This $426 Million-Earning Hit French Movie Has Found a New Streaming Home

If you’re in the mood for a good — some say even unforgettable — French movie, there’s something in Hulu for you this January. The streaming platform added The Intouchables to its catalog, a 2011 comedy-drama that was nominated for several awards back when it premiered, including the BAFTAs. Led by French stars Omar Sy (The Killer) and François Cluzet (Mascarade), the movie has a powerful message but also features some laugh-out-loud moments.

The Intouchables tells the story of two wildly different individuals whose paths cross. Philippe (Cluzet) is a wealthy quadriplegic who is looking for a live-in caregiver. One of the candidates for the job is Driss (Sy), a younger man who doesn’t have much perspective in life. However, Driss ends up landing the job because of his different approach to Philippe — he’s the first person who doesn’t look at the man with pity, but rather treats him like he’d treat anyone else. The duo ends up forming a strong bond, and their friendship is what drives the entire story.

Made with a relatively small budget (about $10 million after conversion from Euro), The Intouchables was a massive hit that raked in several times its cost. It made $426 million worldwide, which made it one of the highest-grossing French films ever. It was also immensely praised, and currently holds a 76% approval score on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics like Daily Telegraph‘s Robbie Collin wrote that while “this is not a film that will change the whole world,” its qualities “just might charm it.”

Is ‘The Intouchables’ Based On a True Story?

While it may seem like a typical story tailor-made for the screen, The Intouchables was based on real events. It was helmed by duo of directors Olivier Nakache and Éric Toledano, who also directed Samba and C’est La Vie!. They co-wrote the script, which was nominated in the Best Original Screenplay category at the César Awards — considered the French Oscars. The movie was also nominated in seven other categories, including Best Film and Best Actor for Cluzet and Sy, and Sy took the prize home.

The Intouchables was so popular and told such a powerful story that it was remade three times. In the U.S., the remake is called The Upside, and it stars Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad), Kevin Hart (Borderlands) and Nicole Kidman (Babygirl). It was directed by Neil Burger (The Marsh King’s Daughter), and even though it didn’t reach the massive numbers that the original French movie did, The Upside had a solid box office performance that raked in over $125 million worldwide.

The Intouchables is available to stream on Hulu. You can check out the trailer above.

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Release Date

November 2, 2011

Director

Olivier Nakache
, Eric Toledano

Cast

François Cluzet
, Omar Sy
, Anne Le Ny
, Audrey Fleurot
, Joséphine de Meaux
, Clotilde Mollet
, Alba
, Gaïa Bellugi
, Cyril Mendy

Runtime

112 Minutes

Writers

Olivier Nakache
, Eric Toledano
, Philippe Pozzo di Borgo

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