Directed by Rebecca Zlotowski, A Private Life (Vie privée) is a sharp, darkly comic mystery thriller that blends psychological intrigue with moral reckoning. Jodie Foster delivers a commanding performance as Lilian Steiner, a Paris-based psychiatrist drawn into a labyrinthine investigation after the death of one of her patients forces her to confront questions of guilt, responsibility, and buried trauma. As professional boundaries blur and reality gives way to hypnotic visions, the film moves deftly between suspense, satire, and introspection.
Premiering Out of Competition at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, A Private Life was widely praised for its wit, tonal daring, and especially Foster’s performance, which earned her a Lumière Award nomination for Best Actress—making her the first American actor ever nominated in the category. Anchored by an exceptional supporting cast and Zlotowski’s incisive direction, the film stands out as a sophisticated European thriller that probes the ethics of care, memory, and self-deception with intelligence and bite.