5 French movies to watch on Bastille Day

Bastille Day, also known as the national day of France, is a widely commemorated holiday marking the fall of the Bastille back in 1789, symbolised the harsh rule of the French monarchy.

Now known as a day to celebrate French cuisine, music, and entertainment, Bastille Day is the perfect time to watch some French or French-inspired films. Here’s a list of a few top French movies to watch on Bastille Day.

Bad Seeds, 2018 (MA 15+)

If you’re looking for a light-hearted comedy drama to brighten up the mood on Bastille Day, Bad Seeds on Netflix is one to check out. First premiered in France in 2018, Bad Seeds is a hilarious film about a con artist, his adoptive mother, and his new, teen mentees. A funny story about a former street kid, his unexpected loving relationship with his mother, and the moral dilemmas that come about when training troubled teens, Bad Seeds is a great feel-good film to watch on Bastille Day.

The movie stars Kheiron as Wael, the main protagonist, and features brilliant castmates in supporting roles, such as Catherine Deneuve, Andre Dussollier, and Louison Blivet. Reviewed as a hidden gem of a movie, Bad Seeds explores unlikely familial relationships and spectacular personal growth. Currently available on Netflix, Bad Seeds is a great comedy for anyone looking for a laugh this Bastille Day.

The Upside, 2017 (MA 15+)

A remake of the French film The Intouchables (2011), The Upside is an emotional heart-warming film set in New York about a paralysed billionaire, his ex-convict caretaker, and their unlikely friendship. Based on the life of real Corsican French businessman Philippe Pozzo di Borgo and Abdel Sallou, the film is a brilliant ode to the French original, while also spinning things in an original light with great performances by Bryan Cranston and Kevin Hart.

As the two protagonists – Philip and Dell – deal with their personal struggles, Philip with losing his will to live after his paragliding accident, and Dell with his tumultuous family life, they find themselves relying on each other for support. As a love interest brings light to Philip’s life and Dell finds a hobby in painting, both their lives start to look up, and both are served happy endings by the end of the movie. Although not exactly French, The Upside is an excellent remake of the French original and may be more accessible as an English-language film on Amazon Prime.

Delicatessen, 1991 (MA 15+)

Available on Amazon Prime via a premium subscription, Delicatessen is an old-school sci-fi comedy set to bring some excitement to your couch this Bastille Day. A blend of black comedy and crime, the movie is set in a post-apocalyptic world and follows a few odd tenants living in an apartment building and their landlord, who also owns an eatery. 

When the building’s maintenance man mysteriously disappears, the building owner hires an ex-clown to replace him. However, when his daughter and the ex-clown start to fall in love, things go haywire, and an underground-living sub-group of society is brought into the mix. A mix of absurd comedy, surrealist ideas, and serious themes of cannibalism, Delicatessen is certainly an acquired taste of a film to watch. However, if there’s any day to watch this French movie, it’s Bastille Day.

Delicious, 2021 (PG)

Food is an integral part of French culture, and what better way to celebrate Bastille Day than by watching a movie dedicated to the French cuisine? Delicious is beautifully filmed movie set in 1789 in France, right before the Revolution in a fictional dukedom named Chamfort. Following Pierre Manceron as the master chef at the dukedom, Manceron is let go when he begins to get creative with his cooking.

After returning to his home, Manceron takes matters into his own hands and starts using the local produce and livestock to create more original foods, eventually finding success at his own establishment. Romanticising the art of cooking, Delicious is a respectful ode to French cuisine and independence. It’s an inspiring film starring Gregory Gadebois and Isabelle Carre and is a great movie to enjoy food over on Bastille Day. You can find the film on BINGE.

Bastille Day, 2016 (MA 15+)

How can we list films to watch on Bastille Day without including the 2016 action thriller movie of the same name? Although not exactly the light-hearted nor comedic films mentioned thus far, Bastille Day (also known as The Take) is a fun watch to include on your list this Bastille Day, set on the eve of said day in Paris. Following a young pickpocket as he teams up with an unruly CIA agent to take on an anti-terrorist mission, the film is full of brilliantly choreographed action sequences, a gripping plot and fun dialogue.

The film stars Idris Elba, Richard Madden and Charlotte Le Bon and is an original Luxembourgish, French, and American venture, with film influences from both Hollywood and contemporary French cinema. A delicate balance of cultures in an otherwise standard blockbuster thriller, Bastille Day is definitely one to check out if you’re looking for some fighting action. You can find the film on BINGE.

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