12 Must See French Streaming Series
January 2024
Stories, like travels, are a way of experiencing other cultures. That’s why we’re constantly on a quest to discover new foreign language streaming series.
And as with many things travel-related, when in doubt, head to France.
Whether it’s comedy, drama, suspense, or a historical series, across nearly all genres there’s an excellent French streaming series that will satisfy your desire for a culturally immersive binge-watch.
The French entertainment industry is one of the most robust in the world, and French tv series are on a par in quality and production value with the best of Hollywood.
What are the Best French Series in 2024?
Below is our list of the best French streaming and series currently available on Netflix and Amazon. While all share a common country of origin, these series represent some of the best shows of any kind on Netflix, Amazon, or any streaming platform.
1. Lupin (Netflix)
Genre: Action/Adventure
Fans of James Bond and Benoit Blanc take note; Lupin is a world-class bingeworthy series you do not want to miss.
Assane Diop is equal parts charismatic and cunning thief, master of disguise, escape artist, and charming rouge.
Inspired by the adventures of the 19th century fictional French gentleman thief Arsène Lupin, Diop has created a brilliant and sophisticated alter ego to contrast his humble beginnings. In Seasons One and Two, Assane embarks on a high-stakes journey to avenge his father’s wrongful imprisonment while pulling off increasingly daring heists and deceptions.
Season three finds Diop fighting to save the life of his mother and to redeem himself in his family’s eyes.
Across all three seasons, Assane Diop faces formidable adversaries, unravels powerful conspiracies, and unpacks the complicated details of his immigrant childhood, his romantic life, and his desire to be a traditional father. Set against the treacherous world of crime and institutional power, this fast-paced, stylish series is packed with plot twists, charm, and great humor.
Set in Paris and across Southern France, stunning cinematography and taut editing combine with star-turn performances and action-packed scripts to elevate this series to cinematic levels of excellence.
- Year of Release: 2021
- Number of Seasons: 3 (season 4 confirmed)
- Number of Episodes: 30 (10 per season)
- Top Actors: Omar Sy, Ludivine Sagnier, Clotilde Hesme
- Awards: Nominated for multiple awards, including César Awards and Critics’ Choice Television Award
2. Call My Agent (Netflix)
Genre: Comedy/Drama
An instant classic, this series is one of the finest “dramadeys” in any language.
This laugh-out-loud-funny, poignant, and heartwarming series is set in a top-tier talent agency in Paris, where agents navigate the eccentric demands of celebrity clients while dealing with their own personal and professional challenges.
Across four seasons, the show provides a delightful and insightful glimpse into the glamorous, chaotic, cutthroat world of entertainment, with agents juggling the ups and downs of their unique careers and the careers of their clients.
In each episode, real-life international film stars appear as themselves in often hilarious self-parodies. The guest-star list is a who’s who of international film stars, including Monica Belluci, Sigourney Weaver, Juliette Binoche, Jean Reno, and Jean Dujardins who each appear in some of the series’ most clever plot lines.
- Year of Release: 2015
- Number of Seasons: 4
- Number of Episodes: 24
- Top Actors: Camille Cottin, Thibault de Montalembert, Grégory Montel, Fanny Sidney
- Awards: Won Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy
3. The Bureau (Sundance, available through Amazon)
Genre: Espionage/Political Drama
Widely acclaimed by critics and the public to be perhaps the best French series ever produced. Essential viewing for fans of The Wire, Homeland, and Fauda.
The Bureau follows the lives and missions of agents working for the DGSE, France’s equivalent of the CIA. As they tackle high-stakes operations, personal relationships become intertwined, leading to both professional and personal consequences.
An intensely realistic glimpse into the shadowy, morally complex world of undercover agents, when the first two episodes were screened for the DGSE, they received a five-minute standing ovation. This series gets a full ten out of ten on our bingemeter.
With five seasons and a total of 50 episodes, each episode feels like a feature film, with stunning cinematography, exotic locations, superb acting, and taut plotlines filled with plot twists and cliffhangers.
