Skip to content
MovieCove
Malik Zidi

Malik Zidi

Actor · Born February 14, 1975 (51) · Saint Maur des Fossés, France

Berlinale award winner

Malik Zidi was born in Châtenay-Malabry to a Kabyle Algerian father and a Breton mother. He spent his formative years in Saint-Maur-des-Fossés, a suburb of Paris. Zidi abandoned his conventional studies early to concentrate on a career in comedy. Following courses at the Théâtre Véronique Nordey, and the Théâtre de Proposition in Paris, he briefly studied acrobatics and mime at the Théâtre de la Piscine and cinema at the Studio Pygmalion. Zidi made his first film appearance in the 1998 Sébastien Lifshitz-directed Les Corps ouverts. In 2000, Zidi was chosen by director François Ozon to appear as the troubled, lovelorn, bisexual youth Franz in the Teddy Award-winning film Water Drops on Burning Rocks (French:Gouttes d'eau sur pierres brûlantes). The film was based on the play Tropfen auf heisse Steine by German film director and screenwriter Rainer Werner Fassbinder. The film is a four-part comedy-drama shot entirely on one set and featuring only four actors: Zidi, Bernard Giraudeau, Ludivine Sagnier and American actress Anna Levine. Zidi's role in Water Drops on Burning Rocks garnered him his first of four César Award nominations. Malik Zidi followed up with roles in the 2002 Antoine Santana-directed Un moment de bonheur (English: One Moment of Happiness) opposite Isild Le Besco, earning his second César Award nomination for Most Promising Actor. In 2004, he appeared in the André Téchiné-directed romantic drama Les Temps qui changent (English release title: Changing Times) as Sami, the bisexual son of Cécile (portrayed by Catherine Deneuve), who visits his parents in Tangiers so that he may visit his Moroccan boyfriend. The film also starred actor Gérard Depardieu and was nominated for a Satellite Award. Zidi received his third César Award nomination. In 2006, Zidi appeared in the Emmanuel Bourdieu-drama Les Amitiés maléfiques (English release title: Poison Friends). The film was showcased at the Cannes Film Festival and Bourdieu received the Critics Week Grand Prize and the Grand Golden Rail. The film also won the SACD Screenwriting Award and Zidi was once again nominated for a César Award, winning the Award for Most Promising Actor 2007. In addition to film, Zidi has appeared in numerous television roles. In 2020, Zidi penned his first novel L'ombre du soir, which was published by Éditions Anne Carrière.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
February 14, 1975 (51)
From
Saint Maur des Fossés, France
Works as
Actor
Titles
19 on MovieCove · 63 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 157 days to Oct 28Down 43% in 30 days

What are Malik Zidi's films like?

Across their 15 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.

Genres

Drama5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 46th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Biography3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 29th percentile
: browse their Biography movies
Comedy3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 72nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Crime2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 42nd percentile
: browse their Crime movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Self
25%
Bonds
25%
Morality
19%
Survival
15%
Power
13%
Society
3%
Romantic love6 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival3 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRevenge2 titles, browse their movies with this themeBetrayal3 titles, browse their movies with this themeOppression2 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception2 titles, browse their movies with this themeGrief2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 15 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 2 · Serious 5 · Dark 8

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 10 · Stylized 4 · Heightened 1

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 2 · Charged 8 · Intense 5

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 8 · Shifting 7 · Whiplash 0

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 12 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 1

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 9 · Even-paced 5 · Relentless 1

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 3 · Engaged 10 · Full focus 2

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 2 · Affecting 4 · Heavy 9

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

A split, not a type: Resolved 8 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 3

Roles they play

7 analyzed roles

Usually the Herald: 3 of 7 analyzed roles.

Herald
3 of 7
Ally
2 of 7
Hero
2 of 7
Show the 7 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
7
Melancholic
9
Dread
5
Contemplative
4
Warm
3
Other
10

How their films linger

Bittersweet9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy2
  • Bittersweet7
  • Tragic2
  • Ambiguous4

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Malik Zidi's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 13 of their 19 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (7).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Malik Zidi's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

63 credits, 19 with a MovieCove page.

