The Killer Shark Movie That's Gobbling Up Netflix's Top 10 Charts Right Now
An international creature feature is taking over Netflix. Released on June 5, 2024, "Under Paris" has quickly become one of the streamer's most popular movies. As of June 11, the French film is the No. 1 release on the platform worldwide. In the United States, the Xavier Gens-directed picture is the third most-watched film on Netflix, trailing "Wonder" and "Hit Man." The French creature movie has even usurped Japan's "Godzilla Minus One," which is finally available for millions to watch at home.
"Under Paris" dominating the Netflix charts isn't surprising, as it's one of the most talked-about films of the year. Critically, it has mixed-to-positive reviews, boasting a 60% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Michael Nordine of Variety enjoyed the shark horror picture, deeming it a ridiculous but enjoyable movie that follows in the footsteps of "Jaws." On the other hand, Meagan Navarro of Bloody Disgusting found the film to be derivative and average at best, writing, "There's potential lurking in these waters and a few bloody scenes that stand out, but overall, its tonal swings between somber seriousness and summer horror fun distract too much from what works."
Users on the film-centric social media site Letterboxd are also polarized, giving "Under Paris" an average 2.3 star rating. User David Chen, co-host of the podcast "The Filmcast," gleefully described it as one of the stupidest movies he's ever seen, yet found it enjoyable for "doing its own thing, and taking its [B] movie self EXTREMELY seriously."
Under Paris has a wild but topical premise
Set in the summer of 2024, "Under Paris" imagines the iconic French city hosting the World Triathlon Championships on the river Seine. With thousands of tourists and athletes pouring into the City of Lights, anticipation for the event is at an all-time high. However, behind-the-scenes, scientist Sophia (Bérénice Bejo) is teaming up with the Seine's police captain Adil (Nassim Lyes) to stop a giant shark lurking the city's river ... ready to maw and eat its way through the triathlon's contestants. It's an absurd premise, but one that's extremely topical as Paris is hosting the Olympic Games this summer.
Though it won't be winning any Oscars, "Under Paris" is the latest international film hoping to join the pantheon of bizarre shark movies from around the world. Under two hours, "Under Paris" is a breezy, ridiculous, and self-aware effort that has managed to become a polarizing viral sensation. While many critics were disappointed, finding it to be generic and lacking originality, audience members are having the time of their lives with the film's absurdity and over-the-top nature.
The film's success is a testament to how audiences, especially in the United States, are embracing international projects. It certainly helps that the picture highlights one of humanity's deepest fears: underwater creatures. While it's unclear if "Under Paris" will be considered one of the best shark movies ever made, it's a still topical release to enjoy before the summer Olympics.