Directed by Xavier Gens, “Sous la Seine” is a hit around the world on Netflix. This French horror film was not inspired by Steven Spielberg’s “Jaws” but by another Netflix success that you certainly know.
A few weeks before the launch of the Paris Games, Netflix is creating an event with Sous la Seine, a French horror film which features sharks in the waters of the capital. The crazy pitch is one of the reasons for the feature film’s significant success around the world – it ranks in the top 10 in 93 countries.
Behind this concept, an inspiration. And no, it’s not Steven Spielberg’s classic Jaws, which has kept many vacationers from taking a dip. To imagine the film, director Xavier Gens turned to Don’t Look Up by Adam McKay, released on Netflix at the end of 2021.
This comedy starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence took a satirical look at politics, the media and climate skeptics. Sous la Seine also offers an ecological reading. In an interview given to VarietyXavier Gens explains:
“The idea was to use the reactions of French society and politicians to create a caricature. What’s funny is that all the dialogues in the film are taken from real speeches and comments made by different political figures, like Anne Hidalgo and Valérie Pécresse.”
Caricaturing political figures
Since the film’s release, the similarities between the character played by Anne Marivin – who plays the mayor of Paris – and the two female politicians have not gone unnoticed. In the same way that the president played by Meryl Streep in Don’t Look Up has many points in common with Donald Trump.
“We changed the context of these replies, continues Xavier Gens. We made fun of it all but in some cases we didn’t even need to caricature them. It was fun to invent an alternate reality that highlights the human stupidity that makes the worst decisions.”
Under the Seine is available on Netflix.