A Private Life
Sony Pictures Classics | Release Date: January 16, 2026 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
67
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 27 Critic Reviews
Positive:
20
Mixed:
7
Negative:
0

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
91
Original-CinChris KnightJan 22, 2026
You’ll have a great time following along in French director and co-writer Rebecca Zlotowski’s latest, which had its world premiere last May at the Cannes film festival. Sit back and enjoy or, as they like to say in Cannes: “Bonne séance!” Read full review
90
Screen RantGregory NussenJan 16, 2026
Its bizarre blend of genre and tonality comes together in an altogether surprising way; a labyrinth of ceaseless pleasures. Read full review
88
The Seattle TimesMoira MacdonaldJan 29, 2026
A Private Life is a murder mystery only on its surface; at its heart, it’s an exploration of a lonely woman’s extremely active mind, and an unexpectedly moving story of becoming more present in one’s real life, rather than one’s imaginary one. Read full review
80
The New York TimesManohla DargisJan 15, 2026
The intrigue is far-fetched and surprising — this is one movie you can’t write in your head — and delivered with increasing winks and charm. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalleJan 26, 2026
In America, it might be called a mess, and at times this movie sags. But overall, there’s something about it that holds interest. “A Private Life” is an odd ramble that eventually arrives somewhere. Read full review
75
The Associated PressLindsey BahrJan 14, 2026
Rebecca Zlotowski’s latest... is part noir, part comedy of remarriage, and part Freudian fever dream about past lives. Read full review
75
IndieWireGuilherme JacobsMay 24, 2025
A Private Life does manage to create an interesting dynamic as it posits the need to balance psychology’s theoretics with actual results and action. Read full review
75
The Film StageZhuo-Ning SuMay 24, 2025
This up-tempo comedic murder mystery is a breezy, fun means of showcasing delicious chemistry between legendary actors. Read full review
74
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Barry HertzJan 21, 2026
Foster is, as always, exceptionally compelling to watch as she tries to puzzle out Lilian’s motivations. And the actress is surrounded by France’s finest men of a certain age. Auteuil, Amalric and Vincent Lacoste do their due diligence as performers, even when Zlotowski’s screenplay asks them to abandon all pretenses of rationality. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesRobert AbeleJan 16, 2026
As A Private Life moves along, with Lilian negotiating a break-in, threats and lapses in judgment, it never exactly coheres. Yet it somehow entertains, which is a testament to Zlotowski’s energy juggling her various theme-colored story balls. Read full review
70
The Daily BeastNick SchagerSep 9, 2025
The film around her never quite comes together, but Foster is more than enough reason to embark on this off-kilter investigation. Read full review
70
Screen DailyLee MarshallMay 24, 2025
Ultimately, it’s difficult to say what A Private Life is trying to say, but remarriage comedies don’t really need to be anything more than that – and the ending is winsome enough to make up for that second-act wobble. Read full review
70
VarietyPeter DebrugeMay 24, 2025
While the ultimate destination somewhat underwhelms, it’s a thrill to see Foster navigating a fully bilingual role, while tossing off the kind of personal insights only an expat could feel toward the French — a tiny glimpse into Foster’s private life, perhaps. Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterDavid RooneyMay 24, 2025
Caught between sophisticated comedy and silly fluff, between Hitchcockian mystery and zany amateur sleuth caper, A Private Life (Vie Privée) is a lot more fun than it probably deserves to be thanks to the disarming chemistry of its seasoned leads, Jodie Foster and Daniel Auteuil. Read full review
67
The A.V. ClubTim GriersonJan 16, 2026
A Private Life offers plenty of fizzy pleasures alongside somber reflections on the passage of time and the regrets you have to live with. Read full review
63
Boston GlobeOdie HendersonJan 27, 2026
Foster and the rest of the cast are so good, I almost want to recommend that you go just for their performances. After all, it’s the journey, not the destination, that counts. That is, unless you’re making a murder mystery. Read full review
63
Washington PostNaveen KumarJan 22, 2026
It’s a mark of creative achievement that Zlotowski’s film manages to dwell in uncertainty — about what’s really going on, where Lilian’s marbles have gone and, for that matter, why her ex is so game to chase them around with her. Still, there’s something less than satisfying about a story that’s peculiar but not exactly funny, low-key unsettling but far from provocative, and elbow-deep in dreams and memory but without much discernible revelation. Read full review
63
The Travers TakePeter TraversJan 17, 2026
Jodie Foster speaks French with elan, but even her indisputable star power and fun bond with costar Daniel Auteuil can’t keep the lights burning in this frothy bauble. Read full review
63
RogerEbert.comPeyton RobinsonJan 16, 2026
Despite an overall unsatisfying resolution to these inquiries, the ideas that the film prompts, coupled with Foster’s nuanced performance, make for a compelling enough character study. Read full review
63
Slant MagazineDavid RobbDec 9, 2025
The film’s brisk pace does partly compensate for the essential banality of the central investigation. Read full review
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