The new French survival thriller Under Paris has become a streaming hit on Netflix despite receiving a whole host of negative reception. Released on June 5, the Xavier Gens-directed movie, which follows a super shark’s attack on the Seine during an international triathlon in Paris, quickly joined the ranks of the streaming services’ most-viewed titles for the week of June 3 to June 9. Within days, Under Paris became Netflix’s no. 1 global movie, eventually raking in 40.9 million views and topping both non-English and English language charts.

On non-English language charts, Under Paris’ shark-based premise bested Godzilla Minus One, a long-anticipated and Oscar-winning sensation, by 26 million views for the no.1 spot. Compared to Netflix’s English language charts, Under Paris trounced Richard Linklater’s action comedy Hit Man by 30.1 million views to become the no. 1 global film overall. Under Paris’ performance, especially when likened to the critically acclaimed movies it prevailed over, comes as a shock because its achievement doesn’t reflect in its reception.

Why Under Paris Is So Popular On Netflix Despite A Poor Reception

Under Paris’ Fun Premise Thrived In The Movie’s Circumstances

Its achievement does, however, line up with its premise – shark-based horrors and thrillers have long proven that they don’t necessarily have to be the best movies to get audiences hooked. Prime examples lie in The Meg and Sharknado, which have been given low audience approval ratings of 44% and 34% apiece on Rotten Tomatoes but have expanded into multi-billion dollar cult franchises. Like Under Paris, their wild, often gory storylines catch the eyes of audiences, get people talking, and are uncomplicated to watch, making for high binge and circulation value.

On top of its entertaining premise, Under Paris was released when Netflix’s Top 10 charts weren’t heavily inundated with competition, which made it easy for Under Paris to capitalize on its shark-based story and dominate viewing lists. Besides Hit Man and Godzilla Minus One, Under Paris easily outperformed movies previously released, like Sing 2, The Lego Movie, and Real Steel, or films that were not as well known across the globe. On another given week, Under Paris’ performance may have been worse off, but, as it stands, it was able to thrive in its circumstances.

Why Is Under Paris’ RT Audience Score So Low & What Are Critics Saying?

Critics Gave Under Paris A Higher 64% Score

Despite contributing to Under Paris’ tens of millions of views, audiences weren’t keen on the thriller’s acting performances, script, and predictable nature. Frequently, the reviews of audiences outright labeled, if not described, Under Paris as an amateur movie, as so many shark movies have often been considered. However, as alluded to before, just because Under Paris isn’t technically the best doesn’t mean it doesn’t make for guilty pleasure material. The notion that Under Paris delivers on its premise and promise is why critics have scored the film much higher than audiences.

Critics’ approval rating of Under Paris on Rotten Tomatoes is nearly double that of audiences. Under Paris’ critics have considered the shark film as one that doesn’t take itself too seriously and, in fact, hones in on its campy nature to its benefit. For that reason, critics believe the film was not only successful but deserving of an Under Paris sequel. Under Paris, like other shark films, may not be the best, but it is an entertaining crowd-puller, which, to some standards, makes for an excellent movie.

Source: Netflix, Rotten Tomatoes