- Year of Release: 2015
- Number of Seasons: 5
- Number of Episodes: 50
- Top Actors: Mathieu Kassovitz, Florence Loiret Caille, Sara Giraudeau
- Awards: Won French TV Critics Association Award for Best French Series
4. Family Business (Netflix)
Genre: Dark Comedy
If quirky, likable dark comedies are your thing, welcome to The Family.
A failing kosher butcher shop owner discovers that his weed strain has won an award, leading him to make a bold business pivot by involving his family in the world of cannabis cultivation.
Their journey takes an unexpected turn as this unlikely “family” of marijuana farmers inadvertently become entangled in the underworld of drug dealing. Comedic yet fast-paced and at its core warm and likeable, Family Business is a great glimpse into a foreign culture-within-a-culture.
- Year of Release: 2019
- Number of Seasons: 3
- Number of Episodes: 19
- Top Actors: Jonathan Cohen, Gérard Darmon, Julia Piaton
5. Voltaire High (Amazon Prime)
Genre: Period Drama
An emotionally complex, beautifully shot 1960’s era period piece that captures the timeless challenges of adolescence.
It’s the start of the school year in 1963. At Voltaire Academy, a prestigious all-boys high school, the school’s administration decides to experiment with coeducation by admitting female students for the first time.
Amidst romantic tensions, societal expectations, and personal conflicts, both the students and the faculty must navigate the complexities of adolescence, poverty, class conflicts, and the rapidly changing world. Casting excels here, with young talented mixed with established performers to create an excellent ensemble cast. Art direction, beautiful locations and tight scripts elevate this series to foreign-film level status.
- Year of Release: 2021
- Number of Seasons: 1
- Number of Episodes: 8
- Top Actors: Nina Meurisse, Pierre Deladonchamps, Maud Wyler, Lèonine Souchard
6. The Eddy (Netflix)
Genre: Crime, Drama
A dark, fast-paced thriller set to a slick jazz soundtrack, a great fit for organized crime series aficionados.
Set in a jazz club in modern-day Paris, the series explores the tumultuous lives of the club’s owner, his underworld associates, and the musicians who perform on the club’s stage. Verité-style cinematography, strong performances and an excellent soundtrack bring to life a complex story of murder, addiction, family, and romance.
Taut direction on each episode features top directorial talents, including Director Damien Chazelle, best know for “Whiplash” and “La La Land”.
With one season consisting of 8 episodes, “The Eddy” offers a soulful take on the world of jazz and its emotional complexities and offers a gritty, street-level view of Paris.
- Year of Release: 2020
- Number of Seasons: 1
- Number of Episodes: 8
- Top Actors: André Holland, Joanna Kulig, Amandla Stenberg
- Awards: Nominated for several awards including Primetime Emmy Awards
7. The Seven Lives of Lea (Netflix)
Genre: Drama/Crime/Mystery/Time travel
A genre-bending mystery based on the novel of the same name, a 10 on the binge-watching scale.
Lea, a troubled teen, has her life turned upside down after discovering the skeletal remains of a murder victim. Lea then discovers that each night, as she sleeps, she travels back in time and inhabits the bodies of those involved in the case, including both the murder victim and the suspects, two of whom happen to be her parents.
This highly complex, emotional experience changes how she views herself and her parents, while highlighting the moral complexities of life’s difficult choices and their sometimes tragic consequences.
With one season consisting of 8 episodes, the series offers a brilliant, thought-provoking exploration of the impact of choices and the concept of second chances.
- Year of Release: 2022
- Number of Seasons: 1
- Number of Episodes: 8
- Top Actors: Raika Haznavicius, Khalil Ben Gharbia, Anne Azouley, Samuel Benchetrit
8. A French Village / Un Village Français (Amazon)
Genre: Historical Drama, World War II
An expansive, complex, and heartbreaking drama lauded for its historical accuracy.
Set in a small fictional French village during World War II, this highly acclaimed drama series explores the complex and moral dilemmas faced by the villagers as they navigate life under German occupation.
