Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows RT App News Showtimes

A Private Life

Play trailer 1:47 Poster for A Private Life R In Theaters Jan 16 1h 45m Crime Drama Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
76% Tomatometer 42 Reviews Popcornmeter 0 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....
Coming Soon In Theaters Jan 16 Reserve Tickets
A Private Life

What to Know

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.

Read Critics Reviews

Critics Reviews

View More
Ben Croll TheWrap 6d
Though certain tonal leaps don’t always land, the film still offers plenty of fun, especially when centering around two exes more interested in each other than the case at hand. Go to Full Review
David Robb Slant Magazine Dec 4
2.5/4
The film’s brisk pace does partly compensate for the essential banality of the central investigation. Go to Full Review
Kyle Smith Wall Street Journal Oct 16
Larkish if not particularly deep, the movie features an attractive rapport between the two leads. Go to Full Review
Rafa Sales Ross The Playlist 6d
C+
“A Private Life” grasps at something real and raw. It’s a shame Zlotowski so willingly refuses to take her finger off that pulse, even if the result remains a pleasurable ride. Go to Full Review
Dustin Chase Galveston Daily News Dec 26
B+
Jodie Foster in a French whodunnit is the film you didn’t know you needed. Go to Full Review
Desirée De Fez Fotogramas Dec 19
3/5
There are some inconsistencies and a few outbursts related to these shifts in tone. But, despite these hiccups, the whole thing is addictive. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review
Read all reviews

Movie Info

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
Runtime
1h 45m
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)