The most anticipated French films of 2025

While at the 75th edition of the Berlinale Marion Cotillard presents La Tour de glace alongside director Lucile Hadžihalilović, many other titles will fill the 2025 calendar of French theatrical releases. There are auteur comebacks, like Julia Ducournau’s much-anticipated third film following her Palme d'Or win at Cannes with Titane—with her next feature likely headed to the Venice Film Festival—and intriguing projects such as Romain Gavras’ Sacrifice, starring Anya Taylor-Joy and pop diva Charli XCX. From theatrical and streaming releases to genre films and festival favorites, let’s see what the French industry has in store this year.

Alpha by Julia Ducournau

Let’s start with one of the most anticipated films of the year. After the body horror Titane and her exploration of adolescence and sexuality in her debut Raw, Julia Ducournau returns with a film set in the 1980s in a city reminiscent of New York. The protagonist is Alpha, an eleven-year-old girl after whom the film is titled, whose parent is struck by the AIDS epidemic. The cast includes Tahar Rahim and Golshifteh Farahani.

Une affaire by Arnaud Desplechin

François Civil and Nadia Tereszkiewicz lead the cast of Arnaud Desplechin’s new film, Une affaire. The two actors portray a complex love story after Civil’s character, Matthias, returns to his childhood home in Lyon. The cast also includes Hippolyte Girardot and Charlotte Rampling. Filming began in December 2024.

Chien 51 by Cédric Jimenez

Science fiction also awaits in French cinema for 2025. Chien 51 is the latest film from Cédric Jimenez, returning after his 2022 release Novembre. Inspired by Laurent Gaudé’s novel, it tells the story of a dystopian society ruled by an AI named Alma. This established order is threatened when two investigators pursue the killer of the program’s creator. Gilles Lellouche and Adèle Exarchopoulos reunite with Jimenez after 2020’s BAC Nord, joined by Louis Garrel, Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, and Artus. The release date is set for October 15.

Sacrifice by Romain Gavras

An international cast headlines Romain Gavras’ upcoming film Sacrifice, with no release date yet. Anya Taylor-Joy, Salma Hayek, Chris Evans, Swedish rapper Yung Lean, and pop icon Charli XCX star in this loose interpretation of Joan of Arc. Taylor-Joy plays the leader of an extremist faction set to disrupt a major charity gala—an enigmatic woman plagued by prophetic visions, fighting against the bourgeoisie. Screenwriter Will Arbery, known for his work on Succession and Olivier Assayas’ cult series Irma Vep, penned the script.

Vie privée by Rebecca Zlotowski

Rebecca Zlotowski reunites with Virginie Efira after Other People’s Children, joined by Vincent Lacoste, Daniel Auteuil, and internationally renowned Jodie Foster. Vie privée follows a psychiatrist investigating the suspicious death of her patient, whom she believes was murdered. Though its release date remains unknown, it’s already one of the most anticipated titles of 2025.

French Lover by Nina Rives

A touch of romance awaits with Omar Sy, returning to Netflix after Lupin in Nina Rives’ French Lover. This story flips the classic Notting Hill premise, with a young woman falling for the world’s biggest French star, Abel Camara (Sy).

Dis-moi juste que tu m'aimes by Anne Le Ny

Omar Sy also stars in Dis-moi juste que tu m’aimes alongside Élodie Bouchez, depicting a marriage shaken by the arrival of the protagonist’s lover, portrayed by Vanessa Paradis. Bouchez’s character, devastated, embarks on an affair with her new boss Thomas, played by José Garcia. However, the passion soon turns into obsession. French theaters will release the film on February 19.

Les enfants vont bien by Nathan Ambrosioni

Camille Cottin and Juliette Armanet star in the third film by the young Nathan Ambrosioni, born in ’99. Unlike the calm atmosphere of his previous work Back to Me – originally Toni, en famille – The Kids Are Fine is a drama about what it feels like when someone disappears from your life without a trace. The story follows Suzanne, a mother of two young children, who makes an unexpected visit to her sister Jeanne one summer evening after a long time apart. Jeanne is caught off guard, and even more so when, the next morning, Suzanne vanishes, leaving only a note. When Jeanne goes to the police, she finds out there’s nothing they can do. You can’t search for someone who chooses to leave voluntarily. Filming wrapped last December, but the release date is yet to be announced. 

