First Under Paris trailer offers in-Seine shark action

Under Paris is looking to do for rivers what Jaws did for oceans!

In this upcoming Netflix release from director Xavier Gens, Paris is hosting a huge triathlon -- a race that includes running, biking and, you guessed it, swimming -- at the same time that a shark has decided to pay France's capital a visit. But, from the looks of the first trailer, she's not there to take in the art or culture, but instead a few of those swimmers!

Under Paris stars Berenice Bejo as a shark expert who's trying to get local officials to take her claims of a shark in the river seriously. Along the way she starts working with Nassim Lyes' of the river police. Along the way they run into static from the local government as the world tunes in for the competition.

Director Gens has made films in his native France and around the world including the 2007 video game adaptation Hitman. He also provided the "XXL" segment in the first ABCs Of Death flick in 2012. Over the past few years, though, he has mostly focused on episodic entertainment like Gangs Of London, Mortel and Lupin, which is also set up on Netflix.

Bejo has had a long career internationally, but may be known to horror fans for her role in Final Cut, the 2022 remake of One Cut Of The Dead. Meanwhile, Lyes and Gens worked together when the actor starred in the director's action packed revenge flick Farang (also known as Mayhem!).

Whether its fair or not, Under Paris will inevitably draw connections to the erstwhile killer shark classic Jaws (and not just in the opening line of this story). Steven Spielberg's 1975 film became the first summer blockbuster and set the bar very high when it comes to shark horror. The movie expertly intertwines rich characters you care about with one another while providing excellent scares and effects. Many have attempted to reach that level but few get close and that includes the Jaws sequels themselves. Why? Well, they either try to be too much like Jaws plot-wise, the characters are flat or the sharks look bad.

Now, it's way too early to tell how Under Paris will stack up to the classic, but this trailer does give hope, even with the politician who is clearly an analog for Mayor Larry Vaughn (Murray Hamilton). For one thing, Gens and company set the story in a unique locale that will keep the threat of the shark, but separate it from the ubiquitous beach setting. From the revealed footage, it looks like the film will take full advantage of the European city's river and sewer systems. Beyond that, the shark looks pretty good even though we only see a few quick glimpses in the trailer.

Shark flick fans will be eager to see if the film pays out what the trailer promises when Under Paris hits Netflix on June 5. Here's hoping it's more The Reef or 47 Meters Down than Cruel Jaws.