Who knew the French had created so many iconic action films? Here’s a list of the best French action movies, ranging from the avant-garde to the simply kick-ass, or sometimes both at once. The French have put their own special twist on the action genre formula, and you’ll be sure to find the film on this list that will have you booking the next flight to Paris.
Parkour, or the sport of traversing urban obstacles on foot, gained a wider audience thanks to District B13, a French film directed by Pierre Morel. The film stars David Belle, considered to be the founder of parkour.
Leon: The Professional, starring Jean Reno, was the motion picture debut of Natalie Portman. It is considered the spiritual successor to director Luc Besson’s previous film, La Femme Nikita. This list of French action movies is perfect for beginners who aren't unexperienced with French cinema, so use it to find some amazing films that aren't as mainstream as the Taken series.
Which of these French action movies is your favorite? Give them an upvote if you would recommend them to others movie lovers. Then check out our list of French films on Netflix.
16019Leon: The Professional
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3518Brotherhood of the Wolf
Monica Bellucci, Vincent CasselReleased: 2001
Directed by: Christophe Gans
Brotherhood of the Wolf is a 2001 French historical horror-action film directed by Christophe... more![Taxi]()
33020Taxi
Marion Cotillard, Emma WiklundReleased: 1998
Directed by: Gérard Pirès
Taxi is a 1998 French action-comedy film starring Samy Naceri, written by Luc Besson, and... more![The Transporter]()
4199The Transporter
Jason Statham, Shu QiReleased: 2002
Directed by: Corey Yuen, Louis Leterrier
The Transporter is a 2002 French action thriller film directed by Louis Leterrier and Corey... more5
2112The Professional
Jean-Paul Belmondo, Robert HosseinReleased: 1981
Directed by: Georges Lautner
Le Professionnel is a 1981 French action thriller film directed by French director Georges... more![Kiss of the Dragon]()
6178Kiss of the Dragon
Bridget Fonda, Jet LiReleased: 2001
Directed by: Chris Nahon
Kiss of the Dragon is a 2001 English-language French action thriller film directed by Chris... more7
1811Dobermann
Monica Bellucci, Vincent CasselReleased: 1997
Directed by: Jan Kounen
Dobermann is a French film directed by Jan Kounen starring Tchéky Karyo, Vincent Cassel and... more8
158La Haine
Vincent Cassel, Saïd TaghmaouiReleased: 1995
Directed by: Mathieu Kassovitz
La Haine is a 1995 French black-and-white drama/suspense film written, co-edited, and directed... more![La Femme Nikita]()
93129La Femme Nikita
Jean Reno, Jeanne MoreauReleased: 1990
Directed by: Luc Besson
Nikita, also called La Femme Nikita, is a 1990 Franco-Italian action thriller film written and... more![Wasabi]()
101812Wasabi
Jean Reno, Carole BouquetReleased: 2001
Directed by: Gérard Krawczyk
Wasabi is a 2001 French action-comedy film directed by Gérard Krawczyk and written and... more![District B13]()
111712District B13
![22 Bullets]()
1213822 Bullets
Jean Reno, Kad MeradReleased: 2010
Directed by: Richard Berry
"A retired gangster (Reno) is the target of a brutal assassination attempt. He survives to... more![District 13: Ultimatum]()
13127District 13: Ultimatum
Elodie Yung, Dany VerissimoReleased: 2009
Directed by: Patrick Alessandrin
District 13: Ultimatum, also known as D13-U, is a 2009 sequel to the 2004 French... more![Empire of the Wolves]()
14107Empire of the Wolves
Jean Reno, Laura MoranteReleased: 2005
Directed by: Chris Nahon
Empire of the Wolves is a 2005 movie directed by Chris Nahon, written by Christian Clavier,... more
1531Total Western
Samuel Le Bihan, Jean-François StéveninReleased: 2000
Directed by: Éric Rochant
![The Nest]()
161313The Nest
![Taxi 3]()
1798Taxi 3
Sylvester Stallone, Marion CotillardReleased: 2003
Directed by: Gérard Krawczyk
Taxi 3 is a 2003 French comedy film directed by Gérard Krawczyk. It is the sequel to Taxi 2... more![Colombiana]()
181010Colombiana
Zoe Saldana, Michael VartanReleased: 2011
Directed by: Olivier Megaton
Colombiana is a 2011 American action film, co-written and produced by Luc Besson and directed... more![Lucy]()
191215Lucy
Scarlett Johansson, Morgan FreemanReleased: 2014
Directed by: Luc Besson
Lucy is a 2014 English-language French science fiction action film written and directed by Luc... more![Taxi 2]()
20910Taxi 2
Marion Cotillard, Emma WiklundReleased: 2000
Directed by: Gérard Krawczyk
Taxi 2 is a French film directed by Gérard Krawczyk and released in 2000. It is a sequel to... more![Unleashed]()
2189Unleashed
![Taken]()
222433Taken
Liam Neeson, Famke JanssenReleased: 2008
Directed by: Pierre Morel
Taken is a 2008 French action thriller film directed by Pierre Morel. A former CIA operative... more![Transporter 2]()
231419Transporter 2
Jason Statham, AnnaLynne McCordReleased: 2005
Directed by: Louis Leterrier
Transporter 2 is a 2005 French action film directed by Louis Leterrier and produced by Luc... more24
56Largo Winch
Kristin Scott Thomas, Gilbert MelkiReleased: 2008
Directed by: Jérôme Salle
Largo Winch is a 2008 French film based on the Belgian comic book Largo Winch. It was released... more![Taken 2]()
251217Taken 2
Liam Neeson, Famke JanssenReleased: 2012
Directed by: Olivier Megaton
Taken 2 is a 2012 action drama thriller film written by Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen and... more
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