Mercato by Tristan Séguéla

Mercato explores the inner workings of the football industry through the story of an agent on the brink of collapse. The lead character, played by Jamel Debbouze, has seven days to prove he still has what it takes. Directed by Tristan Séguéla, this race-against-time film has been showing in French theaters since February 19. 

La tour de glace by Lucile Hadžihalilović

Director and screenwriter Lucile Hadžihalilović, working alongside Geoff Cox, crafts a film in the style of magical realism, blending the tangible world with fairy tales. This is the essence of The Ice Tower, presented at the 2025 Berlinale and set for release in September. Marion Cotillard stars as Cristina, an actress working on a film adaptation of the fairy tale The Snow Queen. Hidden among the film sets is Jeanne, an orphan portrayed by Clara Pacini. 

L'attachement by Carine Tardieu

Valeria Bruni Tedeschi and Pio Marmaï team up in Carine Tardieu’s fifth feature, Attachment, inspired by Alice Fernay’s novel Intimacy. Sandra, the lead character, runs a feminist bookstore and has chosen not to have children. However, a tragic event could change her life. This drama aims to touch the audience’s hearts by exploring the importance of family, whether by blood or choice. Attachment premiered in French cinemas on February 19, 2025. 

Marcel et Monsieur Pagnol by Sylvain Chomet

Sylvain Chomet returns to feature films after a twelve-year break from Attila Marcel, directing an animated biopic about Marcel Pagnol, the renowned French writer and playwright—briefly stepping in with the animated opening for Joker: Folie à deux. Marcel and Mr. Pagnol retraces Pagnol’s life from youth to fame with a tone that promises to be sweet, dreamlike, and likely moving. 

Rembrandt by Pierre Schoeller

Pierre Schoeller directs French cinema stars Camille Cottin and Romain Duris in Rembrandt, marking his return since 2018’s One Nation, One King. The story begins simply but captivates: during a visit to London’s National Gallery, two physicists stand before three of Rembrandt’s works, finding themselves so fascinated that their lives are forever changed. The cast also includes Céleste Brunnquell and Denis and Bruno Podalydès. 

Magma by Cyprien Vial

Marina Foïs plays a passionate volcanologist managing the seismic observatory in Gourbeyre in Cyprien Vial’s Magma. Among her duties is mentoring young doctoral student Aimé Lubin, portrayed by Théo Christine, who shares stories of growing up near the La Soufrière volcano. Despite differing views, they work closely together, especially when faced with an unexpected eruption. 

Oxana by Charlène Favier

After exploring the world of sports and mountaineering in 2021’s Slalom, director Charlène Favier focuses on icon and artist Oksana Shachko in Oxana, highlighting the FEMEN feminist movement she co-founded. The film traces her final days, childhood memories in Ukraine, early activism, and her fight for women’s freedom. 

Belladone by Alanté Kavaité

Alongside An Affair by Arnaud Desplechin, Nadia Tereszkiewicz stars in Alanté Kavaité’s third feature, Belladone. Gaëlle, a thirty-year-old, is tasked with caring for a small group of elderly people on a remote island. When travelers arrive to disrupt the island’s routine, she becomes suspicious—especially as she witnesses the elderly dying one after another. 

Partir un jour by Amélie Bonnin

After the success and accolades of her 2023 short film, César Award winner Amélie Bonnin adapts the story into a feature set for October 2025. In Leaving One Day, Cécile, played by Juliette Armanet, dreams of opening a gourmet restaurant. However, her plans stall when her father suffers a heart attack, bringing her back to her childhood home, where she reconnects with her first love. 

L'accident de piano by Quentin Dupieux

France’s most eccentric director, Quentin Dupieux, began shooting his next film The Piano Accident in January. There’s no plot or release date yet. All we know comes from Adèle Exarchopoulos, who hinted that the film will explore the meaning of things, money, and success. We’ll have to wait and see what he has in store—perhaps later in 2025.