The following contains spoilers for Under Paris, now streaming on Netflix

Under Paris has a far more insidious and complex antagonist than the murderous mutant shark at the core of the film. Under Paris focuses on a group of oceanic experts and Paris police officers as they try to contend with the surprise discovery of a shark in the Seine River. The film uses this overtly ridiculous premise to set off a series of tense underwater searches, bombastic death scenes, and even some massive explosions for Under Paris‘ cast of characters.

However, the film’s story and themes are far more dour than the knowingly campy elements of the movie would initially suggest. In fact, the tragic elements of Under Paris make it a direct contrast to other seemingly similar movies, especially Steven Spielberg’s iconic shark film, Jaws. This focus on a greater overarching threat to the world instead of the shark adds an unexpected and potent layer of subtext to the film, and gives Under Paris‘ ending a greater sense of tragedy.

Humanity Was The True Villain In Under Paris

Man-Made Errors Cause Way More Death & Destruction In Under Paris Than Lilith

Under Paris hides a surprisingly bleak thematic core about humanity’s flaws behind liberal ridiculous shark kills, quietly positioning humanity as the true villain of the narrative. While the clear and pressing threat of the film is the mutant shark known as Lilith and her vicious spawn, the true antagonists of the film’s story are humanity. It’s the wide-scale pollution of the oceans that forces the shark to evolve in the first place, allowing it to adapt to humanity in a gruesome example of survival of the fittest. Mika’s efforts to help lead Lilith back to the ocean only get herself (and several others) killed.

The police are initially dismissive of Sophia’s warnings, while the Mayor brushes aside any concern about the sharks for the sake of a massive triathlon being held in the city. Even when the military moves I to action, their lack of communication and proper planning results in them accidentally activating the forgotten WW2 shells still at the bottom of the Seine River, ultimately destroying much of Paris and likely killing thousands at least. Every major overarching problem in the film, including Lilith’s need to evolve in the first place, is caused by humanity’s hubris, ignorance, and refusal to cooperate with one another.

The Metaphor Behind Under Paris’ Bloodthirsty Shark

The Angry Earth Strikes Back At Humanity Through Nature, Evolution, And Mutant Sharks harks

Despite the massive body count Lilith is able to rack up by the end of Under Paris, Lilith has no motivation beyond a purely animalistic need to survive and spread. She’s not a malicious threat, but the errors made in combating her only make things worse. It’s actually symbolic of the film’s true themes, which center around humanity’s mistakes coming back to haunt them. The evolved shark is a direct result of humanity’s impact on the world, a physical manifestation of the world adapting and fighting back against the species that has become the dominant species in part by severely damaging the planet.

Global warming and mass pollution have changed the world, and humanity has to come together to save it and themselves. However, Under Paris suggests that humanity can’t do that. Their divided intentions, ranging from misguided altruism to selfish ignorance, keeps them working together before it’s too late. By the time the threat is actually taken seriously, Lilith has been able to kill most of the film’s protagonists. The fact that the military ends up destroying Paris in their bid to save the city highlights this theme, suggesting the shark was never the real threat of the film, but rather the humans who caused her creation.

Under Paris’ Ending Makes It The Anti-Jaws

How Under Paris Subverts The Common Theme Of Most Shark Movies

The pessimistic ending of Under Paris is a direct contrast to the endings of most “man vs. nature” narratives, with Jaws being the prime example. Jaws ends on a bittersweet but triumphant note, with Brody surviving and dispatching the shark at the heart of the film. Nature is dangerous but not insurmountable. Jaws ends with Brody and Hooper swimming back to land. Under Paris also ends with the last two survivors in the water, but instead of having any hope the pair are resigned to their fate, surrounded by sharks. Under Paris doesn’t offer any suggestion that the human spirit or resilience will save them.

Instead, they are at the mercy of nature, alone in a catastrophe of their own making. It’s a bleak ending to Under Paris that fits with the film’s overall themes. It also cements how different Under Paris is from films like Jaws. While both movies indulge in the spectacle of over-the-top shark attacks, Jaws uses it as a chance to highlight the enduring qualities of people. Under Paris is far more dire, serving as a warning that all the man-made mistakes that have shaped the world can easily come back to haunt us in the long run.