Killer sharks? In the river Seine? With the whole city of Paris – and potentially even the world – at stake? Now that’s cinema.
If you tuned into Under Paris on Netflix in the last few weeks, you’ll have experienced the thrill ride that is the brand new shark disaster movie, which quickly claimed the top spot on the list of Netflix’s most-watched films both here in the UK and beyond.
The French-language flick introduced a fresh new concept to the shark attack sub-genre, as a grieving oceanographer must do everything she can to prevent a bloodbath after discovering rapidly reproducing sharks in the river Seine.
Now, if there’s one thing we know about shark films, it’s that the “worse” they are, the better. So if Under Paris gave you a taste for blood, here are the shark movies you should be checking out next…
The Meg
While the classic shark thriller had been done a hundred times over in various different formats, The Meg shook things up again by reintroducing a now-extinct species.
The big-budget blockster follows a group of scientists who encounter a 23 metre long meg on a rescue mission in the Pacific Ocean. Action man Jason Statham stars in the 2018 film (and its 2023 sequel, which brings a T-rex into the mix), alongside Ruby Rose, Rainn Wilson and more.
It’s shark attacks, but on a level you’ve never seen before.
Deep Blue Sea
Here’s a movie that’ll remind you that sharks can still make for heart-thumping jumpscares.
The 1999 film is higher production than your typical shark b-movie (and, in our opinion, actually good), and is often credited as the next great shark movie after Jaws.
While searching for a cure for Alzheimer’s, a group of scientists become the prey of a trio of intelligent sharks in an isolated research facility. There’s also some pretty big names in it, from Samuel L. Jackson, Stellan Skarsgård and LL Cool J.
Sharknado
All six (yes, really) Sharknado films are exactly as ridiculous as they sound. The concept can be found right there in the title – tornadoes… with sharks in them.
As you can probably imagine, the made-for-TV SyFy series has a pretty serious cult following at this point. With sequel names like The 4th Awakens, Oh Hell No! and a spin-off called Heart Of Sharkness, how can you not be at least a little bit intrigued?
Sharktopus
What’s more terrifying than a murderous shark? One that’s also half octopus, obviously.
In the 2010 SyFy original, the US military creates the genetically engineered sea monster to be used as a deadly weapon, only for it to backfire when said Sharktopus gets out of control.
Think you’ve seen some questionable CGI over the years? Give this trailer a watch…
The Requin
Now this is what you call trouble in paradise.
Clueless actor Alicia Silverstone stars in this 2022 thriller about a couple who jet off to a beach resort in Vietnam, only for a tropical storm to uproot their bungalow and send them drifting off into the sea.
Before long, they realised they’re at the mercy of a few razor-toothed friends.
47 Metres Down
The enduring fear factor around sharks can put down to the old “what lurks beneath” adage. 47 Metres Down goes a step deeper by plummeting beneath the surface and into the murky depths of shark territory.
In what is a hugely claustrophobic watch, the 2017 film follows two sisters who are invited to dive with sharks while on holiday in Mexico, before their cage detaches and descends to the ocean floor. Oxygen supplies run dangerously low as while great whites stalk out their prey.
There’s also a pretty intense twist right at the end that you’ll want to stick around for.
Ouija Shark
So, the question here is, how deep into the terrible shark film cannon are you willing to go?
Ouija Shark is about as low-budget as it gets, and follows a group of teenage girls who summon an ancient man-eating shark after using a spirit board that washes up on the beach.
In what is the only logical next step, they bring an expert in all things occult to banish the shark back to the spirit world.
6-Headed Shark Attack
Imagine a shark attack…where the shark has six heads. And you’ve pretty much got the gist of this one..
The 2018 action-horror starts at a boot camp for married couples, who end up having to fight for their lives after a giant six-headed shark attacks the beach.
We’ll just say there’s one death in here you will not be forgetting in a hurry, for literally all the wrong reasons.
Under Paris is available to watch on Netflix now.