Jodie Foster slips effortlessly into French — and straight into psychological freefall — in the official trailer for A Private Life, the upcoming mystery thriller from filmmaker Rebecca Zlotowski (Other People’s Children, Grand Central). Sony Pictures Classics has released the U.S. trailer ahead of the film’s one-week awards qualifying run in December and nationwide release early next year. Watch the trailer above and read on for the details.
A Psychiatrist Shaken by a Patient’s Death
Set in Paris, the film follows American psychologist Lilian Steiner (Foster), who has built a respected career and a seemingly comfortable life in the city. That control shatters when one of her long-term patients dies suddenly — a case the police have already ruled a suicide. Lilian can’t shake the feeling that something is wrong.
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Lilian begins her own investigation with the help of her ex-husband (Daniel Auteuil), using hypnosis sessions and patient notes as she searches for the truth. But as the clues start pointing back at her practice, the lines between professional distance and personal unraveling blur fast.
Foster’s French-Language Turn
The film marks Foster’s most substantial French-speaking screen role yet — a challenge she embraced by immersing herself completely. As she told AARP, “That was a huge challenge. It took at least a month of me just going to France and not talking to anybody in English and diving in.”
She also offered a surprisingly candid reflection on how speaking French shifts her entire presence: “I’m a different person when I speak French. My voice is higher. I’m not as confident. I feel like I’m going to make a mistake at any moment, so it makes me worried, anxious.” It’s a revealing doorway into a character already grappling with doubt, grief, and the fear of getting everything wrong.
Zlotowski surrounds Foster with an impressive line-up that includes Virginie Efira, Mathieu Amalric, Vincent Lacoste and Luana Bajrami — a mix of colleagues, loved ones and suspects who orbit Lilian as the case deepens. The tone, as the trailer suggests, sits somewhere between noir, psychological thriller, and dark character study.
Writer-director Rebecca Zlotowski, also known for works like An Easy Girl and Planetarium, guides the film with co-writers Anne Berest and Gaëlle Macé. The film premiered at Cannes earlier this year and gone on to receive fair reviews on the film festival circuit, currently sitting at 74% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Release Dates
A Private Life begins its one-week U.S. awards qualifying engagement on December 5, before opening nationwide in the U.S. on January 16, 2026 through Sony Pictures Classics.
