Under Paris' Main Villain Creates A Surprising Connection To A 25-Year-Old Shark Movie
Though its environmentally-tinged narrative sets Paris as an outlier in the genre, other elements from the picture suggest it has some unexpected links to previous ventures, despite being among the most ridiculous and successful shark flicks since Jaws. Under Paris, unlike its title suggests, is situated in mainland Europe in the center of the French capital, despite the challenges this offers to its finned antagonist. Although this would seem to position it in a comparable strata to other purposefully over-the-top shark pictures, more realistic entries into the genre definitely inspire it.
Under Paris's mix of brilliantly absurd action and a shockingly moving message about environmental damage helps to explain its success. The film claims that fast environmental changes have spurred fast and unheard-of development to the point that the malevolent shark can thrive in fresh water, thereby enabling it to kill naive French people in the Seine. Most Shark Movies grounded in reality are considerably different from such a fanciful idea. Though Under Paris's particular shark is original, some features of the finned enemy have resonance with another much-loved shark movie.
Under Paris' Shark Is a Shortfin Mako
Under Paris's shark, which she names Lilith throughout the movie, is in many ways a mythologized monster, no more realistic than the animals found in SyFy classics like Sharktopus. Though features like its capacity to thrive in the River Seine, spawn a nest of ravenous babies, and reproduce asexually are fanciful, Lilith is not really as ludicrous as she first appears. Benevolent behind the fictitious features of the Under Paris shark lies the reality that Lilith formally belongs to the shortfin mako species.
Shortfin makos are entirely oceanic animals, unlike their representation in the film. With reported top speeds of up to 70 km/h, built for speed they are among the quickest fish in the sea. Although Lilith is said to be seven meters long, actual Shortfin Makos only grow as big as four meters and cannot survive in fresh water. Though the shortfin mako has been known to attack humans, it has never done so with the fury or intent portrayed in Under Paris — another area where the movie strays from fact. Given the movie's typical readiness to stretch facts to fit the story, it's interesting that Lilith is modeled on actual sharks. More fascinating, though, is her being a shortfin mako connects her to another great shark film.
Mako Sharks Show Also in Deep Blue Sea
Unlike any other possibly harmful shark species, making Lilith a shortfin mako automatically links Under Paris to one of the most watched post-Jaws Shark Movies: Deep Blue Sea. Deep Blue Sea, which debuted in 1999, approached Under Paris rather differently, mostly with action occurring in a submerged undersea research center. In this scenario, the fact that the sharks' brains had been purposefully enlarged to perform Alzheimer's research made them more intelligent and more lethal, therefore enhancing their appeal as opponents.
For good cause, the great white has been the most often occurring species in an aggressive role throughout the history of shark movies. More attacks on people than any other shark species, great whites are readily the most notorious and identifiable of all the sharks. That both Deep Blue Sea and Under Paris would opt to center the quite niche shortfin mako as the major Villain of the film is rather odd.
Under Paris: an Original Viewpoint on the Shark Movie Genre
You can now stream Under Paris on Netflix. Under Paris's narrative, it stands unique among shark films, but one key element links it to a 25-year-old preceding genre film. Offering a novel and exciting viewpoint on the genre, the film's unusual setting beneath Paris's sewers—with a shark as the main Villain—sets it apart from conventional shark movies.
The environmental message of the movie, which fits the development of the shark, gives the narrative more complexity and relevance. For lovers of the genre, Under Paris is a must-see with its breathtaking cinematography, tense plot, and surprising links to other shark films.
Under Paris' Mako Shark, Different From Deep Blue Sea
Though both Under Paris and Deep Blue Sea draw on the same animal as inspiration, the movies present quite distinct images of alternate Shortfin Mako evolution. Under Paris, Lilith's relationship with her surroundings sets her apart. Over the course of the movie, it becomes clear that the shark is a heavy-handed metaphor for the consequences of humanity's abuse of the environment, with Lilith's exposure to changing temperatures and plastic forcing her to find new methods of survival – spawning a race of lethal super-sharks in the process that spread around the world by Under Paris' ending.
Lilith's situation means that, despite the sci-fi quality to her story, her evolution is at least somewhat organic. She is therefore more suited to depict the effects of climate change. But in Deep Blue Sea, the sharks are a totally man-made concern. Each of them is a result of Frankenstein-like experimentation, as opposed to a more natural evolutionary process. Although Under Paris is hardly a model of scientific accuracy, this drives Deep Blue Sea into more clearly sci-fi territory.
How Dangerous Are Real Mako Sharks?
Part of the reason successful shark movies such as Jaws and The Shallows are so effective is that their antagonists are somewhat believable. Both movies feature Great Whites, a species with a reputation as a man-eater. While this reputation is not necessarily deserved, given the incredibly low likelihood of a person being attacked by any shark, it nonetheless makes sense that shark movies would play on this stereotype.
By contrast, Mako Sharks have a very different relationship with humans. Attacks are exceedingly rare, with only 10 recorded between 1980 and 2024 (according to data gathered by The Florida Museum). The truth is that, as is the case with all sharks, shortfin makos are at a far greater risk from humans than humans are from them. All over the world, shark species are persecuted in extraordinary numbers, with some estimates putting the death toll as high as 100 million fish per year. For makos, the risk is doubly acute, since the species is specifically targeted by sport fishing charters due to the shark's athleticism when trying to evade capture. As both Deep Blue Sea and Under Paris prove, makos can seem scary when a distorted version of reality is presented. The truth, however, is actually much more tragic for the fish.
