Under Paris is the "worst movie" people have seen in a while despite its #1 global position on Netflix

Under Paris debuted on Netflix on June 5, 2024, and has quickly risen to the top spot on the streaming service. The French-language horror film follows how a killer shark has made its way to the Seine River in Paris and terrorizes the city. As per Netflix, Under Paris rose to become the top-streamed non-English language film this week, with nearly 41 million views.

However, not every viewer agrees with the popularity of the film. A Reddit user named Gordzulax commented:

"It's the worst movie I've seen in months."

The film has been heavily inspired by some iconic films in the genre, like Jaws and Deep Blue Sea. However, some viewers were left puzzled as to how the shark swam to Paris from the ocean.

Another user on Reddit commented saying, "They never explain why the damn shark swam all the way to Paris!"

The popularity of the film was definitely not accepted this Redditor who said, "This movie has an audience rating of 34% on rotten tomatoes. Critic score of 64%. It was laughably bad. The only thing that makes it good is its badness."

Another user commented saying, "Why did I watch this thinking it might be somewhat good?"

Speaking about the number one spot of the film, this other Redditor said, "This doesn’t mean the movies good. It means there is nothing else to watch LOL"

If facts are taken into account, it would be difficult for a shark to adapt to the freshwater environment of the Seine. As per the film, Lilith is a Mako shark, and these sharks cannot live outside of the saline water of oceans.

Under Paris has received a lot of flak from users on the internet; however, the film continues to hold its position as the number one-ranked film on Netflix currently. Much like the killer shark, the film itself is also holding out on its own and gaining popularity among viewers.

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What is Under Paris about?

Under Paris is a French horror film that follows the story of how a killer shark named Lilith makes its way to the Seine River in Paris right before the Olympic Triathlon is about to take place.

A marine biologist named Sophia (Bérénice Bejo) investigates the situation and is shocked to learn that the same shark had previously killed her husband when they were exploring a garbage patch in the Great Pacific Ocean. The shark has mutated into a 21-foot-long monster, and the onus is on Sophia to safeguard the people of Paris before the start of the Olympic Triathlon.

At its core, the film has tried to raise the question of sharks having to relocate due to environmental changes. Changes in the temperature of the water (cue global warming) and pollution often lead to a change in habitat for sharks. The film has taken this concept and used it to portray a killer shark that terrorizes the inhabitants of Paris.

The official synopsis of the film reads:

"To save Paris from a bloodbath, a grieving scientist is forced to face her tragic past when a giant shark appears in the Seine."

Under Paris has been directed by Xavier Gens (known for Hitman, Budapest, Cold Skin). The cast of the film also includes Nassim Lyes as Officer Adil, Léa Léviant as Mika, Nagisa Morimoto as Ben, Aurélia Petit as Angèle, Yannick Choirat as Chris, Inaki Lartigue as Juan, and Victor Pontecorvo as Sam.

Although the execution of Under Paris might not have suited a population of film viewers (as per the comments showcased in the article), the core concept struck a chord with a large number of viewers.

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Under Paris is currently streaming on Netflix.