French tutor in Paris - 10 Best French Movies & Shows on Netflix to Learn French (Plus Subtitle Tips That Actually Work)

Jul 20

2 min read

Updated: Oct 2

Confession: some of my best lesson ideas come from my sofa. A scene from a series, a line everyone in France quotes, a joke nobody outside France gets. Watching French shows is homework you actually want to do, if you do it the right way.

How to use subtitles (the question I get every week)

Beginners (A1–A2): French subtitles, not English. Yes, even if you understand half. You connect the sound and the spelling.
Intermediate (B1–B2): watch a scene with French subtitles, then again without. The second time feels like magic.
Advanced (C1+): no subtitles. It's uncomfortable for two weeks, then something clicks.

And write down five new expressions per episode. Five, not fifty.

My 10 picks, from easiest to hardest

Title	Type	Level	Why I like it for learners
Plan Cœur (The Hookup Plan)	Series	A2–B1	Young Parisians, short episodes, everyday dialogue
Sous la Seine (Under Paris)	Film	A2–B1	Simple action, Paris landmarks, easy to follow
Family Business	Series	B1	Family humour, Parisian banter, very quotable
Lupin	Series	B1	Clear dialogue, Paris everywhere, hard to stop watching
Dix pour cent (Call My Agent!)	Series	B1–B2	Real French actors playing themselves, work vocabulary
Fiasco	Series	B2	Pierre Niney, fast comedy, great for ironic French
Marianne	Series	B2	Horror set in Brittany (I had to)
Mortel	Series	B2	Teen slang, the French of high school
Tapie	Series	B2–C1	Business, politics and big speeches
En place (Represent)	Series	C1	Slang from the suburbs, political satire