French Cinema Vocabulary: 45 Essential Film Terms and Phrases

French cinema vocabulary gives you the words to talk about a movie, choose a screening, follow a review, and describe what happens on screen. Start with le film /lə film/, le cinéma /lə si.ne.ma/, le réalisateur /lə ʁe.a.li.za.tœʁ/, and la séance /la se.ɑ̃s/: these four terms cover the film itself, cinema as an art or venue, its director, and a specific showing.

French is spoken by roughly 321 million people worldwide, according to the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, and cinema is one of the language's most visible cultural exports. France recorded 181.3 million cinema admissions in 2024, according to the Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée, or CNC. Learning film vocabulary is therefore useful far beyond a classroom, whether you are watching a classic, reading a review, or booking tickets in Paris, Montréal, Brussels, or Dakar.

For everyday language before the film begins, pair this guide with our French hello guide. For listening practice, French films are especially useful because they contain natural interruptions, informal reactions, and varied regional accents.

The essential words for going to the cinema

Le film

Le film /lə film/ is the ordinary word for a film or movie. French uses it for a blockbuster, an animated feature, a documentary, or a short artistic production.

To say you are going to see a movie, use aller voir un film /a.le vwaʁ œ̃ film/. For example: On va voir un film ce soir ? /ɔ̃ va vwaʁ œ̃ film sə swaʁ/ means “Shall we see a movie tonight?”

Le cinéma

Le cinéma /lə si.ne.ma/ has two common meanings. It can be the building where you watch a film, or cinema as an art form and industry.

J'adore le cinéma français /ʒa.dɔʁ lə si.ne.ma fʁɑ̃.sɛ/ means “I love French cinema.” Meanwhile, Le cinéma ferme à minuit /lə si.ne.ma fɛʁm a mi.nɥi/ means “The movie theater closes at midnight.”

La séance

A séance /se.ɑ̃s/ is one scheduled screening. French cinema websites list the horaires des séances /ɔ.ʁɛʁ de se.ɑ̃s/, meaning showing times.

This is a useful distinction. You buy a ticket for a particular séance /se.ɑ̃s/, not just for the film in the abstract.

La version originale

La version originale /la vɛʁ.sjɔ̃ ɔ.ʁi.ʒi.nal/, often shortened to VO /ve.o/, means that you hear a film in its original language. This is the label to look for if you want to hear an English, Korean, Japanese, Spanish, or Italian film without French dubbing.

A film marked VOSTFR /ve.o.ɛs.te.ɛf.ɛʁ/ is a version originale sous-titrée en français /vɛʁ.sjɔ̃ ɔ.ʁi.ʒi.nal su.ti.tʁe ɑ̃ fʁɑ̃.sɛ/. It plays in the original language with French subtitles.

People who make a film

Film credits introduce a large set of words that appear in reviews, interviews, and festival programs. David Bordwell and Kristin Thompson's Film Art: An Introduction treats film as a coordinated system of image, sound, editing, performance, and narration. French credit vocabulary makes that collaboration visible.

Le réalisateur

The réalisateur /ʁe.a.li.za.tœʁ/ directs the film. The feminine form is la réalisatrice /la ʁe.a.li.za.tʁis/. Both are standard and widely used in French media.

French criticism often gives the director a central role, especially when discussing le cinéma d'auteur /lə si.ne.ma do.tœʁ/, or auteur cinema. The expression does not mean that the director worked alone. It means that critics see a recognizable creative vision across the director's work.

Le scénario

Le scénario /lə se.na.ʁjo/ is the screenplay, while le scénariste /lə se.na.ʁist/ is the screenwriter. A reviewer might praise un scénario bien construit /œ̃ se.na.ʁjo bjɛ̃ kɔ̃s.tʁɥi/, a well-constructed screenplay.

Do not confuse le scénario /lə se.na.ʁjo/ with l'histoire /lis.twaʁ/. The first is the written plan or script; the second is the story itself.

Le montage

Le montage /lə mɔ̃.taʒ/ means editing, the selection and arrangement of shots. It can also refer to an assembled cut of a film.

A sharp montage /mɔ̃.taʒ/ can make a thriller tense or a comedy fast-paced. Michel Chion's Audio-Vision: Sound on Screen is especially useful here because it explains how editing and sound shape what viewers perceive, rather than merely decorating the image.

La bande originale

La bande originale /la bɑ̃d ɔ.ʁi.ʒi.nal/, often abbreviated BO /be.o/, is the soundtrack. It may include original score, licensed songs, or both.

If you mean a score specifically, you can say la musique de film /la my.zik də film/. A composer is le compositeur /lə kɔ̃.pɔ.zi.tœʁ/ or la compositrice /la kɔ̃.pɔ.zi.tʁis/.

