Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Breakneck
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- witty
- irreverent
- joyful
- lazy afternoon
- cinephile movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly recognize the film as visually inventive, joyful, and packed with ideas, while differing over its loose, deliberately anarchic story construction.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Zazie escapes her uncle’s custody and explores Paris independently while adults pursue their own desires.
The farce relies on crazy images, slapstick, and deliberately loose causal logic, a quality emphasized in critical descriptions.
Paris, its metro, sightseeing routes, and urban life are presented through energetic, fantastical comic invention.
The film frames Zazie’s visit and escape as a merry farce exposing the absurdity of adult social arrangements.
Films like Zazie dans le Métro, and why
The 400 Blows
playful French absurdism, anarchic comedy, and stylized urban wandering
The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie
surreal visual invention, child-centered mischief, and exuberant comic energy
PlayTime
freewheeling European farce, satirical social observation, and heightened visual style
The King of Comedy
whimsical rebellion against adult order and inventive comedy centered on childhood
Movie Details
- Director
- Louis Malle
- Release Date
- 1960-10-28
- Runtime
- 93 min
- Rating
- 6.6 / 10 (193)
Cast
- Catherine Demongeot
- Philippe Noiret
- Hubert Deschamps
- Carla Marlier
- Annie Fratellini
- Vittorio Caprioli
- Yvonne Clech
- Odette Piquet
- Nicolas Bataille
- Antoine Roblot
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Criterion Channel
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Zazie dans le Métro about?
- A mischievous ten-year-old turns a two-day stay in Paris into an exuberant escape through cinematic anarchy, slapstick, and social satire.
- What is Zazie dans le Métro like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Zazie dans le Métro as breakneck, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Zazie dans le Métro violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Zazie dans le Métro.
- What did critics think of Zazie dans le Métro?
- Critics broadly recognize the film as visually inventive, joyful, and packed with ideas, while differing over its loose, deliberately anarchic story construction.
- Which films are like Zazie dans le Métro?
- Films with a similar feel include The 400 Blows, The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie, PlayTime, and The King of Comedy.
- How long is Zazie dans le Métro?
- Zazie dans le Métro runs 93 minutes.
- Where can I watch Zazie dans le Métro?
- In United States, Zazie dans le Métro streams on Criterion Channel.
