On the Black Roads is now streaming on Netflix as of June 9, 2026. Directed by Denis Imbert, this introspective drama headlined by Jean Dujardin adapts the autobiographical account of Sylvain Tesson, who set out to walk across France after a serious accident.
On the Dark Roads
Film | 2023
Available on Netflix since June 9, 2026
Drama | Runtime: 1h35
Directed by Denis Imbert | Screenplay: Denis Imbert and Diastème
Starring Jean Dujardin, Joséphine Japy, Izïa Higelin, Anny Duperey and Dylan Robert
Based on the book by Sylvain Tesson
Country: France
After a serious accident, Pierre, a writer and adventurer, decides to walk across France on foot, following the Diagonal of the Void. Along forgotten byways, he sets out to discover himself as much as a rural France, far from the main arteries and the most traveled routes.
The film traces the broad arc of the healing journey told by Sylvain Tesson: a fall, a body to rebuild, and then the decision to move forward, step by step, across the country. Sur les Chemins noirs thus presents a physical and inner crossing, where walking becomes a way to reclaim both body and story.
The trailer unveils an inner journey carried by the French landscape, by stillness and by speech. It highlights themes tied to Sylvain Tesson’s body of work: solitude, rebuilding, and the relationship to the land.
Directed by Denis Imbert, Sur les Chemins noirs uses landscapes as the narrative’s central pillar. Mountains, villages, dirt tracks and forgotten roads accompany Pierre's journey, in a film where nature is not merely a backdrop but the very ground on which he rebuilds himself.
Jean Dujardin, Oscar-winner for The Artist, moves away from comedy here to inhabit a character defined by a fall, silence, and exertion. He stars alongside Joséphine Japy, Izïa Higelin, Anny Duperey and Dylan Robert.
On the Dark Roads may appeal to Netflix subscribers who gravitate toward auteur cinema, stories of rebuilding, and inners journeys. The film is less aimed at viewers who crave a fast-paced adventure or a plot heavy on dialogue.
Our take on the film On the Black Roads
One might expect an opportunistic, misery-driven drama about a man pushing through a long resilience test after a serious accident. Yet, On the Black Roads is the complete opposite. For starters, the film withholds the accident itself (overexposed in the trailer), instead offering only fragments. Throughout, we never learn exactly what happened to this so-called Sylvain Tesson to leave him so scarred. The tragedy is hinted at in small, careful touches, until the bigger picture comes together.
Denis Imbert deftly avoids a cliché, dull arc and immediately presents his protagonist as a man who is a touch unsympathetic, but reshaped by his ordeal. This is helped by the finely restrained performance of Jean Dujardin. Yet let's not pretend—what will most intrigue cinema lovers in this feature is the staggering natural scenery captured on camera. This tour of France’s winding backroads is visually sumptuous, lending the film a postcard-perfect feel that’s far from unappealing.
Of course, pure spectacle isn’t enough to win over the most discerning cinephiles, which is why the story expands around the journey itself, as the character writes along the way. That makes On the Black Roads an eminently literary film, carried by the voiceover of its protagonist, the witness to what fills those little journals. We haven’t read Sylvain Tesson’s book, but we wouldn’t be surprised if this voiceover came straight from his pages.
As this therapeutic trek unfolds, the protagonist meets a gallery of characters, yet it’s alone that the adventure feels most exhilarating. It’s a journey to lose oneself on the roads in order to find one’s true self—a graceful arc of resilience that commands respect when you know it was inspired by a real life voyage by Sylvain Tesson. A film that should charm fans of elegant language and offbeat corners of the country.
To go further, check out our picks for the Netflix June 2026 new releases, our guide to new streaming titles across all platforms, and today’s pick What to watch on streaming today.
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