Richard Linklater’s New 89% RT Netflix Movie Was Inspired By His Own ’90s Comedy Classic That Led To Clerks

by

Richard Linklater didn’t have to look far for ideas when creating the dramatic, messy behind-the-scenes story in his new Netflix movie. He experienced similar challenges while making his first successful film back in 1990.

The director of Netflix’s Nouvelle Vague told ScreenRant‘s Tatiana Hullender that his earlier film, Slacker, was the biggest inspiration for his new movie. The new film is a fictionalized story about how Jean-Luc Godard made his groundbreaking debut film, Breathless.

I think my most formative film experience was definitely making Slacker. It wasn’t just my first film, but the first time I directed a crew. After working solo for a while, I suddenly had to communicate my vision to a lot of people, and that was a big learning experience.

Godard was known for his improvisational style when making Breathless, frequently creating scenes as he went. Richard Linklater understands this bold and unconventional method, as he used a similar approach while filming Slacker.

I was filming something different – it wasn’t based on a traditional script. Because it was so unusual, people were curious about my process, and I felt a lot of pressure. It was a weird mix of self-assurance and intense worry, especially as a first-time filmmaker, constantly fearing everything could fall apart.

Linklater felt a connection to Jean-Luc Godard, who was also a young, relatively unknown director when he created Breathless. “I was around the same age as Godard – in my late twenties – when I made my first film,” Linklater explained. “That definitely influenced this film, and I think in a positive way.”

The film Slacker greatly impacted independent cinema in the 1990s, essentially creating a new style of comedy often called “slacker comedy.” Movies like Kevin Smith’s Clerks and Mallrats, and even Richard Linklater’s Dazed and Confused, followed suit, typically portraying unmotivated, bored characters navigating frustrating and aimless lives, sometimes with the help of marijuana.

Godard’s Breathless was incredibly important when it was released and became a key example of the French New Wave. This movement featured bold, innovative films by directors who were passionate about cinema and determined to break away from traditional filmmaking conventions.

ScreenRant describes Linklater’s Nouvelle Vague as both a loving tribute to the French New Wave film movement and a delightful, relaxed film to watch. The review highlights how clearly Linklater’s admiration for Godard’s filmmaking style shines through in the movie, noting that…

You can feel Linklater’s happiness even when he’s not on screen, and that positive energy carries through the film as he champions artistic freedom and explores how great art often emerges from unexpected places.

With an 89% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, Nouvelle Vague is one of the most critically acclaimed films in director Richard Linklater’s career. Interestingly, his other 2025 film, Blue Moon – which stars Ethan Hawke, a frequent collaborator – also holds an 89% rating on the site.

Linklater’s film about Godard generated significant buzz after its debut at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, where it received a remarkably long standing ovation – eleven minutes, making it one of the most enthusiastic responses of the entire festival.

The new film, Nouvelle Vague, features Zoey Deutch as Jean Seberg, Guillaume Marbeck as Jean-Luc Godard, Aubry Dullin as Jean-Paul Belmondo, and Adrien Rouyard as Francois Truffaut. It will be available to stream on Netflix starting November 14th.

Read More

2025-11-10 22:23