Mini Film Review – Under Paris

Yesterday I watched Under Paris; and it was Absolutely Brilliant! Directed by Xavier Gens, and starring Bérénice Bejo, Nassim Lyes, and Sandra Parfait; Under Paris is a French action horror disaster movie, about a marine biologist, who discovers a very large new species of Shark, which has decided to take up residency in the Seine! On the surface, it’s easy to look at this film and think that it’ll just be a low budget production, with terrible effects, and flimsy story-telling. It’s easy to think like that, because I did the same thing, and yes some of the effects aren’t great, I mean they’re not at Jurassic Park standards for sure; but give it a chance, and I’m being serious. The film’s setup is really well done, as it brings in a moment of awe very quickly as you discover the size of the shark in question, which then creates a moment of real tragedy for the main character. The film then goes at a steady pace, as some people are aware of the creatures existence, and that it’s freely swimming around Paris, while other choose not to believe. Then there’s all this potential build-up for a great disaster, as the Paris Olympics triathlon is just around the corner, and the Trump like Mayor of Paris, chooses to protect her own ego, rather than the city’s residents. Plus you have a group of over the top environmentalists who want to protect the monster, leading to an absolute, and very brutal blood bath. It’s a really gripping and thrilling experience, as you have an interesting story, helmed by a magnificent cast, and special effects which, whilst they may not be at the same level as a major hollywood blockbuster; are still very comfortably fit for purpose. All these things lead to an epic final confrontation, as the Seine becomes a battle ground, with genuinley explosive results. The ending is a bit anti-climactic sure, but everything leading up to that moment is just FANTASTIC!