Summary
Under Paris (original French title: Sous la Seine) is a captivating action-horror film that cleverly blends elements of environmental concern with the excitement of disaster shark movies. Directed by Xavier Gens, the story focuses on a chilling menace that exists beneath one of the world’s monuments not in the ocean but in the Seine River waters in the middle of Paris.
The movie starts in the boundless region of Pacific Ocean where Sophia Assalas, a marine biologist, is tracking a tagged shortfin mako shark called Lilith. Together with her team, they are trying to collect data, especially a blood sample, from this peculiar specimen. However, things go horribly wrong during the expedition. It turns out that Lilith is not a non-aggressive shark as assumed and she brutally turns on the crew. The graphic episode takes the lives of numerous team members including Sophia’s spouse Chris. Although Sophia lives, the trauma undergoes is so mentally jarring that she is forced to go on sabbatical from the field permanently.Three years has passed. Sophia now works at an aquarium in Paris, far removed from her former hazardous marine research. A devoted young environmentalist, Mika, approaches her, claiming to have found evidence that proves Lilith is alive and somehow swimming in the Seine River. Initially, Sophia is skeptical. Sharks do not inhabit freshwater rivers, and a mako is no exception. However, after analyzing the tracker’s signal, she realizes that the shark’s information is accurate, and even more so, there is something sinister at hand.
Sophia thought her fears were unwarranted until scientists uncovered a chilling fact: Lilith had adapted to freshwater, an impossible feat, and even worse — spawned asexually. Mutated and violent, her offspring thrived in the aquatic environment of the Seine deep beneath the bustling city.
The climax reaches a boiling point as Paris gears up to host the World Triathlon Championships. Thousands of athletes are set to swim in the Seine, and against Sophia and Mika’s urgent attempts to cancel the event, city officials, including the power-hungry mayor, opt to adopt a cancelation-free stance. Permitting the feared scenario to unfold without restriction.
As the triathlon starts, the nightmare begins. Swimmers are mauled. The Seine transforms into a slaughterhouse while members of law enforcement and marine specialists scramble to manage the emergency. Adil, the commander of the river police, is highly trained to control the chaos, but it appears the dilemma is too severe to handle.
In an effort to contain the madness, a special team tries to annihilate Lilith and her children by setting off controlled blasts of aged WWII weapons underneath the river. It is, however, their actions that ultimately lead to Paris flooding. In the final jaw-dropping scene of the movie, Paris is shown to be submerged entirely while shark infestation escalates at a rapid rate, suggesting the beginning of a worldwide disaster.
Cast & crew
Sofia Assalas’ character, who is a marine biologist and happens to be a survivor of trauma herself, is portrayed by wonderful Bérénice Bejo. Sophia joins life-altering battles due to her experiences. The artist’s Bejo brings strong feelings and tenacity to her character.
Nassim takes on the role of a commander Adil, who is, in turn, as practical and courageous as the head of the Seine River police. He counterbalances the scientific view of Sophia’s action-focused outlook.
Léa Léviant gifts Mika, the idealistic activist and an activist whose discovery initiates the chain of events within the plot. Her rapport with Sophia brings a combination of youthful urgency tempered by cautious wisdom.
Anne Marivin plays the parisian mayor and the character which has political preoccupations that get in the way of protecting the public. This image portrays the political neglect inscribed by disaster movies politicians.
The diverse ensemble of the affected population and the city’s emergency staff is completed by Sandra Parfait (Caro), Aksel Üstün (Nils), Aurélia Petit (Angèle), Marvin Dubart (Markus), Daouda Keita (Léopold) and Ibrahima Ba (Adama) who present different insights.
Xavier Gens directs from horror and action cinema (Frontier(s), The Divide)). He does have a powerfully gritty and fast editing pace which builds up suspense while making social statements about these ecological catastrophes.
This comes along with the rest of the screenplay, Gens ison with all other writers, Yannick Dahan, Maud Heywang, Yaël Langmann and Olivier Torres, who explain the unique underlying agenda by horror, science fiction and environmental warning.
Cinematographer Massart Nicolas captures not just beauty, but tranquil slowly paced cityscapes than Paris, chaos of crumbling towers. The river develops character throughout the movie.
The music of the film is elevated by the tense, throbbing score of D’Amario, Cortés, and Rigaudière.
Rating and Reception
Under Paris receives a 5.2/10 on Imdb. Reviews appear to be mixed. A number of viewers seem to enjoy the film’s take on the shark genre. They highlight its over-the-top pacing as well as its relevance to environmental issues. Many others, however, have taken issue with the film’s scientific inaccuracies, overused tropes, and an exaggerated third act.
Critics seem to agree that the film’s visual effects and performances, particularly Bejo’s emotionally restrained turn as the lead, were exceptionally grounded. Nonetheless, the creature feature’s shift to disaster epic—citywide flooding and mass destruction—has proved divisive.
Despite these shortcomings, Under Paris maintains a degree of originality when compared with other shark thrillers. This particular film transports the horror into an old, urban setting, rather than the tropical islands or open sea. The shift is not merely geographical, but thematic; it exemplifies how humanity’s tampering with nature could backfire even in the most civilized places.
Conclusion
Under Paris marks an audacious addition to the contemporary eco-horror genre. Attempting to integrate thrills with a message, the film merges a unique setting with a lead performance by Bérénice Bejo, drawing parallels to climate change and other environmental issues. While it may not be flawless, there is plentiful content for disaster and creature feature enthusiasts to enjoy.
Watch Free Movies on Gomovies