"Under Paris," a Netflix original shark film set in the River Seine, has become an unexpected global streaming success, amassing nearly 41 million views worldwide and topping Netflix's weekly streaming charts through June 9, despite its low budget and lack of hype.
The film revolves around a mutant, pregnant female shark named Lilith causing chaos in the Seine River during the 2024 Paris Olympics, featuring parthenogenesis, baby sharks in the catacombs, and raising questions about its origin and significance.
The plot shares similarities with "Jaws," with mayors in both films prioritizing financial concerns over public safety and ignoring expert advice due to the financial burdens of closing waters.
The film has gained popularity through word of mouth, tapping into audience fascination with over-the-top, cheesy shark movies, offering a guilty pleasure experience with its entertaining and unintentionally hilarious shark attack scenes, as well as its unoriginal yet engaging plot.
Bérénice Bejo's committed performance as Sophia, a marine biologist forced to confront a tragedy involving a mako shark from three years ago, and the audacious, unexpected conclusion that sets the stage for potential sequels have also contributed to the film's popularity.
The film blends an environmental message about humanity's impact with gloriously messy but entertaining scenes, featuring plot holes and nods to Paris's current mayor, while raising controversy over the potential killing of the giant shark, with animal activists opposing it.
Reviews of "Under Paris" vary, with some enthusiastic about its campy charm and others questioning its tone and quality. It finds success by embracing the shark movie tradition of high entertainment value and low-brow appeal. While it may have taken cues from "Jaws," it is not in the "so bad it's good" category, and its special effects, despite the obvious CGI, are decent.
Sources: Deadline, The Daily Beast, Telegraph, Screen Rant, Digital Trends, Telegraph, mediaplaynews.com, today.com, screenrant.com, giantfreakinrobot.com, tg24.sky.it
This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq.
