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A Private Life

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Movie Info & Cast

Synopsis

The renowned psychiatrist Lilian Steiner mounts a private investigation into the death of one of her patients, whom she is convinced has been murdered.

Cast

  • Jodie Foster
  • Daniel Auteuil
  • Virginie Efira
  • Mathieu Amalric
  • Vincent Lacoste
  • Luàna Bajrami
  • Noam Morgensztern
  • Sophie Guillemin
  • Frederick Wiseman
  • Aurore Clément
Moviegoers are saying
Jodie Foster delivers a magnetic French-language performance as a psychiatrist unraveling after a patient's death, but critics agree that Rebecca Zlotowski's psychological drama suffers from a messy, unfocused script that abandons its thriller premise for lighter territory. While Foster's commanding presence and the intriguing setup captivate viewers, the film struggles with tonal inconsistency and fails to deliver on its psychological thriller potential.
Top Mentions
Mind-Bending
Psychologically-Clever
Surprisingly-Creepy
Foster-Powerhouse
French-Thriller
Tonal-Whiplash
Summary generated from the text of Atom User reviews

Letterboxd User Reviews

3.1
26.8K
8.1K
4.0K
RATINGS 8 FANS
3.1

Queue Community Reviews

88%
Community 157
❤️ LOVE
21%
👍 LIKE
67%
😐 MEH
13%
👎 DISLIKE
0%
Top Reviews

Atom Users Reviews

3.5
1
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Reviews

Metacritic

91
Jan 22, 2026

You’ll have a great time following along in French director and co-writer Rebecca Zlotowski’s latest, which had its world premiere last May at the Cannes film festival. Sit back and enjoy or, as they like to say in Cannes: “Bonne séance!”

Chris Knight
Original-Cin
60
Jan 15, 2026

There’s something oddly appealing about the fact that Rebecca Zlotowski’s understated thriller, A Private Life, stubbornly refuses easy definition – other than as a modest romp that allows Jodie Foster to perform in another language. And if you’ll watch Foster acting in anything, you’re gonna love watching her do it in French.

Elizabeth Weitzman
Time Out
63
Dec 9, 2025

The film’s brisk pace does partly compensate for the essential banality of the central investigation.

Metacritic review by David Robb
David Robb
Slant Magazine