The adventures of sharks and survival drama deserve a separate genre, with continuous additions of films. Following the classics, Jaws, Deep Blue Sea, and The Meg. We have the newest French film, Under Paris (Sous la Seine), joining the bandwagon. Let’s discuss if this Netflix tale brings something fresh or is just a routine shark story.
Sharks, Death, and Survival
The film starts with gruesome scenes of panic and shark attack (Lilith or Beacon Seven) on a team of marine biologists, leaving a sole survivor, Sophia Assalas. She discontinues research and works in an underground Aquarium in Paris. Soon realizes that Lilith has bred in the Seine’s freshwaters, where a global triathlon event is happening. The police fail in their attempt to kill the shark, warn the city officials.
However, the event commences, & Lilith’s attack causes major destruction & massacre. How will the military save citizens? What happens to sharks? Does the chaos end? To know all this, stream Under Paris on Netflix.
Visuals and Vibes
The entire film is set in a serious and threatening mood as they soon discover that Lilith is hiding in the Catacombs under the Seine River. The large bloodshed and graphics are decent. Also, the scientist gives clear explanations that Lilith is a brand-new species that uses “parthenogenesis” or doesn’t need a male shark; they reproduce on their own. Further, the denotation of hidden bombs in the climax is a major shock and something very different from other films.
Crafting Characters
Sophia Assales, aka Berence Bejo, as a traumatizing scientist, made decent contributions to her role. She managed to build a good scientific image of the film. Supporting actors Nassim Lyes as the police, Lea Leviant as an environmental activist, and Anne Marivin as the Mayor of Paris offered a suspenseful plot development. Finally, indeed, the shark as the main protagonist did well in all scenes. However, it has quite an uncertain climax.
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VFX and Sound Design
The VFX team worked efficiently in tying up the survival thriller. The film’s VFX supervisor, Arnaud Fouquet & producer Loriance Lucas did a fantastic job in recreating the submerged Parisian landscapes, lesser known to the global audience. Unlike the Meg sequel, the graphics are visually appealing, and it’s rare to see such good quality on OTT. Likewise, sound effects work well for the film context.
Final Verdict
Overall, Under Paris is a good attempt at reclaiming the thrill of watching the old-class Jaws film. Even though some characters seem unrealistic, they aren’t overboard. The story balances the science of the sharks with survival drama. Also, the climax shows that Lilith and her babies have spread to major seas, indicating a possible chance of a sequel. So if you are looking for a good weekend binge, then do watch this. It has a good kick.
IMDb: 5.2/10 Rotten Tomatoes: 63% My Ratings 4/5
Written by: Meghana Pinninti