We all have that body of water that flows through the city. In Brisbane, the brown muddy river is rumoured to hide many bodies and secrets. Melbourne’s Yarra River is full of oil and grease, and let’s not go into Darling Harbour in Sydney. What if there were sharks in there that were dead set on hunting every boat and swimmer that entered the water? This is simply the premise of Under Paris. It’s been a while since we have had a decent shark movie that incorporated a high body count, a decent yet still ridiculous story and some impressive special effects. Director Xavier Gens (Lupin) knows how to get this mix perfect, not adding in schlocky dialogue or overusing the shark attacks, rather keeping the CGI to a minimum so when it is used, it means something.
Lilith is the name of the shark in this film, forced to swim in Seine in Paris after an over-abundance of pollution forces her to leave the safety of her saltwater home. The opening sequence set in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch in the North Pacific Ocean introduces us to researcher Sophia (Bérénice Bejo) who loses her husband at the jaws of Lilith and her pod. Three years after the incident,Sophia tracks Lilith to Paris. She assists the police, led by Adil (Nassim Lyes), who are trying to confirm the validity of the claim and stop a young environmental protestor group who are trying to free Lilith back into the ocean.
As if this wasn’t enough, there is a huge triathlon set to take place, with the hilariously campy and money-loving town mayor refusing to accept that sharks are swimming in the water where the contestants will start. It all combines to deliver the kind of ridiculous, “How is this even real” disaster film that we really need to see more of.
Lilith is given the same treatment as Godzilla in recent movies, we see the fin a lot but rarely the entire body until it matters. Gens does a fantastic job of keeping the human stories interesting enough, that you are easily distracted from the lack of the creature in the first hour. This is more than made up for in the second hour when the carnage is unleashed. There is an incredible scene in the Catacombs that must be seen to be believed and things just keep getting more intense as the movie goes on. Having different groups run around with their own agendas, completely blind to what’s actually happening around them, is a lot of fun to watch as they each fall prey to the realisation of their reality.
The visual effects here are awe-inspiring. The team at MPCVFX have put a lot into the design of the creatures and being able to blend them into the natural environment. The reconstruction of the Catacombs and the set design here also feel incredibly authentic. Performance-wise Bejo does a decent job of leading the film, her concerned scientist and grieving widow does weigh the film down when it kicks into gear in the second hour. The real star here is Lyes, who holds the film together. His ability to flip between leading his team of Police as they patrol the water and then to his own grieving for his loss outside of this environment. It’s a great performance and hopefully the start of more for Lyes.
Under Paris is the winter blockbuster we have been waiting for. With recent releases not landing with audiences at cinemas, this would have been the perfect opportunity to deliver a campy, fun disaster film from a director who understands what makes a great shark movie. There have been many attempts to recreate the terror of Jaws, but not one film has come close. Under Paris has successfully delivered the best shark film since 1975.
Under Paris is streaming now on Netflix
