Summary

• Under Paris is a popular thriller on Netflix, but its portrayal of sharks in the Seine is not accurate.
• Sharks could not realistically survive in the Seine due to its freshwater environment and several locks that prevent them from accessing it.
• Despite its creative liberties with shark behavior, Under Paris delivers a powerful message about pollution and science.

After the popularity of Under Paris, some viewers have been left questioning if there really are sharks in the Seine. Since it debuted on Netflix, Under Paris has beaten out movies like Godzilla Minus One to become the most popular film on the streaming service. Its popularity seems well-earned, too, as Under Paris currently boasts a respectable 71% on Rotten Tomatoes, and has received generally favorable reviews. As more people begin watching it, though, some questions about Under Paris' accuracy have arisen.

Under Paris follows a super shark and a school of other sharks as they attack the Seine. It also shows the best thrillers on Netflix, but its scientific accuracy is up for debate. As far as the question of whether there really are sharks in the Seine is concerned, though, there isn't much debate, and the answer is fairly straightforward.

No, There Aren't Sharks In The Seine Like Under Paris

A major plot point in Under Paris is that Lilith, the mutant shark, stalks the waters of Paris' iconic river, the Seine, because it had to flee the pollution in the ocean. Unlike in Under Paris, however, in real life, there are no sharks in the Seine. As with any shark movie, Under Paris takes quite a few creative liberties with how it depicts sharks. Almost all of them depict sharks as much more aggressive than they are in reality, but Under Paris went a bit further with its premise and decided to show sharks in the Seine, a river they scientifically couldn't be in.

Why Sharks Don't End Up In The Seine (Despite The River's Connection To The Atlantic Ocean)

At surface level, the idea that sharks could crop up in the Seine seems plausible. The Seine eventually connects to the Atlantic Ocean, meaning a shark could theoretically swim upstream. However, as sportskeeda explained, that would be impossible. The sharks in the Atlantic Ocean are specifically suited to a saltwater environment, and they wouldn't be able to survive in the Seine's freshwater. They're adapted to the high salt levels of the ocean, and freshwater would actually dehydrate and kill them. Additionally, there are several locks between Paris and the ocean, meaning sharks couldn't swim up it even if they could survive the water.

While Under Paris does require viewers to suspend their disbelief in its premise, that doesn't detract from its quality. It's still an excellent shark movie, and it even uses its suspension of disbelief to deliver a powerful message. Under Paris told a story about the dangers of pollution and disbelief in science, and the importance of protecting the environment and listening to the experts. The changes it made to the way sharks are in reality helped make those messages powerful, and helped make Under Paris one of the best shark movies in recent memory.

Sources: Rotten Tomatoes, sportskeeda