When it comes to shark movies, it’s hard to do something creative in the space without diving into the proven models of the classic ‘Jaws’ or going “big” with the monster formula that ‘Meg’ introduced over the last decade, for better or worse.
But, ‘Under Paris’ certainly makes an attempt at doing something a bit outside of the box while still tipping it’s hat to ‘Jaws’ in the process.
Released on June 5th and currently exclusively available on Netflix, Xavier Gens’ thriller starring Bérénice Bejo, tells the story of: “To save Paris from a bloodbath, a grieving scientist is forced to face her tragic past when a giant shark appears in the Seine.”
Sophia (Bejo) quits her gig as a marine biologist after her husband, and their entire crew, was massacred by a shark (Lilith) they had been tracking. The shark was part of their study revolving around the impact of polluted seas and climate change and how it has altered/accelerated the evolution rate of sharks.
Sofia exits the industry until Mika (Léa Léviant), a member of the ocean conservation group Save Our Seas (SOS) contacts her and informs her that Lilith is now in the Seine, which is playing hos to a major sporting event that the city mayor is determined to see take place, regardless of the dangers (the hat tip to Jaws).
Unfortunately, Lilith’s evolution has accelerated so fast that she is reproducing by parthenogenesis, meaning she does not need to get pregnant to reproduce, and she has mutated into a brand new kind of species with a growing pack of hunters.
The film has they typical ebbs and flows that a shark horror presents, but it is packed with good kills and a solid enough story to keep you engaged and interested.
Overall, a solid movie that doesn’t drag and provides plenty of gore and logic to make the movie an easy watch, although it may not land on any of your all-time favorites list.
