Close Menu
  • Support Us
  • Newsletter
  • News
  • Features
  • Interviews
  • Reviews
    • Video Games
      • Previews
      • PC
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X/S
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Xbox One
      • PS4
      • Tabletop
    • Film
    • TV
    • Anime
    • Comics
      • BOOM! Studios
      • Dark Horse Comics
      • DC Comics
      • IDW Publishing
      • Image Comics
      • Indie Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • Oni-Lion Forge
      • Valiant Comics
      • Vault Comics
  • Podcast
  • More
    • Event Coverage
    • BWT Recommends
    • RSS Feeds
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Support Us
But Why Tho?
RSS Facebook X (Twitter) YouTube
Trending:
  • Features
    One Piece But Why Tho 5

    Fathers of ‘One Piece’: Powerful Bonds, Legacy, and Found Family

    06/13/2025
    Elena Street Fighter 6 But Why Tho

    Elena Brings Style And Versatility To ‘Street Fighter 6’

    06/06/2025
    Lune and Sciel from Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

    Lune, Sciel, And The Romance Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Fails To Realize

    06/05/2025
    Ana de Armas as Eve Macarro

    Everything To Know About Eve Macarro In ‘Ballerina’

    06/05/2025
    Marvel Rivals Ultron

    Ultron Brings Aggression To ‘Marvel Rivals’ Support Class

    05/31/2025
  • Star Wars
  • K-Dramas
  • Netflix
  • Switch 2 Games
  • Summer Game Fest
But Why Tho?
Home » Film » REVIEW: ‘Under Paris’ Struggles To Take Itself Seriously

REVIEW: ‘Under Paris’ Struggles To Take Itself Seriously

Charles HartfordBy Charles Hartford06/05/20244 Mins Read
Under Paris But Why Tho
Share
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Reddit WhatsApp Email

Three years ago, Sophie (Bérénice Bejo) lost her crew and her husband when a rogue shark attacked them. That same shark has been driven into the Seine River due to humanity’s environmental impact, changing its habitat, behaviors, and even physiology. Now it’s up to Sophie and the few willing to listen to prevent the shark from creating a bloodbath at an anticipated triathlon in Under Paris (Sous la Seine), directed by Xavier Gens (Lupin Part 3).

The opening sequence for the film takes place during Sophie’s initial encounter with the Mako shark known as Lilith. Sophie and her crew catch up to the shark on the outskirts of the famous landmass of garbage in the Pacific Ocean. This opening sequence combines the movie’s environmental themes and the tension of the ever-present threat of a shark attack brilliantly.

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

The obvious impact humanity’s disregard for the oceans has had on the environment is palpable. That such a hazardous shift in a creature’s ecology could cause it to develop new behavioral patterns and drive it into previously unknown waters for its species makes perfect sense.

The terror and brutality of the opening shark attack are handled with equal skill. There is an excellent balance between what is shown and what isn’t, giving the viewer enough hard visuals to allow their imagination to run away with the rest.

Under Paris

As Under Paris moves from the Pacific to its titular city, the movie fantastically services both of these elements. Every scene featuring individuals diving in the Seine left me feeling mildly nauseous for how disgustingly polluted with filth the river is. If I had to be one of those divers, my first stop after getting out would be for a tetanus shot. However, while the early build-up of the film handles its themes and terror with skill, much of its work comes apart in the final stretch.

Rarely has there been a sudden shift in focus as off-putting as while watching Under Paris. For the first two-thirds of the movie, the viewer understands what they are getting: a Jaws-style animal attack movie with strong, environmental tones. However, as the film builds up to its climactic ending, the movie transforms its starring shark into nothing short of a nightmarish monster. Not only does it become a ceaseless killing machine that plucks swimmers out of the river with abandon, but it also changes so much due to “pollution exposure” that Sophie declares it an entirely new species—one with the makeup to overrun the oceans if it’s not stopped.

Normally, this sort of twist in a run-of-the-mill animal attack movie is par for the course. However, the film tries hard to lay out the environmental aspect of its story in the early portion. Taking the narrative to this extreme undercuts the whole concept. It turns from a cautionary tale about how environmental impacts can alter behavior patterns, causing species to intersect with the world in unpredictable ways, into a joke about impossible organisms that could never exist.

