It is hard to imagine someone other than Jodie Foster as Lilian Steiner in the mystery thriller A Private Life. In her first French-language leading role, the actress brilliantly balances stoicism with the emotional turmoil of her character. She played the role of a slightly cynical psychiatrist who begins to question the circumstances surrounding a patient’s death and starts her own investigation. 

With a character as layered as Lilian and the balance of psychological mystery and beautiful chaos, Rebecca Zlotowski’s film is a Hitchcockian mystery. She showed an extraordinary performance that is impossible to look away from. And a film like this tends to leave a gap that can only be filled by a storytelling as impressive as this one.

So here are five Netflix films to watch that are built from the same DNA.

Taxi Driver is one of the most notable films of Jodie Foster’s career. It explores how isolation and trauma can slowly push a deeply troubled person toward extreme violence. Directed by Martin Scorsese, the psychological drama follows a lonely Vietnam veteran, Travis Bickle, who begins working the night shift as a New York City cab driver. 

However, as Travis continues to witness the city’s crime, corruption, and decay, his sense of isolation only grows stronger. And he begins to imagine getting rid of these crimes. His emotional turmoil and violent thoughts slowly consume him, eventually pushing him to act on his impulses. 

Robert De Niro played Travis, while Foster portrayed the role of Iris Steensma in the film. Cybill Shepherd, Harvey Keitel, Peter Boyle, Leonard Harris, and Albert Brooks are also part of the cast. Taxi Driver was also one of the highest-grossing films of 1976.

Inside Man is a 2006 crime thriller directed by famed director Spike Lee. The film follows NYPD hostage negotiator Detective Keith Frazier as he deals with Dalton Russell, who is the mastermind behind a planned Manhattan bank heist. However, Frazier soon realizes that the heist is far more complicated than it appears, with a much bigger secret hidden behind it. 

The film is not just about a heist but also about corporate corruption, brilliantly written by Russell Gewirtz. While Clive Owen plays Dalton Russell, Denzel Washington plays the role of Detective Keith Frazier. Jodie Foster played the role of fixer Madeleine White. From an impressive screenplay to the extraordianarperformance of the cast, it is one of the best crime thrillers directed by Spike Lee. 

Nyad is an inspiring story of heartbreak, failure, and perseverance, and an ultimate win. The biographical sports drama is based on swimmer Diana Nyad’s multiple attempts in the early 2010s to swim across the Straits of Florida. For the challenge, she teamed up with her best friend and former partner, Bonnie Stoll, and navigator John Bartlett.

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The swimmer faced multiple failed attempts, dangerous weather, injuries, physical exhaustion, and much more to achieve her dream. The film focuses on her journey. This was the feature directorial debut of Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin. While Annette Bening played the role of Nyad, Jodie Foster played the role of Rhys Ifans.

Directed by Kevin Macdonald, The Mauritanian is a legal drama film. It is based on the memoir of Mohamedou Ould Slahi. He was held at Guantanamo Bay detention camp from 2002 to 2016 without charge. The film focuses on Slahi’s time while in detention and the legal battle surrounding his case. 

Tahar Rahim played the role of Slahi while Jodie Foster was Nancy Hollander in the film. Hollander is the lawyer who takes on his case and finds evidence. Shailene Woodley and Benedict Cumberbatch are also part of the cast.

Elysium follows Max Da Costa, a factory worker on an overcrowded and impoverished Earth who is given only days to live after a fatal radiation exposure. Max, who is desperate for a cure, agrees to steal valuable information from his former employer, John Carlyle, who has access to a luxurious space station reserved for the wealthy, called Elysium.

The information becomes part of a plan that could give everyone on Earth access to Elysium’s advanced medical technology. However, Max's mission to secure the information turns out to be as dangerous as it sounds. Matt Damon stars in the movie as Max. Jodie Foster played the role of Defense Secretary Jessica Delacourt, who is in charge of security. Sharlto Copley, Alice Braga, Diego Luna, and Wagner Moura also star in the film. 

Foster has a decades-long career of films and shows that prove why she can anchor any genre, from gritty crime dramas to biopics. These five films show the versatility that makes her performance in A Private Life so impressive. So for those who loved her French film, these five films are the perfect next watch

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Have you watched all the films? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.