Last updated: October 2026
The best French shows on Netflix give you something an app can’t: hours of real French, spoken fast, by people who sound like the French you’ll actually hear. The catch is that native-speed French is hard to follow at first. Pick the right show for your level, and use it the right way, and that changes quickly.
Below are 10 French shows on Netflix, sorted by level, plus a simple method for turning any episode into a French lesson. Good timing, too: Lupin Part 4 arrives on Netflix on October 23, 2026.
The short answer: the best French show on Netflix to learn French is Lupin for most learners, and Plan Cœur (The Hook Up Plan) if you’re a beginner.
Quick Picks
- Best for beginners: Plan Cœur (The Hook Up Plan), a short, light rom-com in everyday Parisian French
- Best overall: Lupin, a gripping thriller with clear, well-paced dialogue
- Best for a Belgian accent: Into the Night
- Best for advanced learners: Call My Agent! (Dix pour cent), fast and full of slang
How to Learn French with Netflix
Watching a French show with English subtitles is fun, but you’ll mostly be reading English. To actually learn, you need to connect the French you hear with the French you see. Here’s a method that works:
LingQ co-founder Steve Kaufmann, who has learned 20+ languages, prefers series to films: “The good thing about a series is that you meet the same people every time, in every episode.” The same voices, the same vocabulary, week after week. (Steve on learning with Netflix and YouTube)
- Pick a show slightly above your level. You should be able to follow the story, even if you miss many words.
- Switch to French audio and French subtitles. Subtitles in French let you match sounds to words. That matters a lot in French, where silent letters and liaisons make words run together.
- Read the episode on LingQ first, or after. Use the LingQ Importer extension (below) to import the episode into LingQ and read the transcript. Tap any word you don’t know to see a translation and save it.
- Rewatch. The second time, you’ll catch far more, because you’ve already met the words.
- Keep going with the same show. The same characters use the same words and expressions episode after episode, so each one gets easier.
You don’t need to do this with every episode. Even one episode a week, studied this way, will train your ear faster than hours of passive watching.
Turn any Netflix episode into a lesson with the LingQ Importer
The free LingQ Importer browser extension turns a Netflix episode into a LingQ lesson in a couple of clicks. It brings in the episode’s subtitles as a transcript, so you can read the dialogue, tap any word for a translation and save it to review later.
- Install the extension available for Chrome, Safari, Edge and Firefox.
- Open the episode on Netflix in your browser, with French audio and subtitles.
- Click the LingQ extension icon, choose French and a course, and click Import.
- Open the lesson on LingQ. It’s saved in your lessons, on the web and in the mobile app, so you can read it anytime.
Two things to know: the extension imports the dialogue, not Netflix’s audio, so watch the episode on Netflix and read the transcript on LingQ. And on a phone, import from your mobile browser, not the Netflix app. The same extension works for YouTube videos and articles too.
Talk about the episode with Lynx, LingQ’s AI tutor
Understanding an episode is one thing. Talking about it is where new words really stick. That’s what Lynx, LingQ’s AI tutor, is for: a French conversation partner that’s available whenever you finish an episode.
After you’ve watched and read an episode, open a chat with Lynx and talk about it in French. A few ideas:
- Retell the episode. Summarize what happened in your own words, then ask Lynx to correct your French.
- Ask about what confused you. Paste a line of dialogue and ask what it means, or why a character said it that way. That’s especially useful for slang in shows like Mortel or Call My Agent!.
- Practice the new words. Ask Lynx for new example sentences using the words you saved from the episode.
- Discuss the characters. Who’s your favourite in Lupin? What would you have done in their place? Opinions are great speaking practice.
And if an episode is still too hard, LingQ can generate a simpler version of the lesson, so you can read that first and then go back to the original.
Lynx chat and simplified lessons are part of LingQ Premium.
French Shows on Netflix for Beginners
At the beginner level, look for everyday situations, short episodes and speech that isn’t too fast. Expect to pause a lot at first. That’s normal.