Under Paris

While the themes of Under Paris are swept away, the terror of the film hits throughout. One particular sequence manages to capture the claustrophobic element of a shark attack I never expected to experience. The specific setup and nature of the moment come together perfectly, playing out in a brutal fashion that showcases many of the worst elements of people in a crisis.

Several interested parties further exacerbate the difficulties surrounding Lilith’s apprehension. A local environmental group refuses to accept that the shark is a danger, exposing numerous people to the beast in their reckless approach to making a difference. And, of course, we have the mayor of Paris, who is more than willing to simply brush the entire situation under the rug until it’s too late. These supporting elements provide adequate, though predictable, complements to the main plot.

Under Paris is a solid film that could be better if it knew what it wanted to be. Its inability to pick a course between a grounded environmental piece and a monster movie leaves the film with a severe identity crisis. Nevertheless, if a shark attack film with plenty of tense moments is all you are looking for, this film will satisfy.

Under Paris is streaming now on Netflix.

Under Paris
  • 6/10
    Rating - 6/10
6/10

TLDR

Under Paris is a solid film that could be better if it knew what it wanted to be. Its inability to pick a course between a grounded environmental piece and a monster movie leaves the film with a severe identity crisis.

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Email
Previous ArticleXalavier Nelson Jr. Wants You To Remember One Thing: Humans Make Games
Next Article REVIEW: ‘The Ultimates’ Issue #1
Charles Hartford
  • X (Twitter)

Lifelong geek who enjoys comics, video games, movies, reading and board games . Over the past year I’ve taken a more active interest in artistic pursuits including digital painting, and now writing. I look forward to growing as a writer and bettering my craft in my time here!

Related Posts

Our Times But Why Tho
3.5

REVIEW: ‘Our Times’ Wastes A Good Premise On A Bad Plot

06/14/2025
Red Blood Cell and White Cell in Cells at Work
9.0

REVIEW: ‘Cells at Work’ Does A Beloved Anime Justice

06/13/2025
Camila Morrone and Willem Dafoe in Gonzo Girl
6.5

REVIEW: ‘Gonzo Girl’ Is A Careful Character Study About Main Characters

06/12/2025
Dakota Johnson in Materialists
8.5

REVIEW: ‘Materialists’ Proves Celine Song Understands Love Better Than Most Of Us

06/11/2025
Toothless in How to Train Your Dragon
5.0

REVIEW: ‘How To Train Your Dragon (2025)’ Is Aggravatingly Dark

06/09/2025
A still from Predator Killer of Killers
8.5

REVIEW: ‘Predator: Killer of Killers’ Finds Humanity In The Hunt

06/06/2025
TRENDING POSTS
Yoo Su-bin, Kim Shin-rok, Go Min-si, and Kang Ha-neul in Tastefully Yours
6.5
TV

REVIEW: ‘Tastefully Yours’ Is A Half-Baked Romantic Venture

By Sarah Musnicky06/11/2025

For all its emphasis on flavor, execution, and satisfying a customer, Tastefully Yours ultimately proves to be underwhelming.

Taecyeon and Seohyun in The First Night with the Duke Episodes 1-2
8.5
TV

REVIEW: ‘The First Night With The Duke’ Episodes 1-2

By Sarah Musnicky06/12/2025

The bar is set pretty high with The First Night With The Duke Episodes 1-2. While exposition-heavy, it is a delightfully silly watch.

Y'shtola in the FFXIV Commander Deck - Magic: The Gathering x Final Fantasy Interviews

Magic Designer Explains The Challenge Of Picking A Face For The FFXIV Commander Deck

By Kate Sánchez06/11/2025Updated:06/11/2025

FFXIV Commander Deck pulls highlights core characters and mechanics, with Y’shtola as its Commander. But building the deck, wasn’t easy.

Black Women Anime — But Why Tho (9) BWT Recommends

10 Black Women in Anime That Made Me Feel Seen

By LaNeysha Campbell11/11/2023Updated:12/03/2024

Black women are some of anime’s most iconic characters, and that has a big impact on Black anime fans. Here are some of our favorites.

But Why Tho?
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest RSS YouTube Twitch
  • CONTACT US
  • ABOUT US
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Review Score Guide
Sometimes we include links to online retail stores. If you click on one and make a purchase we may receive a small contribution.
Written Content is Copyright © 2025 But Why Tho? A Geek Community

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

But Why Tho Logo

Support Us!

We're able to keep making content thanks to readers like YOU!
Support independent media today with
Click Here