French film photo galley for Comedy/Thriller

French films Comedy/Thriller

Les Disparus de Saint-Agil (1938)

Les Disparus de Saint-Agil is classic of French cinema, an atmospheric comedy thriller with dark elements of fantasy and mysticism, which is regarded as one of director Christian-Jaque’s best works. It is a film which vividly contrasts the naïve romanticism of young boys with the cruelty and materialism of men and is simultaneously an entertaining and disturbing work... [More...]

Le Dernier des six (1941)

This early example of the French mystery crime thriller (or ‘polar’) manages to evoke the American film noir genre which inspired it, most notably in the shadowy sets and atmospheric photography. It also manages to bring in another important genre of American cinema in the 1930s and ‘40s, the lavish song and dance film... [More...]

Goupi mains rouges (1943)

With its extraordinary combination of black comedy, thriller, romance and neo-realist flourishes, Goupi mains rouges is almost certainly Jacques Becker’s most unusual film, and one which offers a rare unromantic depiction of French country life. It was made at the time of the German occupation of France during World War II and... [More...]

L'Aventure est au coin de la rue (1944)

Aventure est au coin de la rue is a spirited comedy which attempts to blend gangster thriller and drawing room farce, with some success. Claude Renoir’s photography gives the film a touch of classic film noir which adds a quality dimension to what would otherwise be regarded as a pretty ordinary mid-1940s comedy. The comedy thriller was a fairly unusual genre at the time this film... [More...]

L'Auberge rouge (1951)

(1946) and Occupe-toi d’Amélie (1949), Claude Autant-Lara established himself as one of France’s leading directors of quality films in the 1940s. His films not only won the approval of the critics but most proved to be popular commercial successes. Here was a director who had made his mark and was looking forward to a hugely successful film-making career... [More...]

L'Homme à l'imperméable (1957)

In this liberal adaptation of a James Hadley Chase novel, director Julien Duvivier and screenwriter René Barjavel sought to emulate the style of the American and British comedy thrillers, which were then very popular in France. The film’s comic element relies almost entirely on its star, the incomparable Fernandel... [More...]

Sois belle et tais-toi (1958)

Despite the shameful political-incorrectness of its title and some pretty blatant sentimentality, this is an entertaining comedy thriller which achieves a satisfying blend of B-movie gangster fare and slapstick. Probably the most distinguishing feature of this film is that it marks the virtual cinema debut of two acting legends of French cinema: Alain Delon and Jean-Paul Belmondo... [More...]

À bout de souffle (1959)

This is arguably one of the dozen or so most influential films of the twentieth century. The contrast with everything that went before A bout de souffle is stunning, in terms of plot structure, content, direction and camera work. This is Jean-Luc Godard at his most anarchistic, although – ironically – the film begins as what appears to be a conventional gangster film... [More...]

Comment qu'elle est! (1960)

Just as French cinema was going through its most significant upheaval for decades, FBI agent Lemmy Caution made a welcome return to cinema screens after an absence of nearly five years. Forget the French New Wave; we are back in the safe, familiar world of sauve secret agents, svelte and seductive women, guns and fist fights... [More...]

Les Tontons flingueurs (1963)

What was originally envisaged as a serious gangster thriller ended up as a classy comedy thriller, the first in what would become a popular sub-genre in French cinema in the late 1960s. The main reason why this brand of comedy works particularly well in Les tontons flingueurs is because it does appear so out of place. Before this film... [More...]

Bande à part (1964)

Jean-Luc Godard’s cheeky homage to the low-budget American thriller genre is not one of his better works but it is a playful and entertaining reworking of a familiar theme. As would be expected of the subversive film director, the plot is just about the least important ingredient of the film, and its rewards stem mainly from the bizarre interactions of the three lead characters... [More...]

Cent mille dollars au soleil (1964)

Director Henri Verneuil originally conceived this film as a latter day Gallic western, with lorries replacing horses, and the North African landscape making a plausible substitute for the American mid-west. The resulting film isn’t so much a western as a gripping chase film – at times very reminiscent of H.G... [More...]

Fantômas (1964)

Fifty years after Louis Feuillade made his classic Fantômas series, the infamous master criminal returned to French cinema in this colourful action comedy, the first of three new Fantômas films to feature Louis de Funès and Jean Marais. The production team were wary about treading over old ground, so rather than attempt a straightforward remake of the Feuillade films... [More...]

La Grande frousse (1964)

One of the most memorable of Jean-Pierre Mocky’s anarchic film comedies, La Grande frousse benefits from an exceptional "big name" cast, which is headed by Bourvil, a popular and much-loved comic actor. An eccentric black comedy, there are some similarities with the British “Ealing comedies” of the 1950s... [More...]

Les Barbouzes (1964)

After the huge success of Les Tontons flingueurs, an outrageously funny parody of the gangster film, the director-writer team Georges Lautner and Michel Audiard repeated their winning formula with Les Barbouzes. This film, which is every bit as entertaining as Les Tontons flingueurs, makes an unrestrained yet intelligent parody of the spy thriller genre... [More...]

Fantômas se déchaîne (1965)

The second of the 1960s Fantômas films reunites stars Louis de Funès and Jean Marais in what is essentially a parody of the spy movie, with Marais playing both the good guy (Fandor) and the villain (Fantômas). De Funès’s son Olivier also makes his screen debut, playing the part of Hélène’s younger brother... [More...]

La Métamorphose des cloportes (1965)

La Métamorphose des cloportes is a typically French comedy policier of the kind that was very popular in the mid-1960s. After the success of Georges Lautner’s 1963 film Les Tontons flingueurs, other directors were keen to exploit the popularity of the comedy-thriller genre, and La Métamorphose des cloportes is perhaps one of the best of examples of its kind.... [More...]

Le Corniaud (1965)

Possibly the biggest influence on cinema in France of the 1960s (as in most other western countries at the time) was the emergence of television as a competitive threat. To try and stem the gradual decline in cinema audiences, film producers had to fight back in the only way they knew how – by spending more money... [More...]

Pierrot le fou (1965)

Although it was originally conceived as a modest, low budget homage to the American gangster film, Pierrot le fou quickly earned a reputation as one of the most important films in French cinema and today is regarded as one of the most revolutionary films ever to have been made. It is a film that defies classification, is both loved and loathed by film enthusiasts... [More...]

Du mou dans la gâchette (1966)

Du mou dans la gâchette is one of a seemingly endless series of very silly gangster thrillers made in France in the 1960s, which sought to capitalise on the success of films such as Les Tontons flingueurs (1963) and Les Barbouzes (1964). Like many films of its ilk, this one is seriously handicapped by a sub-mediocre screenplay that has fewer laughs than a Trappist monk convention and... [More...]

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