famous producer. The case seemed hopeless, a complete dead end, but then her lawyer friend, Pauline Mauléon, steps in, and bam, an acquittal! Self-defense, you say? Yep, and off it goes: fame, roles, theaters… She literally “rode” the wave of this public sensation. But you and I know: the truth has a habit of coming out like a splinter. Director — François Ozon, cast — Nadia Tereszkiewicz, Rebecca Marder, Isabelle Huppert, Fabrice Luchini. Genre — Detective, Comedy. France. IMDb – 6.5, Rotten Tomatoes – 98%. My rating: worth watching for Huppert alone, she is always top-tier!
Maigret and the Mysterious Girl (Maigret)
Ah, Gérard Depardieu, a giant of cinema. Even with his recent antics, he knows how to act. Here, he is the legendary Commissioner Maigret. A classic, folks! Imagine: the center of Paris, a dead girl in an evening dress. No documents, no purse, five stab wounds. The tabloids are buzzing, zero leads. But this is Maigret; he’ll find them. I’m telling you, the moment he found the victim’s father… that was it! This man’s grief turned the case into something personal. “The true detective is not just a solver of puzzles, but a deep psychologist” — that, by the way, wasn’t me, but the Encyclopedia Britannica. Maigret is exactly that. Director — Patrice Leconte, cast — Gérard Depardieu, Jade Labeste, Mélanie Bernier. Countries — France, Belgium. IMDb – 5.9, Rotten Tomatoes – 78%. Watch it if you enjoy a measured, psychological detective story.
Black Box (Boîte noire)
Now, this is serious, 2020. An airliner crash. Who but Mathieu, a talented analyst with unique hearing, is tasked with deciphering the “black box”? Honestly, under that kind of pressure, I’d be sitting and drinking coffee, but he holds strong. The further he digs, the more “buts” emerge! Suspicious circumstances, the management orders him to shut down the investigation, but he, fueled by adrenaline, risks his career to go against the system. Now that’s what I call courage! Director — Yann Gozlan, cast — Pierre Niney, Lou de Laâge, André Dussollier. Country — France. IMDb – 7.2, Rotten Tomatoes – 88%. A genuine high-stakes thriller!
Only the Animals (Seules les bêtes)
2019. France and Germany teamed up to adapt Colin Niel’s bestseller. Non-linear, just the way I like it! Tell me, how many characters are there? A farming couple with a bunch of secrets, an African scammer from the internet, a gloomy farmer with trauma, a jilted waitress, and the victim — a wealthy Parisian woman. All of them, like puppets on strings, turn out to be connected by fate. Director — Dominik Moll, cast — Denis Ménochet, Laure Calamy. Genre — Detective. Countries — France, Germany. IMDb – 7.0.
The Translators (Les traducteurs)
A real story involving Dan Brown inspired this film (2019). Nine translators locked up in a French château. No phones, no internet. The publishing director is terrified of a leak. And yet, someone posts the first pages of the book online! How, Karl?! Who is the rat? It’s pure paranoia, but so captivating! Director — Régis Roinsard, cast — Lambert Wilson, Olga Kurylenko, Riccardo Scamarcio. Genre — Detective. Countries — France, Belgium. IMDb – 6.5.
Black Tide (Fleuve noir)
2017. The French countryside, gloomy. And Vincent Cassel in the role of Detective François Visconti. This cop is a walking bouquet of problems: he smokes, drinks, womanizes… But he has to find a 16-year-old teenager. After talking to the people around, he realizes everyone has a motive for murder. Well, what did you expect? It’s France! Director — Erick Zonca, cast — Vincent Cassel, Romain Duris, Sandrine Kiberlain. Genre — Detective. Countries — France, Belgium. IMDb – 6.3.
The Unknown Girl (La fille inconnue)
The Dardenne brothers (2016). Minimum pretense, maximum substance. Dr. Jenny, private practice. She didn’t open the door late one night, and the next day, that woman was found dead. Guilty or not guilty? The burden of guilt presses on her, and she becomes a detective in her own case. This is how ordinary people turn into seekers of truth. Directors — Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, cast — Adèle Haenel, Olivier Bonnaud. Genre — Detective. Countries — Belgium, France. IMDb – 6.5.
Twenty-One Nights with Pattie (Vingt et une nuits avec Pattie)
A rural drama-detective (2015). As soon as the news of her mother’s death breaks, Caroline, a middle-aged woman, immediately travels to a village in the south of France to organize the funeral. I’ll be honest, the relationship with her mother wasn’t great; she knew her quite superficially. While Caroline is making preparations, she meets a local resident, a talkative gossip named Pattie, who seems to know everything about everyone in this backwater. Thanks to this interaction and endless conversations, Caroline suddenly starts seeing her mother from a completely different, unexpected perspective. Old family secrets — always drama! Directors — Arnaud and Jean-Marie Larrieu, cast — Isabelle Carré, Karin Viard, André Dussollier. Genre — Detective. Country — France. IMDb – 6.2.
Miserere (The Mark of the Angels)
A modern French detective film from 2013. I heard critics tore this Sylvain White film apart, but, honestly, it has its fans — and I know why. The plot is captivating with its originality! A former retired cop, Kasdan, a priest’s friend, regularly visits the church. And then — bam! — an orchestra conductor is found dead in the parish. Well, could someone like Kasdan just walk past that? Of course not. But the investigation, as is often the case, turns out to be not a simple murder case, but just the first, tiny link in an entire chain of tangled crimes. I promise: the ending is unexpected. Cast — Gérard Depardieu, Joey Starr, Rüdiger Vogler. Genre — Detective. Countries — France, Belgium, Germany. IMDb – 5.7. Maybe not a masterpiece, but worth a shot.
