A Private Life review
By Joel Humphries · Watched 02.17.26
★★★ 3 / 5
Spoiler-free review
A Private Life reveals that Jodie Foster speaks French, then uses that discovery in a mostly French American movie whose psychiatrist, patient suicide, suspicion of murder, private investigation and psychological unraveling closely mirror a 2018 French film with the same title. Nobody appears willing to call it a remake or explain why a French story in French required an American version also largely in French. It may not be a shot-for-shot duplicate, but the shared narrative engine is too specific to ignore. The mystery inside the movie is less strange than the one surrounding its existence.
Full review — contains spoilers
I did not realize that Jodie Foster spoke French. Learn something new every day. So this movie was mostly in French. And this movie basically has the same premise as a 2018 French film with the exact same title. Psychiatrist. Patient suicide. Suspicion of foul play. Independent investigation. Psychological unraveling. Identical narrative engine.
And yeah as far as I can tell no one is willing to admit that this is a remake. Or explain why a French film in French needed to be remade into an American film mostly in French. 😆
I am not saying it is a shot for shot clone. But yeah, it's the same movie. Weird AF.