Released since Wednesday on Netflix, the film Under Paris is already provoking strong criticism and mockery. The improbable plot tells the story of the hunt for a killer shark in the Seine in Paris.
The synopsis: “Summer 2024. Paris is hosting the world triathlon championships on the Seine for the first time. Sophia, a brilliant scientist, is alerted by Mika, a young environmental activist, to the presence of a great shark in the river. They team up with Adil, commander of the river police, to prevent a bloodbath in the heart of the city.”
Posted online Wednesday, Under Paris is causing a lot of noise, particularly in France. Le Parisien reports that several scientists denounce an unrealistic plot. Nicolas Ziani, a specialist in marine ichthyology, states: “It’s a disgrace. It’s cognitive apocalypse. We are importing a nonexistent problem into France.”
Eric Clua, a veterinarian and professor at EPHE, shares this view in the Huffington Post. According to him, “We are in complete delusion, in total fiction.” The shark represented in the film, similar to a mako, is a species that lives mainly offshore. Mako attacks on humans are rare, unlike in the film where the shark attacks swimmers.
On social media, the story is causing reactions. The City of Orléans points out an error in the plot. A map indicates that the shark entered the Loire and not the Seine. The city comments on X: “No panic. If you saw a big fin on the Loire, it’s the shark from Under Paris heading to Paris for filming. We can testify.”
Under Paris, directed by Xavier Gens, has been available on Netflix since June 5, 2024.