Nouvelle Vague (2025)

Richard Linklater's love letter to the French New Wave, dramatizing the audacious birth of Jean-Luc Godard's Breathless.

Nouvelle Vague - Movie Information

  • Original Title: Nouvelle Vague
  • Release Year: 2025
  • Directed by: Richard Linklater
  • Type: Movie
  • Genres: Comedy, Drama, History
  • Age Rating (US): R
  • Runtime: 1h 46m
  • Original Language: French
  • Spoken Languages: French, English
  • Release Date (Theatrical): October 8, 2025 (France), January 30, 2026 (United Kingdom - 12A), March 12, 2026 (Germany), January 8, 2026 (Australia - M), December 18, 2025 (Brazil - 14), December 11, 2025 (Mexico - A), March 5, 2026 (Italy), January 9, 2026 (Spain), December 31, 2025 (South Korea - 12)
  • Alternative Titles: New Wave (US)
  • Production Companies: ARP Sélection, Detour Filmproduction
  • Production Countries: France, United States of America

Nouvelle Vague - Plot

After writing for Cahiers du cinéma, a young Jean-Luc Godard decides making films is the best film criticism. He convinces producer Georges de Beauregard to fund a low-budget feature, and creates a treatment with fellow New Wave filmmaker François Truffaut about a gangster couple. The result? Breathless, one of the first features of the Nouvelle Vague era of French cinema.

Nouvelle Vague - Trailer

Watch the official trailer and see Linklater's vision of cinema's most rebellious revolution unfold:

Everyone loves the new wave.

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Nouvelle Vague - Cast & Crew

Director(s)

  • Richard Linklater

Main Cast

  • Guillaume Marbeck
  • Zoey Deutch
  • Aubry Dullin
  • Adrien Rouyard
  • Antoine Besson
  • Jodie Ruth-Forest
  • Bruno Dreyfürst
  • Benjamin Cléry
  • Matthieu Penchinat
  • Pauline Belle

Writers

  • Holly Gent
  • Laetitia Masson
  • Vincent Palmo Jr.
  • Michèle Pétin

Producers

  • Laurent Pétin
  • Michèle Pétin

Nouvelle Vague - FAQs

Is Nouvelle Vague based on a true story?

Yes, Nouvelle Vague is based on true events. It dramatizes the real behind-the-scenes story of how Jean-Luc Godard, François Truffaut, and their collaborators conceived and shot Breathless (À bout de souffle) in 1959, the landmark film that launched the French New Wave movement.

Who plays Jean-Luc Godard in Nouvelle Vague?

Guillaume Marbeck portrays Jean-Luc Godard in Nouvelle Vague. The film also features Adrien Rouyard as François Truffaut, Aubry Dullin as Jean-Paul Belmondo, Zoey Deutch as Jean Seberg, and Antoine Besson as Claude Chabrol, among other key figures of the era.

Where can you stream Nouvelle Vague?

Nouvelle Vague is available to stream on Netflix, including Netflix Standard with Ads. For a full and up-to-date list of streaming and viewing options in your region, you can check JustWatch, which tracks availability across all major platforms.

What is Nouvelle Vague about?

Nouvelle Vague follows a young Jean-Luc Godard as he transitions from film critic to filmmaker, persuading producer Georges de Beauregard to finance a low-budget feature. Working from a treatment co-developed with François Truffaut, Godard shoots what becomes Breathless, a defining work of French New Wave cinema.

Who directed Nouvelle Vague?

Nouvelle Vague was directed by Richard Linklater, the acclaimed American filmmaker known for Boyhood, Before Sunrise, and Dazed and Confused. The film marks a distinctive departure for Linklater, shot primarily in French and set in late-1950s Paris during the birth of the French New Wave.

What is the age rating for Nouvelle Vague?

Nouvelle Vague is rated R in the United States. In other territories it carries different classifications: 12A in the United Kingdom, M in Australia, 14 in Brazil, A in Mexico, and 12 in South Korea. Viewer discretion is advised for younger audiences.

How long is Nouvelle Vague?

Nouvelle Vague has a runtime of 1 hour and 46 minutes (106 minutes). The film was released in France on October 8, 2025, with subsequent releases in Brazil, Mexico, South Korea, Australia, the United Kingdom, Spain, Germany, and Italy through early 2026.

What language is Nouvelle Vague filmed in?

Nouvelle Vague is filmed primarily in French, reflecting its authentic portrayal of the Paris-based filmmakers who shaped the French New Wave. English is also spoken in the film, notably in scenes involving American actress Jean Seberg, played by Zoey Deutch.

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