Jodie Foster delivers an impeccable performance in French.
An investigative mystery with a dive into the subconscious and a dash of rom-com.
Written by Xiaoyi Wang
Directed and co-written by Rebecca Zlotowski, a major figure in French cinema and a Cannes regular, returned in 2025 with a brand-new psychological thriller, A Private Life, in the Out of Competition section. The film, starring Jodie Foster in her first major French-speaking lead role, has just earned Foster her first Lumière Award Best Actress nomination in France. Making this film a long-awaited watch for me.
The story follows Lilian Steiner (Jodie Foster), a successful American psychiatrist living and practicing in Paris, who finds herself conducting her own private investigation when one of her patients, Paula Cohen-Solal (Virginie Efira), misses her last three sessions and then suddenly dies by an apparent suicide. Thinking back to their discussions in therapy, Lilian decides that it might have been a murder instead. Thus, setting out in search of the truth with some help from her ex-husband, Gabriel (Daniel Auteuil), the path leads just as much to others as to her own negligence. When visiting Paula’s memorial uninvited, Lilian is insulted and attacked by Paula’s husband (Mathieu Amalric), because as it turns out, Paula had committed suicide with an overdose of the medications Lilian prescribed.
Did she miss some signs during their sessions together? If so, is she even able to face this possibility? Like a snowball, the intrigue takes over her life. She finds herself unable to stop crying, not because she is sad, but instead, it’s an almost constant mechanical teardrop. The eye doctor finds nothing wrong with her physical condition, so Lilian, rattled, goes to see a hypnotherapist (Sophie Guillemin) instead, who apparently helped one of her patients quit smoking when she herself failed to. There, the hypnotherapist induces her into a oneiric vision of flashbacks to a Paris orchestra during WWII, with herself and other subjects of the investigation in each of their own roles. Like a play, with Paula and her at the center of the hurricane. Does it unveil the secret relationships of the characters? Or is this just her inability to consider the possibility that she is at fault?
The film is well measured in its pace and tone. The style is set from the get-go, atmospheric and discreet in its subtexts. Zlotowski’s touch with her characters is just as human and real as in her previous works. A psychiatrist who decides to go beyond in search of her patient’s life finds lies; naturally, people’s lives aren’t simply what they say they are in these sessions. Entangled in a moral grey zone, an infinite playground for film, there is much that could have been explored. The seriousness of the situation is eased by some light and playful humour throughout. Dosed with moments of queer and surreal subconsciousness, the film offers a game for its audience to play along.
There is no doubt that Jodie Foster stands out the most with a powerful performance, delivering a subtle portrayal of Lilian even when she spirals down into delusions. With Daniel Auteuil, who plays Lilian’s ex-husband, the wonderful chemistry of their relationship almost overrides the investigation’s central plot. If your ex-wife calls you up to come investigate a suicide — or, in her words, a “murder” — one can expect some “fun” time. A surprising cameo by the great filmmaker Frederick Wiseman is also such a delight. His character, Lilian’s former professor, tries to make her look inward, but instead makes Lilian spiral further down.
Regrettably, the story fell flat when the investigation became somewhat tiring to follow. I would have liked to see it delve deeper into Lilian’s psyche and push the line between the undecipherable events and her mirages even further. The brief use of AI near the end of the film felt unnecessary and stylistically out of place for me, as it unfortunately pulled me out of the film’s immersion. The thing is, everything about this film is fine, but it lacks the standout moments that would make it truly memorable.
All in all, this may not be a film that haunts you for years to come, but it is still an enjoyable watch if you know what it’s serving.
A Private Life releases on January 16, 2026, in selected theatres in the U.S and in Canada on January 23, 2026.
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