The Strange Color of Your Body’s Tears (L’étrange couleur de larmes de ton corps)
Now this is a true art-house detective film from 2013. Dan Kristensen returns home from a business trip, and what does he see? His wife is gone. And most importantly — the apartment is locked from the inside, with no signs of her fleeing or being kidnapped. This is simply mind-blowing! Of course, he turns to the police, but without results. So, he takes the matter into his own hands and starts investigating his apartment building — their family nest. Over time, Dan uncovers that the building’s layout was completely different, and somewhere in the walls, secret labyrinths and passages are hidden. And perhaps the clue to the disappearance is hidden right in these confusing places. Directors — Hélène Cattet, Bruno Forzani, cast — Klaus Tange, Ursula Bedena, Joe Koener. Genre — Detective. Countries — Belgium, France, Luxembourg. IMDb – 6.0. For those who love surrealism.
Murders in Saint-Malo (Meurtres à Saint-Malo)
2013. A genre classic! Saint-Malo, pirates, treasures, tides. And then — a man’s body, buried up to his neck. Signs of torture! Everything points to 17th-century corsairs. That’s complete nonsense, isn’t it? But a young female detective with a historical background takes on the case. Director — Lionel Bailliu, cast — Bruno Solo, Louise Monot. Genre — Detective, Thriller. Country — France. IMDb – 6.9. Intriguing, if you ask me.
On the Other Side of the Tracks (De l’autre côté du périph)
2012. Comedy and detective in one package. Two detectives, like night and day: the rough Ousmane from the poor neighborhoods and the ambitious, big-city François. They’re investigating the murder of a business mogul’s wife. And their constant clash! Director — David Charhon, cast — Omar Sy, Laurent Lafitte. Genre — Detective, Comedy. Country — France. IMDb – 5.8. A very light film.
Poupoupidou
2011. A crime comedy that, somewhere in the background, has a connection to Marilyn Monroe. Writer David Rousseau meets Candice, who is convinced she is Marilyn’s reincarnation. And then she’s dead. The police call it “suicide.” But David, of course, doesn’t believe it. Director — Gérald Hustache-Mathieu, cast — Jean-Paul Rouve, Sophie Quinton. Genre — Detective, Comedy. Country — France. IMDb – 6.6.
Love Crime (Crime d’amour)
2010. A female detective thriller. Christine is a cutthroat executive. Her assistant, Isabelle, is talented but susceptible to manipulation. Christine even sends her own lover to Isabelle to finish her off. But this time, she miscalculated. Revenge is a dish best served cold, you know. Director — Alain Corneau, cast — Ludivine Sagnier, Kristin Scott Thomas. Genre — Detective. Countries — France, Mexico, Lebanon. IMDb – 6.5.
Simon Werner Disappeared…
2010. A dramatic detective story about a college in the suburbs of Paris. 1992. A body is found, then Simon Werner goes missing. Blood in the classroom. What is it? Escape, suicide, kidnapping? And then other teenagers disappear, seemingly unrelated. The tension is palpable! Director — Fabrice Gobert, cast — Jules Pelissier, Ana Girardot. Genre — Detective, Drama. Country — France. IMDb – 6.4.
RTT
2009. A comedy of the absurd. A husband and wife go to a hotel to “fix” their relationship. And there… an imposter artist, a depressed man, young lovers. In the morning, his wife is gone, and he’s suspected of murder. How did it come to this? Director — Guillaume Nicloux, cast — Jean-Pierre Darroussin, Judith Godrèche. Genre — Detective, Comedy. Country — France. IMDb – 5.6. For those who enjoy “strange” cinema.
The Great Alibi (Le grand alibi)
Now, this one is like Agatha Christie, but French-style (2008). A luxurious villa, a crowd of guests: a psychoanalyst and his mistress, a senator, a writer… And in the morning — the psychoanalyst’s corpse in the pool. EVERYONE is a suspect! A chamber, classic story. Director — Pascal Bonitzer, cast — Miou-Miou, Lambert Wilson. Genre — Detective. Country — France. IMDb – 5.4. Don’t let the rating scare you; the atmosphere is worth it.
Cortex
2008. A retired police commissioner, Charles Boyer. Alzheimer’s. A psychiatric hospital. And he hasn’t lost his touch! People are dying in the hospital, and Charles is convinced: someone is “helping” them along. Director — Nicolas Boukhrief, cast — André Dussollier, Marthe Keller. Genre — Detective. Country — France. IMDb – 6.2. Dussollier is simply outstanding here.
So, how do you like the selection? I’m confident you found something here for yourself. The French know how to film so that you don’t just watch, but genuinely think, watch, feel. And that, you must agree, is the main thing.
Questions and Answers (FAQ)
Which French detective film on this list is the newest?
The newest one on this list is the film The Crime Is Mine (Mon crime), released in 2023. It’s a fresh, high-stakes comedy-detective film about an ambitious actress and an unexpected acquittal.
Are there any classic Agatha Christie-style detectives on the list?
Yes, the film The Great Alibi (Le grand alibi) from 2008 is noted by viewers precisely as a classic chamber story in the spirit of Agatha Christie, but with French flair. It features many suspects and a luxurious villa, which is a canon of the genre.
Which films in the selection have high ratings?
Pay attention to Black Box (Boîte noire) with an IMDb of 7.2 and Rotten Tomatoes of 88%, as well as The Crime Is Mine (Mon crime), which, despite having an IMDb of 6.5, boasts an impressive Rotten Tomatoes score of 98%.
P.S. If you’ve already watched something from this list, be sure to share your impressions in the comments! And if not — don’t forget to tell your friends about this selection. Maybe one of them is also looking for something to watch this weekend!
Author: ReelPoint Think… Watch… Feel.
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