Synopsis
Xavier Gens will release a new action-horror film titled ‘Sous La Seine’ / ‘Under Paris’ later this year, shedding a unique perspective on ecological horrors. The movie ‘s premise offers a gripping and at times dreamlike spectacle of a creature attacking the heart of Europe, a shark assaulting Paris. The plot begins with a shocking aquatic catastrophe and progresses to societal mayhem and disaster, utilizing the River Seine as both setting and symbol.
The movie begins in 2021 with a marine biologist, Sophia Assalas, who leads a team in the Pacific Ocean researching a shortfin mako shark named Lilith who is displaying abnormal growth and behavior changes. Lilith attempted to wipe out Sophia’s group during a routine dive and succeeded in murdering Sophie’s husband along with her colleagues. Sophia managed to survive the incident but was deeply traumatized.
Currently, three years later, Sophie is stationed at a Paris aquarium and living a quiet life, but this changes when activist, Mika informs her that Lilith has somehow traveled from the Pacific, into the Atlantic, through the Seine, and into Paris. Mika and her partner have been tracking the creature and they want Sophie’s aid to study her mutation by capturing her alive.
At the same time, the city government is working on a triathlon to be held in the very waters that Lilith currently inhabits. She is in the catacombs near Paris. Even when scientists and activists plead to cancel the event for safety concerns, the Mayor is adamant about holding on to it because of political and financial implications. His stubbornness mirrors actual debates about the Seine’s sanitation and safety for public use.
After examining a swimmer’s corpse bearing shark bite markings, Sophia decides to partner up with river police commander Adil to investigate the case further. Together, they unravel that Lilith is indeed alive, residing in Paris’ underwater tunnels and catacombs. Things take a turn when a rescue operation in the catacombs is intercepted by Lilith, proving that she is not alone, having reproduced asexually.
The climax occurs during the triathlon. The moment hundreds of participants dive into the Seine, pandemonium ensues. In a savage attack, Lilith and her offspring slaughter the swimmers. Chaos reigns above the water, military forces are called in where they attempt to neutralize the threat by detonating unmapped WWII munitions in the riverbed. This results in the explosion destroying several bridges while parts of Paris flood.
The greater part of Paris is submerged. The final scenes indicate that the sharks have survived and are likely reproducing in other waterways across the globe. The film concludes with a pessimistic tone, suggesting a human-triggered global ecological catastrophe steered by nature’s fury and humanity’s relentless disregard for the balance.
Cast and Crew
Director
Xavier Gens, who specializes in action and horror, brings a visceral touch to the film Under Paris. He integrates fragmented, fast-paced underwater action with the wide-scale\r\n devastation of the city. Gens directed films like Frontier(s) and The Divide, and his familiarity with suffocating, intense claustrophobic narratives is clear throughout the movie.
Writers
Gens, Dahan, Heywang, Langmann, and Torres contributed to the film’s screenplay. This diverse blend of voices produces a narrative that shifts between multifaceted eco-critique, political discourse, and a spectacle of natural disaster.
Cinematography
Massart emphasizes the cluttered order of the surface world with the chaotic, grimy darkness of the underwater Parisian world. The feeling of claustrophobic entrapment in the catacomb and underwater sequences is paired with tension and disorienting space.
Editing
Riwanon Le Beller keeps a bustling narrative velocity, especially in the second portion. The editing in the action sequences is frenetic in its precision. The floods along with the shark attacks are both compelling and orderly.
Music
The score’s suspenseful build up during the third act of the film is compelling, and reinforces rigorously with horror elements. The trio of composers, Anthony D’Amario, Alex Cortés, and Édouard Rigaudière exhibit perfect balance in the score.
Main Cast
Bérénice Bejo as Sophia Assalas
As a brilliant marine biologist, Bejo captures the character’s personal tragedy and professional obsession with her work, buoying the film’s most sensational moments.
Léa Léviant as Mika
As Lilith’s devoted savior, Mika embodies unwavering fervor colliding with armed forces. Her actions epitomize relentless and self-righteous idealism.
Nassim Lyes as Adil
Adil, captain of the river police starts the story skeptical, but becomes one of Sophia’s strongest allies. With his perspective, the audience receives a more procedural glimpse to the story’s moral compass.
Supporting roles are filled by Anne Marivin, Marvin Dubart, and Nagisa Morimoto who portray city officials, scientists, and rescue operators respectively, all contributing to raise the narrative tension.
Critical Reception
Under Paris was reviewed positively overall, with critics appreciating the film’s bold premise and execution while it quickly became a globally streamed hit. While critics remarked that there were many positive aspects to the film, they also pointed out its political message as an added bonus.
Critics greatly appreciated the fact that the film was set in a capital city and was shark horror, which is typically set in far more isolated regions. The visual effects, while not perfect, were met with praise as they were uniquely impressive for a mid-budget European production. The combination of environmental concerns with traditional horror was hailed to be both innovative and timely.
Despite its entertaining qualities, the film received criticism for gaps in reasoning relating to the plot. These included the logistics and feasibility regarding a shark swimming through many different parts of the globe completely undetected and into the Parisian water system. Some critics also mentioned the underdevelopment of certain supporting characters and how the need to create spectacle led to the abandonment of some elements of logic.
Despite all of the criticisms, audience enthusiasm spiked due to the film’s absurdity and relentless pacing. Many viewers embraced the wild blend of different cinematic tropes describing it as “a French Jaws meets Sharknado” infused with a serious focus on environmentalism.
Environmentalism and its Alarming Effects
The creation of Lilith shows how humankind’s nature fright can reek havoc to the very waters they dive in. Humans are turning into monsters bending and breaking laws of Nature; therefore, Under Paris seeks to tell a story of woman-maid disaster. Due to possible pollution caused by human activities, the destruction of the sea, exiled firearms, among other things, ocean flora and marine fauna are not safe. Thus, nature’s wrath is boundless to those predicting its consequences, and looking upon an unbalanced ecology may result in unforeseen threats—whether regarded as pollution or waste.
Disguised Political Comment
Observing closely, the film demonstrates brazen and political indifference from authorities. To some extent, Mayors are representatives of the public, meaning he governs everyone; however, his unwillingness to act and adhere to reason shows feats of utter ignorance by the public. Characterizing government’s dread and disappearance reinforces the label of societal collapse for fueled pleasures not regarded as beneficial down the road.
Unprepared For Wendigoous Hurricanes
Storms and torrential winter down pours can bring about fear, but placing a feral ocean in the heart of a city adds an even deeper feeling of existential dread people are not safe. When icy seas greet civilization by flooding Paris, it raises fears ordinary man cannot behold. Unpreparedness to disaster one is told to brace for truly encapsulates the thought of insanity humans amplify. Through these visuals, the film puts forward for consideration how places are devoid of sudden doom.
Conclusion
Under Paris succeeds in revitalizing a tired genre with its bold setting, contemporary themes, and sharp direction. While it does not completely steer clear of the clichés of shark horror, it does reimagine them in a manner that is both captivating and disturbing. The film provides gratification for fans of the genre while encouraging deeper thought about humanity’s relationship with nature, as it skillfully mixes spectacle with subtext.
Due to its strong performance on streaming platforms, plans for a sequel have already been put in motion. This sequel will venture into the repercussions of the events in Paris, potentially broadening the focus to a global scale. For the time being, Under Paris remains as one of the most audacious and singular horror films of 2024.
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