Netflix has just released its own shark movie, which it plans to turn into a franchise if the viewership numbers are good. And it seems like everything is pointing towards a sequel to this crazy shark movie. Although the overall story doesn’t offer anything new, it has several very original elements that deviate from the usual killer shark plots. With the craziest and most unexpected ending we’ve seen in this type of movie in a long time, the door is left open for a possible “Under Paris 2,” promising more sharks, more blood, and more madness. If you’re a fan of the most infamous villains of the sea, Under Paris is definitely for you.
Under Paris Act 1: The Sharks Have Evolved
The story begins with Sophie and her team, a group of marine scientists filming a documentary about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and its impact on marine species. They are also tracking a young shark they tagged some time ago. From here, it’s pretty standard. The scientists dive into the water, and the audience already knows how this will end. However, the surprise comes when the shark they are following, which should only be about 8 feet long, appears but, due to evolution and the plot, is nearly 23 feet long. Now the feast begins, the shark goes on a rampage, and we hear nothing more about her—yes, the shark is female—until three years later when the beacon on Lilith, as our shark is named, emits a signal from the Seine River, right in the heart of Paris.
Under Paris Act 2: Lilith Becomes a Mom
How can a shark survive in the Seine, you might ask? Very simply, evolution did it. Although this is a point where the scriptwriters seemed to disagree, judging by the actions and motivations of another of the film’s protagonists. Now we meet Mika, a somewhat radical environmental activist. Mika and her companions have devised a plan to get Lilith out of the Seine before she dies from freshwater poisoning. This matter, which is later never mentioned again and doesn’t seem to bother the shark in the slightest. Of course, the plan goes awry, and Lilith and her offspring—yes, Lilith has evolved again and, using parthenogenesis (meaning she doesn’t need a male to reproduce), has given birth to a bunch of highly evolved sharks that grow at an accelerated rate and seem perfectly adapted to freshwater—devour most of the activists and a few random characters. Everything is set for the final act.
Final Act: A “Sharknami” in the Seine
Paris is gearing up to host an important triathlon, and hundreds of swimmers dive into the water. Dinner is served. Meanwhile, the protagonists devise a plan to eliminate all the sharks, which now number in the hundreds (remember, evolution did it), before the massacre begins. But, surprise! They fail. This leads to the final showdown: the military versus the giant shark. I’m not sure how big Lilith is at this point in the movie, but she seems to grow with each scene, and I’m not complaining. The military fires their weapons at the shark but only manage to detonate several unexploded shells resting at the bottom of the Seine since the war. This triggers a chain reaction and the craziest ending you’ll see in a shark movie in a long time. The shells start detonating all along the Seine. The bridges of Paris begin to collapse, and somehow, this causes a massive tsunami that sweeps through the entire city, leaving it submerged under waters now teeming with hundreds of highly evolved, parthenogenetic sharks.
Under Paris 2: There Will Be a Sequel
And so ends this crazy yet highly entertaining shark movie. As I mentioned at the beginning, it doesn’t bring much new to the genre, but it has certain interesting points that make it very fun and easy to enjoy. It never gets boring and, let’s be honest, it leaves you wanting more. Now we just have to wait for Netflix to confirm the sequel so we can see Under Paris 2: This Time It’s Personal or something like that. Until then, we’ll keep you updated on any news about it.
