French shark movie “Under Paris” has stormed into the Netflix top 10 after releasing in early June. This new thriller sees the city of Paris falling prey to “Lilith”, a giant underwater predator that’s been pushed out of its normal habitat and taken up residence in the Seine River.
With the city playing host to the World Triathlon Championships, and a mayor who isn’t willing to call things off for as outlandish a claim as “there’s a shark in the Seine”, brilliant scientist Sophia (Bérénice Bejo) and police sergeant Adil Faez (Nassim Lyes) scramble to stop the beast before the city becomes a bloodbath.
Early “Under Paris” reactions were very positive, so it’s perhaps no surprise that Xavier Gens’ shark flick has become a bit of a hit. If you’re one of many Netflix subscribers who have already streamed it and you’re on the hunt for more movies to watch, here are five more flicks you should seek out after “Under Paris."
'Jaws'
You’ve just watched a shark movie, but this is the shark movie. You've probably already seen it, but there's no getting away from this thrilling Spielberg classic. But if you haven’t (or just haven’t revisited it in a while), now’s the perfect time, not least because “Under Paris” pays so much homage to this perfect blockbuster.
“Jaws” sees the eponymous shark showing up on the shores of Amity Island, a popular beach town. With Mayor Larry Vaughn more concerned with the summer economy than the safety of his residents, the movie follows the efforts of police chief Martin Brody, marine biologist Matt Hooper and local shark hunter Quint to bring the huge great white’s reign of terror to an end.
Watch on Starz
'The Meg'
If your favorite part of “Under Paris” was the carnage that unfolded in the final act, then Jon Turteltaub’s “The Meg” is sure to satisfy.
This high-concept Jason Statham-led offering follows Jonas Taylor (Statham), a former rescue diver whose life is turned upside down after an encounter with an unknown threat deep in the Mariana Trench brought his career to an end. Years down the line, a research team recruits Jonas to head below the waves in search of a stranded, damaged vessel, throwing him and the rest of the crew into conflict with the largest-ever marine predator, the megalodon.
Rent/buy on Prime Video
'47 Meters Down'
Johannes Roberts’ 2017 survival flick sees sisters Lisa and Kate (Mandy Moore and Claire Holt) seeking some fun by heading out into shark-infested waters while on a Mexican vacation.
Things soon take a turn for the worse as the winch holding their shark cage breaks, sending them down to the ocean floor, out of range of their boat … and at risk of becoming food for the great white sharks that have started circling. What follows is a low-budget, tense bit of nightmare fodder as our sisters contend with undersea predators and a dwindling oxygen supply. The script might not impress, but “47 Metres Down” is a solid follow-up for anyone looking for more marine thrills that are at least a little more grounded than the explosive final act of “Under Paris."
Watch on Hulu
'The Reef'
Andrew Traucki’s 2010 Australian survival flick “The Reef” follows a group of friends as they set sail for Indonesia to deliver a yacht. En route, they strike a coral reef and capsize, leaving them stranded in the ocean.
Facing life lost at sea, the group makes the difficult choice to climb into the water and to try and swim for land — and that’s precisely when they start being stalked by a large great white. It’s a simple, suspenseful trip across shark-infested waters; it might not be as explosive as some of the scenes from “Under Paris," but the raw tension here more than makes up for that.
Watch on Prime Video
'Crawl'
If you were drawn in by the pitch of “killer predator where it doesn’t belong”, “Crawl” might be one to add to your watch list — even if it's about alligators, not sharks.
This 2019 horror movie takes us to Florida. A Category 5 hurricane is approaching the state and residents are being urged to evacuate the area immediately. Against all advice, University of Florida swimmer Haley (Kaya Scodelario) heads to her old family home to check on her father, Dave. The neighborhood floods as the hurricane approaches; as the waters rise, Haley, Dave, and the family dog, Sugar, become embroiled in a desperate fight for survival with the hungry gators.
Watch on Paramount Plus
