Netflix's new number one movie dubbed 'one of the scariest ever'

New films leap to the top of the global Netflix chart all the time, but not always with the sheer aggression of shark movie Under Paris.

It has chomped its way to the number one spot in no fewer than 85 countries on its first day, according to Flixpatrol.

Only Ireland has it placed lower than second, where it sits below a football doc and 2022 Chris Pine joint The Contractor. But we imagine Under Paris may bite down on its prey there before too long as well.

Too many shark references already? Ok, we’ll stop, but Under Paris is definitely worth checking out.

First up, it feels like ages since we had a decent shark flick, and 2023’s Meg 2: The Trench was a bit of a blunt-toothed disappointment, despite being helmed by the brilliant Ben Wheatley.

Under Paris has also received mostly positive reviews from critics so far, totting up a 71% freshness score at Rotten Tomatoes at the time of writing. The audience score is a much less positive 38%, but it’s still early days for the movie.

As the title might suggest, Under Paris sees a big scary shark stalk across the Seine, the river that runs through Paris. And as the action kicks off, a big triathlon is about to be held in the city. Yikes.

This is no ordinary shark either, but one of “climate-related shark mutations” according to the blurb.

Real talk: Under Paris is not Jaws. It delights in its B-movie moments, and while some of the action is pretty brutal, it’s also a fundamentally silly film. But it's fun.

Under Paris is directed by Xavier Gens, who previously directed 2007’s Hitman and, more recently, episodes of TV series Lupin.

Earlier this week, we produced a review round-up on Under Paris. Check it out if you want a closer look at what the critics really thought - with one saying it may well be 'one of the scariest movies ever made'.

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