SHARKS in the Seine? C’est fou!
Yes, it is, but the madcap premise of French horror/thriller Under Paris actually works for the most part.
There is an almost plausible reason offered as to how a shark gets into the river, but it doesn’t really matter.
What we’re here for are ridiculous moments such as swimmers in a triathlon competition being chomped on.
Bérénice Bejo plays the lead character, marine biologist Sophia Assalas, whose husband and others are ripped apart in the prologue.
Three years later Sophia is working at a Paris aquarium when she meets animal activists who claim a giant majority shark that Sophia’s team used to track has made its way into the Seine and is feasting on the occasional human while breeding.
Sophie, one of the activists and a local water police officer team up to track down the killer.
In a nice touch the events are set in the lead-up to the Paris Olympics and, in clear Jaws homage, the trio try to convince the mayor of Paris not to run a showcase triathlon meant to showcase the City and health of its iconic river.
It’s a heap of good fun that cannot be taken seriously in any way.
While there is much carnage wrought in the climax it still finds a way to set things up for a sequel.
Bring it on.
Watched on Netflix.