#FIRSTLOOK: “A PRIVATE LIFE” OPENS JANUARY 23, 2026

Jodie Foster (speaking fluent French!) stars in Rebecca Zlotowski’s A Private Life (Vie privée), a playful psychological thriller that opens with Talking Heads’ “Psycho Killer” airing over the credits. The film
debuted Out of Competition at Cannes 2025 and was a Gala at TIFF 2025.

A renowned American psychiatrist living in Paris, Lilian Steiner (Foster) is devastated when her longtime patient Paula (Virginie Efira) takes her own life – leaving Lilian to wonder if she missed any red flags. But after a series of events, including the discovery that files have been stolen from her office, Lilian begins to suspect Paula’s death was murder not suicide.

Lilian recruits her ex-husband Gabriel (Daniel Auteuil) to join her in some amateur sleuthing – theirs, just one of many complicated relationships in the story. In fact, Lilian and Gabriel are so charismatic together, their teamwork creates the film’s other big mystery. Why did these two ever break up?

As the case goes on, Lilian moves from a detached therapist to someone more present, uncovering truths about herself, professionally and personally.

Also starring is Sophie Guillemin as the hypnotist that Lilian consults for some therapy of her own. And watch for a cameo by iconic (and now now-96-year-old) filmmaker Frederick Wiseman as Lilian’s ex-mentor.

French director Rebecca Zlotowski (Cannes winner Grand Central) wrote the script with Anne Berest, collaborating with Gaëlle Macé. Fun fact: at 14, Foster starred in the French film Moi, fleur bleue, shortly after Taxi Driver.

The film is in French with English subtitles.

A Private Life (Vie Privée) is being released in Canada by Mongrel Media.