There are certain countries (outside of the US of course) that are major producers of movies, and along with South Korea and India, France has been one of those nations for more than half a century. Recently a Redditor took to r/moviesuggestions to make a pretty broad request, they were looking for French movies that simply “aren’t Amélie.” All that they asked was that the movies be French and have subtitles. 

Unsurprisingly there were a huge number of responses to the prompt. But in taking a look at the many suggestions, it dawned on me that there was something for nearly every mood in the recommendations, so here I’ve gathered ten of the best and most disparate movies mentioned for a list of ten French movies for every mood. 

1. Le Samourai

Several respondents highlighted this super stylish Film about a laconic hitman who is framed for a murder and must find out who framed him and why. One of the commenters said that the film “is my favorite [French film].” 

2. La Haine

By far the most agreed upon movie in the comments. This film centers on three friends (one white, one black, one Arab) living in a low-income, mostly immigrant community suburb of Paris and was called “absolutely excellent” and “legit one of the best movies I've ever seen.” 

3. Eyes Without a Face

A horror classic, Eyes Without a Face received surprisingly few mentions, though one of those commenters said the film is “bonkers and I love it.” “Bonkers” seems like a fair description for a movie about a scientist and his assistant who steal the faces from beautiful young women so that he can place them on his daughter who lost her face in an accident. 

4. The Triplets of Belleville

A French movie without much French (or any language) spoken in it, The Triplets of Belleville received several mentions and compliments with one user calling it “fantastic.” As an animation fan myself, I couldn’t agree more. The film tells its story about a mother searching for her kidnapped cyclist son with the aid of the titular Triplets of Belleville in absolutely beautiful animation. 

5. La Femme Nikita

Luc Besson is likely best known for his English-language film Leon: The Professional, but his French-language films deserve just as much attention. Especially La Femme Nikita, which follows a young woman who is trained to be an assassin. It’s a super stylized action movie that’s perfect for fans of movies like John Wick and Atomic Blonde. 

6. Brotherhood of the Wolf

A movie unlike any other, French or not, Brotherhood of the Wolf was recommended by many respondents, one of whom said that they “can't recommend it enough.” The film, which follows a pair of men who are sent to investigate the mysterious deaths in the town of Gévaudan, deftly combines horror and martial arts action in an 18th century period setting.   

7. Portrait of a Lady on Fire

One of the few films that can be called a classic less than five years after its initial release, Portrait of a Lady on Fire tells the story of a love affair between a painter and the woman she is painting a portrait of. One person recommending the film called it “the best romantic movie ever.” 

8. Raw

Both feature films from writer/director Julia Ducournau received several mentions, as well as some commenters simply recommending that the original poster seek out her films. Between Titane and Raw though, Raw received more mentions and is among my favorite films of all time. The film centers on a young woman who has been a vegetarian her entire life begins craving all sorts of meat, including human, after she’s forced to eat meat during a hazing ritual. One commenter said Raw was their “favorite subbed movie.”

9. The Intouchables

Many commenters highlighted The Intouchables as a great French film, with one stating it was “probably my favourite [sic] French film next to Amelie.” The movie follows the friendship that develops between a wealthy quadriplegic man and the young black man who takes a job caring for him. It’s a movie that could be saccharine but plays every note with such genuine emotion without taking itself too seriously, leading to a simply delightful movie. 

10. Playtime

Another delightful movie that got several mentions is Jacques Tati’s Playtime which follows Tati’s Hulot character, who appears in several of his films, as he attempts to make his way around a chaotic and strangely futuristic Paris. One commenter said the film was “one of the funniest movies I’ve seen in the past few years.”

This article was produced and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.