Genres, stories, and reviews

French reviews use many terms that resemble English, but their tone and exact use can differ. These are the words you will meet in cinema listings, festival descriptions, and post-film conversations.

Le genre

A film genre is un genre /œ̃ ʒɑ̃ʁ/. You can say C'est quel genre de film ? /sɛ kɛl ʒɑ̃ʁ də film/ for “What kind of movie is it?”

Common answers include une comédie /yn kɔ.me.di/, un drame /œ̃ dʁam/, un thriller /œ̃ θʁi.lœʁ/, and un documentaire /œ̃ dɔ.ky.mɑ̃.tɛʁ/. French uses several English genre labels, but pronunciation generally follows French sound patterns.

L'intrigue

L'intrigue /lɛ̃.tʁiɡ/ is the plot, especially the chain of tensions and events that keeps the story moving. A critic may call a plot prévisible /pʁe.vi.zibl/, predictable, or captivante /kap.ti.vɑ̃t/, gripping.

When discussing a film with friends, L'intrigue est intéressante /lɛ̃.tʁiɡ ɛ ɛ̃.te.ʁe.sɑ̃t/ is a natural positive comment. It means “The plot is interesting.”

Le personnage

A character is le personnage /lə pɛʁ.sɔ.naʒ/. The lead character is le personnage principal /lə pɛʁ.sɔ.naʒ pʁɛ̃.si.pal/, while a supporting role is un rôle secondaire /œ̃ ʁol sə.ɡɔ̃.dɛʁ/.

French can use le héros /lə e.ʁo/ for a hero or central protagonist, but not every protagonist is heroic. For a nuanced review, le personnage principal /lə pɛʁ.sɔ.naʒ pʁɛ̃.si.pal/ is safer.

Le générique

Le générique /lə ʒe.ne.ʁik/ refers to the opening or closing credits. You might hear Reste jusqu'au générique de fin /ʁɛst ʒys.ko ʒe.ne.ʁik də fɛ̃/, meaning “Stay until the end credits.”

The phrase la scène post-générique /la sɛn pɔst.ʒe.ne.ʁik/ describes a post-credits scene. It is increasingly common in French discussions of franchise films.

How to react naturally after a film

The easiest way to sound natural is to have a few flexible opinions ready. J'ai adoré ce film /ʒe a.dɔ.ʁe sə film/ means “I loved this movie,” while je n'ai pas accroché /ʒə ne pa za.kʁɔ.ʃe/ means you did not connect with it.

For a strong recommendation, say je te le conseille /ʒə tə lə kɔ̃.sɛj/, “I recommend it to you.” If you need a softer opinion, ce n'est pas mon genre /sə nɛ pa mɔ̃ ʒɑ̃ʁ/ means “It is not really my kind of film.”

Here are useful review reactions:

• C'était génial /se.tɛ ʒe.njal/: It was great.
• J'ai trouvé ça émouvant /ʒe tʁu.ve sa e.mu.vɑ̃/: I found it moving.
• Le jeu des acteurs était excellent /lə ʒø de ზak.tœʁ e.tɛ ɛk.se.lɑ̃/: The acting was excellent.
• La fin m'a surpris /la fɛ̃ ma syʁ.pʁi/: The ending surprised me.
• C'était un peu long /se.tɛ œ̃ pø lɔ̃/: It was a little long.
• Je n'ai rien compris /ʒə ne ʁjɛ̃ kɔ̃.pʁi/: I did not understand anything.

The phrase le jeu des acteurs /lə ʒø de zak.tœʁ/ means the actors' performances. It is a more natural choice than translating “acting” word for word in every context.

Learn French through films without only reading subtitles

Films can teach you vocabulary in context, but passive viewing alone is rarely enough. Watch a short scene twice: first for the situation, then again to identify one expression, one reaction, and one pronunciation feature.

Write down complete chunks such as ça vaut le coup /sa vo lə ku/, “it is worth it,” rather than isolated words. Then repeat the line aloud with its emotion and rhythm. This is particularly effective with dialogue-heavy comedies and dramas.

French cinema also exposes you to social registers. A formal workplace scene, a family dinner, and an argument between friends will not use the same vocabulary. If you hear sharp informal language, our guide to French swear words explains which expressions are risky to repeat.

Finish each viewing session by describing the film in three sentences: the genre, the plot, and your reaction. Add an opening greeting from our how to say hello in French guide and a closing phrase from our French goodbye guide if you are practicing with a conversation partner.

French cinema vocabulary becomes memorable when it belongs to a scene you can replay. Watch, pause, repeat, and use one new phrase in your own review.