Under Paris is a French action thriller movie that follows the story of a grieving scientist who is forced to face her tragic past and save Paris from a bloodbath, when a giant shark appears in the Seine River of Paris. This movie is currently streaming on Netflix.
Plot Summary
The movie Under Paris opens in the middle of the ocean, introducing us to Sofia, a marine biologist, and her team. For the past three years, they have been tracking various shark species to protect them from the impacts of climate change and ocean pollution. They soon receive a signal from Lilith, a shark they have tagged. Four team members dive into the water to collect samples from her for further research.
They discover a deceased baby sperm whale entangled in nets, bearing a large bite mark. Additionally, they observe unusual behavior from female mako sharks, who are hunting in packs—a behavior they typically do not exhibit—and their fins appear abnormal. Lilith appears, and they are stunned to see how quickly she has grown. The divers attempt to obtain a sample from her, but Lilith attacks them, resulting in their deaths.
Three years after the incident, we find Sophia has left her previous job as a marine biologist and now works at an aquarium. She is approached by Mika, a young environmental activist working for an ocean defense organization. When Sophia initially ignores her, Mika reveals that she tracked beacon seven and leads Sophia to their base. There, she explains their mission: protecting sharks by connecting to their beacons and disconnecting them as soon as poachers endanger them.
Ben, the computer geek, shows that they traced Beacon Seven (Lilith) three weeks ago in the Seine. Sofia initially doubts that sharks could roam in freshwater, but Mika explains that the sharks have altered their behavior due to climate change and pollution.
Mika is confident that she can safely lure Lilith out of the Seine. She also mentions an incident where a man had an accident on the river bridge; his car fell into the water, but his body was never found. Mika invites Sophia to join them in the nighttime search, but Sophia remains skeptical and decides to leave.
Back at home, Sophia tracks Beacon Seven on her device and confirms that Mika is telling the truth. Meanwhile, Mika dives into the river to further investigate the accident. She discovers the car with huge bite marks on it. However, she is caught by River Police Officer Adil and taken to the police station for questioning.
Finally, Mika discloses the presence of a shark roaming in the Seine. Adil initially doubts her, but soon they discover that one of their night patrol officers has died. Mika insists they call Sophia, who, upon arrival, confirms that the bite marks are indeed from a shark.
In the police station, Officer Angele suggests it might have been a propeller and finds it unlikely that a shark is roaming in the water. Mika insists they have been tracking the shark and emphasizes the urgency of removing her before she suffocates in these waters.
The river brigade officers decide to dive into the river to confirm the shark’s presence. Sofia warns them of the risks involved and stresses the need for experts to handle the operation. However, they disregard her advice and request that she accompany them to pinpoint the shark’s location.
After diving into the river, the brigade officers confirm sensing something large in the water. Meanwhile, Mika instructs Ben to disconnect the beacon, fearing that if the officers locate Lilith first, they will kill the shark.
Sofia tries to reason with Mika about the consequences of shutting down the signal and endangering the police officers. Meanwhile, the officers debate whether to close the locks and halt boat traffic in order to capture the shark. However, a significant concern arises due to an upcoming triathlon scheduled in one week, with journalists from around the globe invited to cover the event.
Mika releases a video on social media, urging the public to help her save Lilith, who got lost in the Seine. Officer Angele meets with the mayor to inform her about the shark situation. However, the mayor responds that the state has invested 1.7 billion in the Olympic event and they can’t simply cancel it. She instructs them to resolve the situation and make the shark disappear.
Fed up with Mika’s rash decisions, Ben visits Sofia to ask for help and reveals that Mika is trying to guide Lilith back to the ocean using sonar. Ben managed to reactivate the beacon and locate Lilith in the city’s water reservoirs. Meanwhile, Mika is already at the catacombs with a large group of people, trying to save the shark.
The police assure Ben that they will handle the situation and head toward the reservoir. Ben returns to Mika, who is confident their plan will work. Using the sonar, Mika enters the water and tries to lure Lilith. The police officers arrive just in time and evacuate people. Lilith appears but is not alone; she is with her baby. Sofia, who came along with the police, warns Mika that they have invaded Lilith’s nest and that she needs to get out of the water immediately.
Adil jumps in to rescue Mika, but the shark swallows her whole. Panic ensues, and some people fall into the water while trying to flee.
The scene shifts to the hospital, which is filled with chaos and people injured in the attack. Adil and Sofia are informed about a dead baby shark found in the reservoir. Sofia discovers it was a female and, upon cutting open its belly, finds it was pregnant despite being only two months old. She soon realizes that Lilith is reproducing through parthenogenesis, meaning she doesn’t need a male to get pregnant. They have adapted to the new conditions, and Lilith is the first of a brand-new species. If they do nothing to stop her, she will continue reproducing endlessly.
What plan do Adil and Sofia devise to catch Lilith?
Despite 12 people falling victim to the shark, the mayor refuses to cancel the triathlon event. She dismisses the officers and states that the army will handle the situation. Unwilling to stand by and watch more people die, Adil and Sofia devise a plan to trap Lilith by blowing up the catacomb chamber with explosives.
Adil assembles a team of four, including Sofia, to carry out the plan. They detonate the explosives in the chamber, but two officers are lost to the pool of sharks that have infiltrated the reservoir. Although Sofia and Adil manage to escape unharmed, Sofia soon realizes that Lilith is still alive.
How does Paris go underwater?
Sophia and her team strategically place explosives in the shark-infested waters to eliminate the threat before the triathlon race. Unfortunately, the bombs fail to impact the sharks significantly. Lillith, the aggressive shark leader, appears wounded by the blasts but becomes even more enraged and protective of her territory. As a result, she heads towards the swimmers and starts attacking them one by one.
Panic erupts among the spectators on land, and in their frantic efforts to rescue the swimmers, many fall into the Seine River and are devoured by sharks. The military acts rashly and shoots blindly into the water. This results in another disaster as the gunfire detonates World War II underwater shells.
The explosions cause massive waves that engulf the entire city, allowing the shark mother and her babies to move freely. Adil and Sophia manage to survive the catastrophe but find themselves surrounded by sharks.
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