Nouvelle Vague — NYFF Review
Source: Netflix
Nouvelle Vague is equal parts a love letter to the French New Wave and a hangout movie. Richard Linklater has been discussing his desire to make a film about the production of Jean-Luc Godard’s Breathless for over a decade, and with Nouvelle Vague, he turned that vision into a reality. It’s a film about the French New Wave shot in the style of the era. However, it’s difficult to say whether someone like Jean-Luc Godard himself would love it or hate it, as it feels like a loving homage that occasionally veers into unintentional parody.
Linklater does a spectacular job of recreating the look and feel of the French New Wave aesthetic. From the grainy black-and-white cinematography and 4:3 aspect ratio to the jump cuts and actors peering directly into the camera, one could almost believe they’re watching a film from the late 1950s or early 1960s.
Guillaume Marbeck stars as Jean-Luc Godard in his first leading role, a daunting assignment he approaches with confidence and bravado. Aubry Dullin, also in his first major part, plays Breathless actor Jean-Paul Belmondo, while Zoey Deutch shines as Jean Seberg, having learned French specifically for the role. The cast effectively captures the mannerisms of the iconic figures they portray and embraces their roles more as reinterpretations than mere imitations. The cast captures the essence of these figures without slipping into hollow imitation, treating them as reinterpretations rather than rigid impersonations. Since Linklater doesn’t speak French, producer Michèle Pétin—who once worked with Godard—ensured the performances carried a linguistic authenticity true to the period.
Source: Netflix
That said, Nouvelle Vague is a lower-tier Linklater film. It lacks the emotional magnetism of the Before trilogy or the charisma and personality of films like School of Rock and Dazed and Confused. However, the film still maintains the conversational hangout vibe, where characters engage in meaningful discussions about art and life, trademarks we’ve come to expect from Linklater. The downside to making a movie about someone like Godard is that audiences are reminded of how unconventional his methods were and how radically he broke cinematic rules, which in turn may leave them wishing Linklater had taken greater risks himself. He has made groundbreaking and unconventional films before, but Nouvelle Vague plays it a little too safe.
Source: Netflix
Despite its drawbacks, Nouvelle Vague has a lighthearted tone and humor that made it easy for me to enjoy. It’s a fun film that doesn’t feel like it’s meant to be taken too seriously. If one were to take it too seriously, it might be a miserable viewing experience. This movie will be hit or miss for most people, but I think I fall within the sweet spot of being a fan of the French New Wave without being fiercely passionate about it. I suspect Nouvelle Vague would be a dull experience for someone disinterested in the movement or less versed in the films of the era. Yet, on the other hand, film purists who are obsessed with the French New Wave might see this film as an abomination, a pale imitation of Godard.
For those somewhere in between, however, Nouvelle Vague offers a charming, well-crafted homage—less revolutionary than Godard’s Breathless, but an enjoyable exercise in cinematic nostalgia. It raises some interesting questions about the nature of art and convention while blurring the line between homage and imitation. Linklater and the cast and crew’s ability to bring the French New Wave aesthetic to life in 2025 make it worth a watch.
Nouvelle Vague had its New York premiere on September 30, 2025. It will received a limited theatrical release on October 31st before streaming on Netflix on November 14th.
