French Netflix Series for Watching While You Stay at Home

Last Updated:

10/30/2020

Left: two women sitting on a bench with trees in the background in a Parisian park. The woman on the left is wearing a yellow dress and the woman on the right is wearing pink. They are smiling at each other as they speak. Right: two women speaking while they sit outside at a Parisian café. The woman to the left has long brown hair and is smiling as she picks up a coffee cup. The woman to the right also has long brown hair and is wearing a pink hat and pointing at the other woman as she smiles. Both images are from "Emily in Paris" Netflix series. — Top: Dimitri Iakymuk Unsplash/ Above: Emily in Paris – Netflix

France has just entered another national lockdown in the hopes of curbing the second wave of the coronavirus. So now that we all have to stay home again, it seems the only thing left to do is to snuggle up in bed and watch a good French Netflix series. And with a lot of you, our dear readers, still unable to travel to France, use one (or all) of these series to travel vicariously and listen to some French language.

The Eddy

Left: a man and a woman sitting in front of a piano and speaking with one another. There is a microphone to the right. Right: a man and a woman hugging one another. There is a trumpet visible to the right. Both images are from "The Eddy" Netflix series — The Eddy – Netflix

This series is a little slow at first but picks up the pace as the episodes progress. “The Eddy” is about a struggling jazz club in Paris. The series shows the less-than-romantic side of Paris—the gritty, rough, and unfiltered version. Each episode focuses on a different character and explores a variety of cultures including French, American, and Polish. All of these things, coupled with the jerky hand-held cinematography, lend a refreshing realism to the show. The show is produced by Academy Award-winning “La La Land” director Damien Chazelle.

Inhuman Resources

Left: man with a beard wearing a blue button up shirt with a tie holding a gun in an office space. Two men sitting down can be seen in the background to the left. Right: a man with a beard and a gray shirt and a woman with dark hair and a striped shirt looking at a piece of paper in a cluttered office. Both images are from "Inhuman Resources" Netflix series. — Inhuman Resources – Netflix

“Inhuman Resources” is a social drama/corporate thriller about ageism and unemployment. Éric Cantona stars as Alain Delambre, an unemployed HR manager who has spent the last six years working various menial jobs to make ends meet. A job opportunity presents itself, but candidates must role-play a hostage-taking scenario to test the loyalty of the company’s oblivious executives. While this storyline may seem improbable, the series is based on a book by Pierre Lemaitre, which is actually based on a true story.

Vampires

Left: ad for "The Eddy" Netflix series. Behind the name of the series in yellow and pink letter is a woman with her eyes closed. There is a man in black and white next to her on the right. Right: ad for "Vampires" Netflix series. There is a woman to the right sitting on top of a Parisian roof with blood at the corners of her mouth as she looks into the distance. The Eiffel Tower is visible to the left. — The Eddy – Netflix / Vampires – Netflix

Following the success of “Mortel,” “Vampires” is Netflix’s newest teen supernatural offering. I was hesitant at first, but after reading good reviews online, thought I would give it a go. And I wasn’t disappointed. Starring Suzanne Clément, “Vampires” is dark, raw, and sexy. While it does adhere to some vampire clichés, parts of the storyline are also quite original. It’s visually atmospheric, with each scene lit with tones of red, blue, green, and yellow. I also loved the soundtrack.

Emily in Paris

A woman with brown hair wearing a blue beret, blue jacket, and a red dress standing in front of a man with his back to the camera sitting outside at a café. A pastry shop with "patisserie" written on it can be seen in the background. The woman is Emily from "Emily in Paris." — Emily in Paris – Netflix

We’ve all heard a lot about “Emily in Paris” recently. After watching the first episode, I wasn’t impressed. But after all the talk from my friends, I decided to persevere. And I must admit, it does get better, and actually becomes addictive. Emily is living the fanciful life we all wish we were living in Paris. It’s light and fluffy and entertaining. While the stereotypes are aplenty, there is some truth to them, which makes it humorous watching the French and the American take digs at each other. And of course, there is the French eye candy that is Gabriel.

A woman with her hair pulled back wearing a bright pink blazer carrying a bouquet of pink flowers. She is also carrying a cup of coffee to-go and smiling into the distance. — Emily in Paris – Netflix

WRITTEN BY

Ali Postma

Ali is from Melbourne, Australia, where she studied Art History and Art Curatorship at Monash and The University of Melbourn. She has worked in various art galleries. Passionate about all things arts and culture, she has a particular interest French film, Nordic noir, photography, street art and architecture. Ali has lived in Paris since 2016 and has written extensively on art, food, beauty and more. Her work has in publications including BW Confidential, Oh My Mag, and HIP Paris.

7 Comments

Mixed opinions of Emily. Yes, a love letter to Paris. But she doesn’t even bother to learn French. And it’s quite insulting to the French because she is the only one who has ideas. The other characters are simply props in her life. C’est dommage.

You left out “Call my Agent”, which is a great show! All the characters are interesting and fun to watch as they develop, and a different French movie star appears in each episode.

HiP Paris says:

November 22, 2020 at 6:42 am

Hi there. That is a personal favorite. In fact, we included it in a former round up:
https://hipparis.com/2020/03/27/our-favorite-french-netflix-series-to-binge-on-during-lockdown/

All the best! -Erica

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We watched The Eddy,, loved it. The music is wonderful. For anyone who loves jazz this is great.

HiP Paris says:

November 22, 2020 at 6:46 am

Glad you enjoyed it Carol!

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Hi Ali
Have to agree, I found the Emily in Paris script a touch “fluffy” as you mentioned. However…. for those of us in need of our Paris fix, I watched them all…twice!! It is addictive!! During these Covid times when I cannot visit, I loved seeing some of my favourite Parisian locations, but also, the cast were all great. Lilly Collins is gorgeous, the new Audrey Hepburn, and the guys are all easy on the eyes!! Looking forward to season two!! Always enjoy your articles..Merci!

HiP Paris says:

November 22, 2020 at 6:48 am

Ha! I enjoyed it too and it is a perfect time for fluff!!

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