Nouvelle Vague
Linklater's chatty take on how Godard and friends created the French New Wave
The brief
Linklater turns the birth of the French New Wave into a chatty, behind-the-scenes hangout that feels like Before Sunset but with film nerds chain-smoking and arguing about Hitchcock. Guillaume Marbeck nails Godard's pretentious-genius energy without making him insufferable, while the script wisely focuses on the messy creative process rather than mythologizing these guys. It moves at a leisurely pace that matches Linklater's usual conversational rhythm, building to the moment when all their theoretical bullshit finally becomes Breathless. Perfect for anyone who loves making-of documentaries, film history deep dives, or basically anything Linklater has ever made.
The verdict
If you love Linklater's talky hangout films and get excited by passionate debates about cinema history, this is a delightful deep dive into the creative chaos behind the French New Wave. If you need plot-driven storytelling or find film theory discussions tedious, you'll be checking your watch during all the cigarette-fueled arguments about Hitchcock and mise-en-scène.
Watch with
- 👥 Film students and cinephiles who love behind-the-scenes stories
- 👫 Anyone expecting typical Linklater fans will love this
- ⚠️ May bore viewers unfamiliar with Godard or film history
Heads up
- Frequent smoking throughout (frequent)
- Some French language with subtitles (moderate)
Credits
- Director
- Richard Linklater
- Cast
- Guillaume Marbeck, Zoey Deutch, Aubry Dullin, Adrien Rouyard, Antoine Besson, Jodie Ruth-Forest, Bruno Dreyfürst
Official synopsis
After writing for Cahiers du cinéma, a young Jean-Luc Godard decides making films is the best film criticism.
The Double
Make a night of it
Pair this with Blue Film (2026)
Both explore the creative process behind groundbreaking cinema.
Total runtime: 1h 46m + 1h 22m = 3h 8m
