Jodie Foster effortlessly masters French and enters a psychological free fall in the official trailer for A Private Life, the new mystery thriller from filmmaker Rebecca Zlotowski (Other People’s Children, Grand Central). Sony Pictures Classics has released a U.S. trailer for the film ahead of a week of film awards qualifying in December and a U.S. release early next year. Watch the trailer above and read more.
Psychiatrist upset about patient’s death
Set in Paris, the film follows Lillian Steiner (Foster), an American psychologist who builds a respected and seemingly comfortable career in Paris. That control crumbled when one of her long-term patients suddenly died. Police have already ruled the incident a suicide. Lillian can’t shake the feeling that something is wrong.
Lillian, with the help of her ex-husband (Daniel Auteuil), begins her own investigation using hypnosis sessions and patient notes to seek the truth. But as clues begin to trace back to her practice, the lines between professional distance and personal unraveling quickly blur.
Foster’s French turn
The film was Foster’s most important role in a French-speaking film to date, and she accepted the challenge by completely immersing herself. As she told AARP, “It was a big challenge. It took me at least a month to go to France and not speak English to anyone and just jump in.”
She was also surprisingly candid about how speaking French changes her entire being. “I’m a different person when I speak French. My voice is high-pitched. I’m not confident. I feel like I’m about to make a mistake and I’m worried and anxious.” This is an obvious entry point for a character who is already struggling with doubt, sadness, and the fear of everything going wrong.
Zlotowski will surround Foster with an impressive lineup, including Virginie Efira, Mathieu Amalric, Vincent Lacoste and Luana Bajrami. This lineup includes colleagues, loved ones, and suspects surrounding Lillian as the case deepens. As the trailer suggests, its tone lies somewhere between noir, psychological thriller, and dark character study.
Writer and director Rebecca Zlotowski, known for her work on Easy Girl and Planetarium, is helming the film along with co-writers Anne Berest and Gael Masset. The film premiered at Cannes earlier this year and has since received fair reviews on the film festival circuit, currently sitting at 74% on Rotten Tomatoes.
release date
Private Life begins a week of U.S. awards qualifying on December 5th and will be released in the US through Sony Pictures Classics on January 16th, 2026.
Sony Pictures Classics
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