A Private Life

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A Private Life

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1h 45m

Crime

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

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81%

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108 Reviews

65%

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50+ Verified Ratings

When renowned psychiatrist Lilian Steiner learns of the death of one of her patients she is deeply troubled. Convinced that it was murder, she decides to investigate....

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Critics Consensus

A Private Life mixes Hitchcockian suspense, glossy aesthetics, and a playful streak of camp into an entertaining if somewhat slight mystery that's held together by Jodie Foster's captivating presence.

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Randy Myers

San Jose Mercury News

Jan 30

3.5/4

Jodie Foster works magic like that onscreen and presents us with one of the most fully developed, certainly fascinating characters you will likely encounter this year in director/ co-screenwriter Rebecca Zlotowski’s French noirish black comedy.

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Moira MacDonald

Seattle Times

Jan 29

3.5/4

A Private Life is a murder mystery only on its surface; at its heart, it’s an exploration of a lonely woman’s extremely active mind, and an unexpectedly moving story of becoming more present in one’s real life, rather than one’s imaginary one.

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Mick LaSalle

San Francisco Chronicle

Jan 27

3/4

In America, it might be called a mess, and at times this movie sags. But overall, there’s something about it that holds interest. “A Private Life” is an odd ramble that eventually arrives somewhere.

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Sammie Purcell

Rough Draft Atlanta

5d

...for as fun as [its] premise is, the screenplay gets a bit convoluted by the film’s end, the answer to this mystery not nearly as satisfying as it originally portends to be.

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Dennis Harvey

48 Hills

Feb 9

What is satisfying about director-cowriter Rebecca Zlotowski’s comedy thriller is that it presents this “Karen” with sly but understanding humor, then lets us enjoy the gradual de-blocking of her constipated personality.

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Louisa Moore

Screen Zealots

Feb 9

A great example of thoughtful, modern noir that values psychological depth over straightforward plot devices.

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Helen A

6d

a muddled improbable plot

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Charlie H

Feb 8

Fascinating idea but a very difficult one to put into film. Acting was superb as was the theme. Ending came out of nowhere.

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ssusan

Feb 7

Kept waiting for it to go somewhere. Jodie Foster was good. But script not so much.

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Meloney

Feb 7

I’m not sure I liked this movie… neurotic characters… messy interpersonal relationships… the conclusion was a little vague. It was great to see Jodie Foster, and her French was excellent. I hope we’ll see her in more films.

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Ghederick Eshmont

Feb 5

Interesting, but not enjoyable

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Adb

Feb 4

I was not aware that 95% of the movie was spoken in French?....the plot was unclear and I never understood who killed who. Terrible movie. Definitely a waste of time and money.

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Rebecca Zlotowski

Director

Jodie Foster

Lilian Steiner

Daniel Auteuil

Gabriel Haddad

Virginie Efira

Paula Cohen-Solal

Mathieu Amalric

Simon Cohen-Solal

Vincent Lacoste

Julien Haddad-Park

A Private Life: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

When renowned psychiatrist Lilian Steiner learns of the death of one of her patients she is deeply troubled. Convinced that it was murder, she decides to investigate....

Director: Rebecca Zlotowski
Producer: Frédéric Jouve
Screenwriter: Rebecca Zlotowski, Anne Berest, Gaëlle Macé
Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
Production Co: Les Films Velvet, France 3 Cinéma
Rating: R (Language|Graphic Nudity|Brief Violence|Some Sexual Content)
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: French
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 16, 2026, Limited
Box Office (Gross USA): $898.2K
Runtime: 1h 45m
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)