With its rich character development and intricate storytelling, “A French Village” delves deep into the human experience during one of history’s darkest periods, examining collaboration, resistance, and the personal sacrifices made by ordinary people.
Spanning seven seasons and a total of 72 episodes, the series offers a poignant and gripping portrayal of wartime France, challenging us to consider how we would have fared under such unendurable circumstances.
- Year of Release: 2009
- Number of Seasons: 7
- Number of Episodes: 72
- Top Actors: Robin Renucci, Audrey Fleurot, Thierry Godard
- Awards: Nominated for and won several awards, including the International Emmy Award for Best Performance by an Actress (Audrey Fleurot)
9. Killer Coaster (Amazon Prime)
Genre: Suspense, mystery, dark comedy
Fans of Stranger Things will connect with this fast-paced, surreal, dark comedy.
A thrilling roller coaster ride takes a deadly turn when a group of friends becomes trapped on a malfunctioning amusement park ride, forcing them to confront their fears, secrets, and the killer among them as they fight for survival. Yes, it sounds bizarre, and yes, it is, but that’s OK. Tight scripting and a unique concept elevate this above the usual streaming series fare to create a smart, taught series.
With one season consisting of 6 episodes, “Killer Coaster” delivers adrenaline-pumping suspense and mystery.
- Year of Release: 2021
- Number of Seasons: 1
- Number of Episodes: 6
- Top Actors: Stéphane Caillard, Adan Jodorowsky, Melissa Mars
10. Mythomaniac (Netflix)
Genre: Drama, dark comedy
For fans of complex human dramas, this is a spiderweb of human emotions well worth getting tangled up in.
When a suburban housewife fabricates a series of lies about her life to gain attention from her partner and to escape her mundane daily routine, her web of deception spirals out of control, leading to unforeseen consequences for her family and herself.
With one season consisting of 6 episodes, “Mythomaniac” explores the consequences of living a life built on lies. Dark humor, pathos, and the consequences of our life choices are all addressed in this brisk and darkly funny series.
- Year of Release: 2019
- Number of Seasons: 1
- Number of Episodes: 6
- Top Actors: Marina Hands, Mathieu Demy, Marie Drion
![Mytho | Trailer da temporada 01 | Dublado (Brasil) [HD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/QWErBKlTMeo/0.jpg "12 Must See French Streaming Series")
11. Osmosis (Netflix)
Genre: Near-Future Sci-fiark comedy
Fans of Black Mirror, Westworld, and The Peripheral will appreciate this dark, suspenseful take on dating in the future.
In a visually arresting near-future Paris, a new brain implant helps men and women find their soul mates. During the test run of this new technology, anti-technology activists hack the founding company, Osmosis, setting off a taught spiral of conflicts that include kidnapping, trust, and corporate espionage.
With just one season consisting of 8 episodes, “Osmosis” none-the-less provides an intelligent, insightful take on privacy, identity, and loneliness in the modern world.
- Year of Release: 2019
- Number of Seasons: 1
- Number of Episodes: 8
- Top Actors: Hugo Becker, Agathe Bonitzer, Stéphane Pitti
![Osmosis | Official Trailer [HD] | Netflix](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/XKgKa7mlEqE/0.jpg "12 Must See French Streaming Series")
12. Criminal France (Netflix)
Genre: Crime
Dark, intelligent, taught mini-series perfect for psychological procedural lovers.
In this intense police procedural series, detectives in Paris interrogate suspects in high-stakes criminal cases, using their skills in psychology and deduction to uncover the truth while facing the moral and ethical dilemmas of the justice system.
With one season consisting of 3 episodes, “Criminal France” provides a gripping glimpse into the complexities of criminal investigations and human psychology as seen through a French cultural lens.
- Year of Release: 2019
- Number of Seasons: 1
- Number of Episodes: 3
- Top Actors: Nathalie Baye, Jérémie Renier, Sara Giraudeau
