Summary
The new Netflix survival movieUnder Parissails to the top of the Netflix charts for this week. A shark-based survival film,Under Parissees the titular cityencountering an unexpected threat whena giant shark shows up in the Seine. A grieving scientist named Sophia is forced to confront the beast and save the Parisian citizens from meeting their bloody ends as the shark’s kill count rises.
Under Paris Cast & Character Guide
Under Paris is an unconventional shark thriller that revitalizes the genre through effective storytelling and solid performances from its cast.
Now,Under Parishas managed to make it tono. 1 on theNetflixGlobal Top 10 chart. It was the most-viewed film on Netflix for the week of June 3 to June 9, raking in 40.9 million views. This put it as the no. 1 non-English language film on Netflix, as well as the no. 1 film overall (by view count) when compared with the English language chart, which was topped byHit Manwith 10.8 million views.
Hit Manwas released on Netflix in fewer international countries, including areas such as the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, India, South Korea, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, Iceland.
What Else Made This Week’s Top 10?
Two Ice Age Films Appeared On The English-Language List
For English-language films,Hit Mantopped the listoverall. The new release is receiving great reviews, with a 97% Tomatometer. Also making it onto the list were the Jennifer Lopez-starring sci-fi filmAtlas, in its third week on the platform, as well as two animated franchise films:Ice Age: Collision CourseandIce Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs. Other family films made it onto the list as well, includingHome,Sing 2, andThe Lego Movie. For the non-English list, other entries includedThe Price of Nonna’s Inheritance,Bionic, andA Part of You.
Under Pariswas not the only non-English language film to beat outHit Manthis week. BothGodzilla Minus OneandColors of Evil: Red, which came in no. 2 and no. 3 on the non-English language chart, also trumpedHit Man’s viewing numbers, though this could again be attributed to the different territories they are available in. The three leading films placed in the top 10s in 93, 90, and 87 individual countries, respectively, compared to the buzzy Linklater movie’s 15.
Why Under Paris Has Become Such A Big Hit
It’s Not Competing With Other Shark Films
Under Paris’ high scores do not come just from France or other French-speaking countries (though it did hit no. 1 in France), but across the globe. Some of the places thatUnder Parishitno. 1 include Canada, Malaysia, New Zealand, Mexico, Germany, Kenya, Spain, Vietnam, Portugal and Costa Rica. In a way, that’s no surprise – Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos recently explained toNYTthat the streamer’s algorithm will boost visibility of international titles that find success in one country, because it suggests a likelihood of finding an audience elsewhere. That logic is clearly paying off here.
DespiteUnder Paris’ success on Netflix, the film is not getting fantastic reviews so far. The Frenchfilm holds a mixed score of 65% on Rotten Tomatoesfrom 23 critics' reviews at the time of writing.
Some ofUnder Paris’ success can likely be attributed to the fact that the film does not have any huge competitors right now when it comes to shark movies. Last year saw the release ofMeg 2: The Trench, which found success at the summer box office despite negative reviews. 2023 also boasted the low-budget shark filmThe Black Demon. Both theatrically and on streaming, however,Under Parisdoes not have any notable shark film competitionfor this year. For those interested in the survival subgenre,Under Parisand its shocking endingcan scratch that blood-soaked itch.
Is Under Paris Any Good?
While clearly a Netflix success, the film is not getting fantastic reviews so far.Under Parisholds a score of 65% on Rotten Tomatoesfrom 23 critics' reviews at the time of writing, with an average rating of 6.1/10. Audiences are having a more negative reaction to the film, though, with a 35% approval rating thus far. Critics who praiseUnder Pariscomplimented its use of humor and overall enjoyability, while its detractors called out the poor CGI and sloppy scripting.
Even with these mixed reviews,Under Parisranks better than a number of recent shark movies.The Black Demonscored a paltry 28% among critics, though had a higher 77% approval with audiences. BothThe MegandMeg 2: The Trenchhad rotten Tomatometers, scoring 47% and 27% respectively. In that context, the movie’s critical reception starts to look a little better that it might’ve seemed.
At the very least,Under Parisis effective in its ability to captivate an audience, as evidenced by its Netflix success. This week’s global top 10 for both English and non-English language films shows that the correlation between high quality and popularity is far from guaranteed when it comes to Netflix films.Atlas, the no. 2 English-language film, currently has an 18% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, but still accrued over 68 million views in three weeks. AsUnder Pariscontinues on the platform, it will be interesting to see whether the film can maintain this level of success.
Under Paris
Cast
Beneath the bustling streets of Paris lies a hidden world filled with ancient secrets and dark mysteries. A group of daring urban explorers sets out to uncover the truth buried within the city’s catacombs, only to find themselves facing a series of terrifying challenges. As they unravel the enigmatic past of Paris, they must confront their deepest fears to survive.
