Under Paris
Directed by Xavier Gens
- action
- horror
The story
In order to save Paris from an international bloodbath, a grieving scientist is forced to face her tragic past when a giant shark appears in the Seine.
What it’s like
Murky green river water, grey Parisian stone and the cold blue glow of sonar screens do most of the visual work here, with dim catacomb tunnels and flooded underground spaces giving the frame a claustrophobic, sodden darkness. Camera work leans toward handheld urgency in the chaos scenes and tight, anxious close-ups on faces lit by monitors, while sound design favours sloshing water, distorted sonar pings and sudden bursts of creature noise over a thudding, synth-tinged score. Sun-bleached daylight over the city is brief; most of the mood is cold, wet and tense. The vibe is grim, pulpy urban dread with a streak of environmental anxiety, suited to a late-night watch with the lights low. Violence is frequent and bloody, with attacks, injuries and gore landing hard, and there is peril and creature horror throughout, though the tone stays more creature-feature than psychological. Pacing is brisk and escalating, with a grieving scientist's guilt and fractured family history slowly pushed to the surface under relentless threat. It is for viewers who want a loud, gripping monster thriller set in a familiar European city, not for anyone seeking something gentle.
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