Not ready for native TV yet? Start with LingQ’s French Mini Stories, 60 short stories built around everyday words, with native-speaker audio. A few weeks of those, then come back to these shows.
1) Plan Cœur (The Hook Up Plan)
Country: France · Genre: Romantic comedy · Seasons: 3 (2018–2022) · Level: A2–B1
Elsa’s friends hire a male escort to help her get over her ex, and it goes wrong in all the expected ways. The episodes are short, around 30 minutes, and almost everything happens in ordinary places: apartments, bars, offices. That means you hear the French people actually use day to day: greetings, small talk, texting, dating. It’s the easiest French Netflix show to start with.
What you’ll learn: everyday conversation, casual Parisian French, common expressions
LingQ tip: import episode 1 with the LingQ Importer and read it before you watch. The short episodes make Plan Cœur a great first import.
2) Chef’s Table: France
Country: France · Genre: Documentary · Seasons: 1 (2016) · Level: A2–B1
Four episodes, each following a French chef, told largely in their own words. Documentaries are easier than drama: people speak more slowly and clearly, there’s narration, and the pictures help you follow along. If you enjoy food, this is a gentle way to get used to hearing French at a natural pace.
What you’ll learn: food and cooking vocabulary, describing work and passion, clearer spoken French
French Shows on Netflix for Intermediate Learners
At the intermediate level, you can follow a gripping plot and pick up new words from context. These shows have strong stories and dialogue that’s natural but not too hard.
3) Lupin
Country: France · Genre: Crime thriller · Seasons: 4 parts (2021–2026) · Level: B1–B2
Omar Sy plays Assane Diop, a gentleman thief inspired by Maurice Leblanc’s Arsène Lupin. It’s one of Netflix’s most-watched non-English series, and one of the best for learners: Sy’s delivery is clear and well paced, and the story pulls you through every episode. Part 4, eight episodes, premieres on October 23, 2026. Rewatching Parts 1 to 3 in French first is a great way to prepare.
What you’ll learn: crime and planning vocabulary, formal and informal registers, modern Parisian French
LingQ tip: import a few episodes of Part 3 into LingQ before Part 4 arrives, so the characters’ voices and vocabulary are fresh when the new season starts.
4) Women at War (Les Combattantes)
Country: France · Genre: Historical drama · Seasons: 1 (8 episodes) · Level: B1–B2
Four women’s lives cross on the home front during the First World War. It was a hit on Netflix worldwide in 2023. The dialogue is clear and emotional, and the period setting gives you a richer, slightly more formal French than modern comedies.
What you’ll learn: emotional and descriptive language, history vocabulary, more formal French
5) Osmosis
Country: France · Genre: Science fiction · Seasons: 1 (2019) · Level: B1–B2
In near-future Paris, a dating app promises to find your true soulmate using an implant. It’s an easy premise to follow, with plenty of conversation about relationships, technology and choices.
What you’ll learn: technology vocabulary, talking about feelings and relationships
6) Into the Night
Country: Belgium · Genre: Thriller · Seasons: 2 (2020–2021) · Level: B1–B2
After the sun suddenly turns deadly, the passengers of a hijacked overnight flight have to keep flying west, away from daylight. It’s Netflix’s first original series from Belgium. Most of the dialogue is in French, with some other languages mixed in, so it’s a good way to hear a Belgian French accent.
What you’ll learn: Belgian French, urgent everyday speech, problem-solving vocabulary
French Shows on Netflix for Advanced Learners
At the advanced level, the challenge is speed, slang and people talking over each other. These shows are where French starts to sound like it does in real life.
7) Call My Agent! (Dix pour cent)
Country: France · Genre: Comedy-drama · Seasons: 4 (2015–2020) · Level: B2–C1
Four agents at a Paris talent agency juggle demanding clients, with real French stars such as Juliette Binoche and Jean Dujardin playing exaggerated versions of themselves. It’s often called one of the best French series ever made. The dialogue is fast, witty and full of workplace French and expressions, which is exactly why it’s so good for advanced learners.