  • Child (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    Actor

  • Le Rouge et le Noir (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    Show 4 episodes · as Abbé Pirard

  • When Fall Is Coming(2024)

    as Laurent

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Flavors of Iraq (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    Actor

  • The Soul Eater(2024)

    as Fabrice Gonnet

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Enquête parallèle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    Show 1 episode · as Remi

  • Sons of Ramses (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    as Michaël

  • What's Wrong with My Family? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    as Mathieu

  • Oxygen(2021)

    as Léo Ferguson

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Gloria (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Show 6 episodes · as Denis Gauvin

  • The Color of Kings (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    as Nadji

  • Towards the Battle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    as Louis

  • Play(2019)

    as Mathias Adler

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Disturbing Disappearances(2019)

    Show 1 episode · as Ludovic Minghetti

    Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all shows

  • Whatever Happened to My Revolution (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    as Saïd

  • Nox (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Show 6 episodes · as Raphaël Berger

  • Gauguin: Voyage to Tahiti(2017)

    as Henri Vallin

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • The Sky of the Centaur (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    Actor

  • Marie Curie: The Courage of Knowledge(2016)

    as André-Louis Debierne

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • Daguerrotype(2016)

    as Thomas

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Made in France(2015)

    as Sam

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • The Assistant(2015)

    as Thomas

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    as Bertilak / Le Chevalier Vert

  • Wolfy: The Incredible Secret (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    as Loulou

  • The Marchers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    as Philippe, le RG

  • Amaro amore (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    as Andrè

  • You, Me and Us (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    as Victor

  • Lines of Wellington(2012)

    as Octave Ségur

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Berthe Morisot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    as Edouard Manet

  • The Gordji Affair (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    as Luc Delair

  • Rebellion(2011)

    as JP Perrot

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Mysteries of Lisbon(2011)

    Show 6 episodes · as Visconde de Armagnac

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all shows

  • Mysteries of Lisbon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    as Visconde de Armagnac

  • Après moi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    as Hugo

  • The Queen of Clubs (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    as Aurélien

  • La mort n'oublie personne (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    as Jean Ricouart

  • Pardon My French(2009)

    as Antoine

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Ex (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    as Marc

  • Beloved Clara(2008)

    as Johannes Brahms

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • Le baiser (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    as Boy

  • Miroir, mon beau miroir (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    as Lepic

  • Les Zygs, le Secret des Disparus (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    as Jean / Béjean

  • Jacquou le croquant(2007)

    as Touffu

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • The Great Meaulnes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    as Franz

  • Poison Friends (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    as Eloi Duhaut

  • Beyond the Ocean (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    as Bruno

  • The Accursed Kings (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Show 5 episodes · as Philippe VI de Valois

  • Looking for Cheyenne (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    as Pierre

  • Changing Times(2004)

    as Sami

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Old Goriot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    as Eugène de Rastignac

  • Sissi, the Rebellious Empress (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    as Rodolphe

  • Les Thibault (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Show 4 episodes · as Jacques Thibault

  • My Children Are Different (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    as Thomas

  • Almost Peaceful (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    as Joseph

  • A Moment of Happiness (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    as Philippe

  • Her Mother, the Whore (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    as Bimbo

  • Water Drops on Burning Rocks(2000)

    as Franz

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Place Vendôme(1998)

    as Sam's Son

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • L'Onzième Commandement (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Actor

  • Open Bodies (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    as Classmate

  • Incarnation (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Actor

  • Passe-muraille (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Show 1 episode · as Jonas Renck

  • Que demande le peuple (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Actor

Career shape

Star power in the 97th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 63 titles, 60 of them dated from 1998 to 2026; peak year 2016.

Biggest box office

When Fall Is Coming (2024)

$6.9M worldwide

Highest rated

Play (2019)

Midcredits 87th

Most popular right now

Oxygen (2021)

Film career

19982026

Peak 2016 · at the high point of their film career. Top draw in 4 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting63 of 63: 63 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score48th

By decade

1990s3 · acting2000s22 · acting2010s24 · acting2020s11 · acting

Billing

usually 4th · top billed in 5% of 19 roles
980818

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

Awards

Won a Berlinale award in 2001.

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Malik Zidi's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 48th percentile, the median of all 17; across their 15 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 52nd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

52ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 15

Approval · how many liked their films

42ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 15

Reach · how many have seen their films

67thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 15

Midcredits score across 19 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up3
  • 50th to 74th5
  • 25th to 49th9
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

8 of their 19 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Crowd Pleaser8
  • Broadly Agreed5
  • Mixed6

Most divisive · actor

Beloved Clara (2008)

53rd percentile spread · 26% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Play (2019)

Midcredits 87th · 75% liked

Reviewers score the acting 73/100 in their films, across 13 reviewed titles; fans 80, detractors 52. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Malik Zidi's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 4 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Sex & Nudity4 titlesmedian 34 · mildMedian of all films: 32

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does Malik Zidi work with?

People who share at least 2 of Malik Zidi's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; François Ozon shares the most, 2.

Directors

Actors

Composers

Producers