Nouvelle Vague Review (2026) — 81% Celluloid Score
Directed by Richard Linklater · 2026 ·
Nouvelle Vague (2026) earns a 81% Celluloid Score — Recommended. Recommended — recommended by most critics and audiences.Critics (90%) were notably more enthusiastic than audiences (75%).
Calculated from 4 available inputs: Celluloid editorial rating, Metascore, Letterboxd and IMDb. Audience sentiment is shown separately and never changes the composite. See how we calculate scores.
4-input transparent breakdown
Wild Bunch Where to watch
- Netflix
Where to watch Nouvelle Vague by country
| Country | Streaming on |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | BFI Player |
| United States | Netflix |
Subscription availability, refreshed from TMDB. Rental and purchase options may differ.
Why this score?
- Celluloid's editorial rating is exceptional (90/100).
- General viewers mostly liked it (75%).
- Metascore signals universal acclaim (84/100).
- Celluloid Score 81% combines 4 verified rating inputs; audience sentiment is shown separately.
Best for
- Viewers who want a well-regarded drama, comedy pick
- Short runtime — easy weeknight watch
- Critics' darlings — stronger with reviewers than general viewers
Not ideal for
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Streaming availability, artwork and title metadata courtesy of TMDB. This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB.
Is Nouvelle Vague worth watching?
Yes — Nouvelle Vague earns a 81% Celluloid Score. Recommended — recommended by most critics and audiences.
Celluloid Verdict
Linklater's 90% French-language love letter to Godard and Breathless plays like a film-school fever dream made with real affection — Metacritic's midyear world-cinema shortlist and Cannes chatter both treat it as the year's essential cinephile event.
Celluloid editorial verdict
Critics (90%) were notably more enthusiastic than audiences (75%).
What is Nouvelle Vague about?
Paris, 1959: a restless young critic named Jean-Luc Godard races to shoot a low-budget crime romance that will become Breathless and rewrite cinema forever. Richard Linklater reconstructs the chaos of the New Wave's birth — stolen locations, jazz on the soundtrack, and the sheer arrogance required to break every rule on a shoestring.
Watch the Trailer
Critic Reviews
Nouvelle Vague Review: Linklater Channels Godard's Breathless Birth
★★★★½
Richard Linklater reconstructs the making of Breathless in a 90% French-language fever dream — Guillaume Marbeck's Godard is arrogant, romantic, and essential viewing for cinephiles tracking 2026's world-cinema leaderboard.
The year's essential French export — Metacritic midyear world cinema and Cannes pedigree in one package.
Nouvelle Vague stills
Official production imagery supplied through TMDB, kept with the movie instead of split into a thin gallery page.
Images courtesy of TMDB. TMDB does not endorse or certify Celluloid.
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