What you’ll learn: fast conversational French, idioms, workplace and entertainment vocabulary
LingQ tip: the dialogue is fast, so this is the show where reading the transcript on LingQ first helps most. Tap the expressions you don’t know, then watch the scene again.
8) Marianne
Country: France · Genre: Horror · Seasons: 1 (2019) · Level: B2–C1
A horror novelist discovers that the characters she writes about are coming to life in her hometown. Expect very informal French, lots of swearing and emotional, rapid-fire arguments. It’s not for everyone, but if you like horror, few shows give you more natural spoken French.
What you’ll learn: informal and colloquial French, swearing, expressing fear and anger
9) Mortel
Country: France · Genre: Supernatural drama · Seasons: 2 (2019–2021) · Level: B2–C1
Two teenagers make a deal with a supernatural being to solve a disappearance. The characters speak like French teenagers do, with lots of slang and verlan, the French habit of flipping syllables. It’s demanding, but it’s the best way on this list to hear the French young people actually speak.
What you’ll learn: youth slang, verlan, informal speech
10) La Révolution
Country: France · Genre: Historical fantasy · Seasons: 1 (2020) · Level: B2–C1
An alternate history of the French Revolution, in which a mysterious disease spreads among the aristocracy. The period setting means formal, old-fashioned French, a nice contrast after the slang in Mortel and Marianne.
What you’ll learn: formal and historical French, political vocabulary
French Netflix Shows at a Glance
| Show | Level | Genre | Accent / style |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plan Cœur (The Hook Up Plan) | A2–B1 | Rom-com | Everyday Parisian |
| Chef’s Table: France | A2–B1 | Documentary | Clear, slower speech |
| Lupin | B1–B2 | Crime thriller | Clear modern Parisian |
| Women at War | B1–B2 | Historical drama | Clear, slightly formal |
| Osmosis | B1–B2 | Sci-fi | Modern Parisian |
| Into the Night | B1–B2 | Thriller | Belgian French |
| Call My Agent! | B2–C1 | Comedy-drama | Fast, idiomatic |
| Marianne | B2–C1 | Horror | Very informal |
| Mortel | B2–C1 | Supernatural | Youth slang, verlan |
| La Révolution | B2–C1 | Historical fantasy | Formal, period |
Netflix’s catalog varies by country and changes over time. Availability checked for the US in October 2026.
FAQs
What is the best French show on Netflix for beginners?
Plan Cœur (The Hook Up Plan). The episodes are short, the situations are everyday ones, and the French is the casual Parisian French you’ll actually use.
Is Lupin good for learning French?
Yes, especially for intermediate learners. Omar Sy speaks clearly, the pace is moderate and the story keeps you watching. Part 4 arrives on Netflix on October 23, 2026.
Should I watch French shows with English or French subtitles?
French subtitles, once you can follow the story. They help you connect the sounds of spoken French to the written words, which is one of the hardest parts of learning French.
Can you learn French just by watching Netflix?
Watching alone won’t take you very far, because it’s easy to miss most of what’s said. Watching actively works: read the transcript, look up new words, then rewatch. LingQ lets you import episodes and do exactly that.
Are there French Netflix shows with other French accents?
Yes. Into the Night is Belgian, so you’ll hear a Belgian French accent. Most of the other shows on this list are set in France, mainly in or around Paris.
Turn Your Next Episode into a French Lesson
Pick one show from this list, at your level, and watch an episode this week the active way: French audio, French subtitles, transcript on LingQ, then a rewatch. You’ll be surprised how much more you catch the second time.
Not sure which app to use alongside Netflix? See our comparison of the best app to learn French.
Start learning French with LingQ for free →
Learning another language? See the best Spanish and German shows on Netflix.
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