Ivan Radford | On 09, Jun 2024

Director: Xavier Gens
Cast: Bérénice Bejo, Nassim Lyes, Léa Léviant, Anne Marivin
Certificate: 15

“The species that survive aren’t the strongest species, nor are they the most intelligent, but rather the ones who best adapt to change.” Those words from Charles Darwin open Under Paris (Sous la Seine), Netflix’s new shark thriller – and they set the scene for a surprisingly entertaining swim through familiar waters.

The film begins in 2021, when scientist Sophia (Bérénice Bejo) becomes the lone survivor of an attack by Lilith, a rare mako shark she and her team – including her husband – were studying. Fast forward to three years later in Paris, where Sophia is working at an aquarium while the city is planning to host a world triathlon championship in its iconic river. Faster than you can say “Deep Blue Seine”, Sophia is alerted by a young environmental activist, Mika (Léa Léviant), that Lilith’s tracking beacon still works – and shows that she’s swimming in the deep waters under the French capital.

The authorities are swiftly alerted, but the mayor (Anne Marivin) – following the trusted Jaws playbook – is adamant that the triathlon should go ahead regardless, with the presence of a shark in the waters kept under wraps. Fortunately, river police officer Adil (Nassim Lyes) isn’t prepared to let sleeping fins lie, and so Sophia and Adil’s team dive into one of the least plausible story ideas in disaster movie history – and that’s saying something.

If you’re looking for depth of character, Under Sea isn’t exactly going to deliver, but Bérénice Bejo – of The Artist fame – is a wonderfully charismatic lead, sinking her teeth into her character’s grief and bringing the perfect amount of emotional weight to her actions: we gladly cheer her on, without the thriller’s pace getting bogged down. The frustratingly corrupt officials, meanwhile, are the most believable part of the whole thing, and will having you booing with satisfaction.

Crucially, though, where Under Paris delivers repeatedly is in the pure execution of its high-concept plot. Director Xavier Gens (Gangs of London and Lupin) doesn’t shy away from the darkness of the premise, finding numerous ways to mine “sharks in Paris” for fresh thrills, scientific twists and unexpected deaths – and then chucks some unexploded WWII mines into the mix for good measure. Even the eco activists determined to demonstrate sharks are misunderstood creatures don’t exactly come off well. Forget Baby Shark: this is a decidedly brutal and cruel monster movie.

The 100-minute runtime bolts along with a streamlined efficiency, with each riveting set piece building to a jaw-dropping final act that’s rewarding and chilling in equal measure. The result is an impressive, consistently tense blockbuster that’s surely the start of a franchise for Netflix – and, if it can stick to its lane and avoid getting swept into Sharknado-like currents, Under Paris proves there are still new canals to explore in cinema’s crowded shark-infested waters. Sometimes, it’s not the strongest or smartest films that make a splash: it’s the ones that know how to adapt.

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