We are used to watching American, Spanish, British series... but more and more, foreign series and films are gaining ground. Such is the case of French series. At SeriesRank we want you to watch the best French series on Netflix. So check them out!
The best French series on Netflix: a must-see
After several bombshells that have enamored their audience, French series have found the deserved valuation that few gave them before. Although still unknown, there are a lot of French series that you can't miss, always set in France, the country of love. And they offer above all stories with historical themes, emphasizing the French Revolution; stories where black humor reigns; and horror stories to keep you awake at night.
Whether it's because you want to improve your language skills (how better to start than watching a series in its original language) or because you want to delve deeper into French series that won't really disappoint anyone, here we are going to propose 9 series that can be found on Netflix and have hooked everyone who has watched them.
The Revolution
Starting the list in the best way means talking about The Revolution, one of the best French series on Netflix for entertainment. The supernatural drama is set in the context before the French Revolution, explaining the fictional prelude to it. The series is based on the existence of the so-called "blue blood", an infection that mutates the color of the aristocracy's blood, causing them to behave aggressively.
This ambitious project manages to reimagine the very French Revolution with great success. Despite its fiction, it manages to move the audience with its sensational staging and precisely because it offers a fictionalized version of the violent and shocking revolution. Don't expect realistic and historical viewing when you start this series because that's not what it's about! Then you certainly won't be disappointed.
- Episodes: 8.
- Release year: 2020.
Marianne
This French horror series tells the story of Emma, a novelist whose past haunts her and torments her in the form of Marianne, the witch antagonist of the novels she writes. Fact and fiction come together in this series that will make your hair stand on end. Because Marianne, with a creepy laugh and a superb performance, can be more than just a character invented by Emma's troubled mind.
With an original, far-fetched and thrilling script, if you like to be scared by the hand of a well-developed idea, you can't miss this one. Because even Stephen King, the king of horror novels, recommended it for horror fans. Do you dare to watch it?
- Seasons: 1.
- Release year: 2019
Lupin
Lupin is another one of the best French series on Netflix. The famous thief Arsène Lupin appears in the flesh in this French Netflix production. It arrives with so much force that it has even placed in the top 10 most watched Netflix series, reaching 76 million plays in the first season. and rightly so! It is a crime series full of intrigue, action and romance.
A death, a robbery, a betrayal... Lupin's past comes back to the surface to accompany him in this new challenge. He will steal a necklace from the Louvre, no less, to take revenge and prove the innocence of his recently deceased father, who was framed for stealing it. But for this, he will have to face the rich family that caused his misfortune.
With scenes and perspectives that will make you fall off your chair, you can't miss this contemporary adaptation of Maurice Leblanc's novels because it sets them apart from the rest: it's an unpredictable series that hooks you from the very first episode. And it also features Omar Sy, who we had already seen in the French film Intouchables (2011).
- Seasons: 1, season 2 confirmed.
- Premiere year: 2021.
Charity Bazaar
If you like series based on true events, this is one of the most ideal French Netflix series for you. Because its plot focuses on the true and documented fire that took place in Paris in 1897, in the same Bazaar that gives its name to the series.
126 was the number of aristocratic people, mostly women, killed by the accident. Although the series only follows in detail 3 surviving women who, after the fire, are forced to change their lives completely. Thus, each episode revolves around one of these women and the problems they have to face. Drama, love, sensitivity and identity come together in this piece of fiction that will hook you.
- Seasons: 1.
- Premiere year: 2019.
Family Business
The French Hazan family decides to run the former kosher butcher shop business into a cannabis shop after France legalizes it. As such, the first season revolves around the changes the family faces in order to make a place for themselves in society and get rich. While the second focuses more on the conflicts of the already well-known family.
A comedy to watch on Netflix where French humor predominates. Ideal for those looking for something light to have a good time with actors such as Gérard Darmon, who plays the patriarch of the family; and Julia Piaton, who already impressed the audience with his performance in the film Dios mío ¿pero qué te hemos hecho? (2014). Because the predictable plot gives importance to the jokes and the acting of the characters, rather than the script and plot twists.
- Seasons: 3.
- Premiere year: 2019.
Marseille
Gérard Depardieu, who has appeared in a variety of films including Life of Pi (2012) and Cyrano de Bergerac (1990), returns to screens to star in one of Netflix's most critically-acclaimed French series. For this is the French platform's first production and that brings a lot of hype and anticipation for the series.
In the political crime drama, Depardieu plays the mayor of Marseille who before the municipal elections, who will be won by his young successor, hatches a plan to make his ambition to build a casino come true.
If you've seen House of Cards, you're going to love this series! Because it mixes corruption, the power of money and desire, social injustices and political intricacies.
- Seasons: 2
- Premiere year: 2016.
Le Chalet
Le Chalet is a murdermystery thriller series that has the perfect dosage to be one of the most addictive French Netflix series. Like most movies and series in this genre, some friends get together in a house in the mountains and everything seems to be going perfect. Until, after several strange events, the reunited friends find themselves isolated in the chalet where murders and disappearances occur.
The originality of the plot is its time jumps, as it combines the current story with the past of the friends when they lived in the same town of the chalet. You're sure to keep watching the entertaining and fast-paced series to find out who's behind it all.
- Seasons: 1
- Premiere Year: 2018.
Occasional Love
When don't you feel like watching a romantic comedy? It's always the perfect time for this great genre. This is why you have to watch Occasional Love which focuses on the romantic life of 30-year-old protagonist Elsa.
After two years of a difficult breakup with her partner that Elsa can't get over, her friends decide to hire a gigolo without her knowing. But, like all rom coms, love and complications will arise from this encounter.
With 30-minute episodes, Occasional Love is a series to watch anytime and is sure to bring a smile to your face - it's the ultimate easy-to-digest choice!
- Seasons: 2.
- Release year: 2018.
Osmosis
To finish off the list of French Netflix series that will get you hooked right away we suggest Osmosis. The sci-fi series is set in a futuristic Paris where, due to great technological advances, the dating app Osmosis has been created. Its disturbing plot lies in the reliability of the application, since the algorithm finds the perfect match, the soul mate, but not before delving into the minds of all users with brain implants.
Undoubtedly this is a plausible fact in today's society, when there are already a multitude of apps to meet the perfect partner. Although none like the one proposed by the futuristic series Osmosis, subtly reminding us of the dystopian series Black Mirror .
- Seasons: 1.
- Premiere year: 2019.
