While most of the time, superhero movies come from the USA and American studios, we, the French, also know how to produce superhero movies. The proof with these 10 superhero movies made in France. And even if the quality is not always there, it is good to highlight the effort.
10) Black snake, the le ;gende of the serpent black
This is without a doubt the worst film on this list. Written by Thomas Ngijol and Jean-Pascal Zadi, and directed by Thomas Ngijol and Karole Rocher, Black Snake tells the story of Clotaire Sangala, who, after years of living in Paris, returns to his native country somewhere in Africa. There, he is bitten by a snake, and becomes the symbol of the rebellion against the dictator Hezekiah. Frankly, we have nothing against Thomas Ngijol, but Black Snake is really the sewers of humor in French cinema… Inspired by one of his sketches, the feature film takes up the codes of the superhero film, without really understanding and diverting them. Black Snake wants to be the OSS 117 of the superhero genre, but constantly misses its target…
9) Vidocq: the mask and the feather
Directed by Pitof in 2001, Vidocq focuses on the extraordinary career of Eugène François Vidocq (1775-1857). This French historical figure was in turn a criminal, spy, police officer and private detective, and he is often considered the father of modern policingand criminology. Often considered a pioneer of modern police investigation techniques, Vidocq is sometimes compared to a superhero figure. He notably influenced authors such as Victor Hugo, Honoré de Balzac and Edgar Allan Poe. Often, Arsène Lupinis also considered a descendant of Vidocq. In the early 2000s, Pitof decided to take on this figure who was little known to young audiences. He surrounded himself with Gérard Depardieu, Guillaume Canet and André Dussollier to offer a very “American” film. Unfortunately, Vidocqis weighed down by a deplorable ostentatious staging. Pitof tries to offer something else in the French audiovisual landscape but completely falls flat with totally obsolete and eccentric visual effects. Four years later, Pitof will massacre another superhero figure with his film Catwoman carried by Halle Berry.
8) The Invisible Boy
Franco-Italian film released in 2015, The Invisible Boy takes up the old myth of the Invisible Man, so often derivative. Unfortunately, this film without verve, without soul, totally harmless and innocuous is above all a mawkish fantasy comedy about the solitude of childhood. If the feature film sometimes plays skillfully with the clichés of the superhero genre, it quickly locks itself into recycled and tired frames. The characters are empty, the twists and turns expected, Invisible Boy never surprises and sometimes falls into silliness.
7) Superhero in Spite of Himself
After offering a rather solid reinterpretation of Nicky Larson, Philippe Lacheau tackles the superhero movie. Unfortunately, Super-héros malgré lui is clearly not up to our expectations. Released in 2022, it is one of his worst signatures, despite a rather pleasant initial concept. The idea of staging an actor who loses his memory and thinks he's a real superhero is excellent. But the execution is not really there, and Lacheau signs a terrible, stupid, and sometimes even crude film. Too bad…
6) Miraculous: the movie
Adapted from the eponymous series, Miraculous – the movie tells the adventures of Ladybug and Cat Noir who will have to face Hawk Moth and his horde of super-villains in the streets of Paris. Broadcast since 2015, the series has been a real event on French television. The show has even exported very well internationally and has met with unexpected success across the Atlantic. Created by Thomas Astruc and produced by ZAG and Method Animation, Miraculoustakes up the major themes of the superhero genre, including, in particular, the way of managing a secret identity. Released in 2023, Miraculous: The Movie, directed by Jeremy Zag, takes up the clichés of the series. To be reserved for aficionados.
5) How I became a superhero
This is probably the most famous on the list. Released in 2021 and directed by Douglas Attal, How I Became a Superhero is considered by many to be THE first French superhero movie. It must be said that the filmmaker tries to get close to American blockbusters with How I Became a Superhero. Douglas Attal takes all the codes of the genre and applies them to the French tone. All the conventions of the genre are respected, and How I Became a Superhero is an ambitious proposition in the French audiovisual landscape. Unfortunately, the execution sometimes lacks panache…
4) Vincent has no scales
Directed by Thomas Salvador in 2015, Vincent has no scalesis the excellent surprise of this top. Vincent has an extraordinary power: his strength and reflexes increase tenfold when in contact with water. To fully experience this gift, he settles in a region rich in lakes and rivers. A unique work in French cinema, Vincent has no scalesmixes elements of drama and superhero film, but in a minimalist and intimate style. A totally unique work in the French audiovisual landscape.
3) Smoking makes you cough
When Quentin Dupieux tackles the superhero myth, the result is Smoking Makes You Cough. Released in 2022, Smoking Makes You Cough is a sketch film. Between each little story, the common thread of the plot follows the TOBACCO FORCE, a team of superheroes who fight against the dangers of tobacco. Quentin Dupieux obliges, Smoking makes you cough is a totally lunar proposition, in which tobacco is materialized by horrible creatures. Assumed parody of the Power Rangers, Smoking makes you cough is clearly not the best film in the filmography of its author. It is nevertheless often very funny, and it is led by a good communicative humor.
2) The Prodigies
A little-known French animated film released in 2011, The Prodigies skillfully plays with the codes of the superhero film. Directed by Antoine Charreyron, the feature film already offers a totally unusual aesthetic. Antoine Charreyron opts for motion capture. With this unique animation in the French audiovisual landscape, the director offers a aesthetic that draws inspiration from comics, video games, film noir and science fiction. In a cyberpunk atmosphere, which sometimes even borrows from Sin City, The Prodigies is a unique experience that has inspired many more recent works, from Chronicle to Mars Express. Unfortunately, we regret that the plot of the film, which borrows as much from X-Men as from Unbreakable, is too classic to completely take the film to a higher sphere.
1) Fantomas
How can we not end with Louis De Funès ? Directed by André Hunebelle in 1964, Fantomas takes up many of the codes of the superhero film. An adventure film in the style of Tintin, Fantomas tells the story of the hunt for the man of an individual capable of changing identities, of changing forms, thanks to masks that are larger than life. A true game of cat and mouse, Fantomas will even give birth to a franchise, an element specific to the superhero film.
And you, what is your favorite French superhero film?