It’s not often you find out that a shark has made its way into the heart of Paris, however, Netflix’s latest thriller has.
Under Paristranslated from the French Sous La Seine (which sounds a lot slicker), it’s more than just another shark trick.
In fact, it has been described by critics as one of the “scariest shark movies ever made.”
Widely praised by critics who were quick to praise the feature-length release, the film contains everything you’d expect from a shark-centric thriller – and more.
Forget Sharknado, this is a shark movie that wows even most critics, even labeled as a “sensible” shark movie.
So impressive in fact, that it earned a 100% approval rating on the review aggregator Rotten tomatoes.
Under Paris is run by Frontier(s) and Mayhem! director Xavier Gens and tells the story of the sad scientist Sophia (Bérénice Bejo).
Having experienced a tragic personal event three years prior, things are about to get even more traumatic for Sofia when a large shark is found swimming in the Seine.
On a mission to avoid a bloodbath, Sofia joins forces with Seine River police commander Adil (Nassim Lyes).
And so the shark hunt begins.
The city is every bit the scene of the moment, with a range of current releases all in the heart of the French capital.
Now, Under Paris is the latest release to capitalize on the historic location – albeit in a completely alternative way, with the film’s premise robust enough to keep even President Emmanuelle Macron up at night.
With the film described as “thrilling” and a “bloodbath” by critics, here’s what they’re making of the latest release.
Variety writes: “Director Xavier Gens (“Lupin”) plays it straight — no winks at the crowd or so-bad-it’s-good posturing, just killer set pieces and a firm understanding that the best creature features are those in which you see the creature as little as possible.”
The guardianStuart Heritage writes: “It’s brutal. It just never lets up, almost to the point of tiring. It’s unbelievable. Variety called Under Paris “a really great shark movie”. That’s an understatement. It’s one of the best shark movies of all time.“
Michael Gingold by Rue Morgue said: “Jaws it’s not – it’s not even Deep Blue Sea – but in a sea of low-budget action, Under Paris is well-crafted and diverting enough for nature lovers fishing for simple aquatic thrills. ”
Decision maker writes: “We don’t go into a shark thriller with high expectations, so Under Paris is good enough to warrant a recommendation.”
Everyday Dead gives it four stars, writing, “Under Paris isn’t the most logical example of shark attack horror, but it’s thankfully more than a silly ‘mako in the Seine’ idea owned by the SYFY channel.”
We think it’s time to give it a watch.
