Netflix: Subversive Movie? This is the secret of Sous la Seine’s success according to its director

Warning, spoilers! This article refers to the plot of the film Sous la Seine. If you haven’t seen it and don’t want to know what it contains, read no further.

With Sous la Seine, Xavier Gens creates a shark film that he says is the antithesis of Hollywood standards and plays on genre codes to better convey them. This aquatic thriller made for Netflix features a large mutant mako shark set in the waters off Paris, far from the American beaches that more traditionally cater to such intrigue.

in the interview The Hollywood ReporterXavier Gens explains that the idea for this film came from the desire to offer a metaphor for entertainment and create an environmental satire. “It was about paying homage to Jaws, but transforming it into a critique of consumer society and environmental issues.“, he elaborates. He also explained on AlloCiné’s microphone that Steven Spielberg’s film sparked his passion for cinema.

A show business metaphor

The director, best known for his work on Hitman across the Atlantic, wanted to use Hollywood film techniques while fitting the dark and nihilistic French context. “In France we can have a tonal freedom and a visual boldness that Hollywood dares not“, he says.

And then, first of all, the idea was to say, well, we’re also making a metaphor for show business, and ultimately it’s a symbol of the first blockbuster destroying the final blockbuster, famous games.

It also leads to bold screenwriting choices, such as killing off important characters in the middle of the film, or letting the shark survive at the end, as opposed to the usual Hollywood resolution where the monster is eliminated.

social criticism

Xavier Gens also wanted the shark scenes to be filmed in a documentary style, which would enhance the immersion of the audience. “The first ten minutes must have been very intense and immersive“, he explains, wanting the film to have the texture of a blockbuster without using its narrative limitations.

Xavier Gens’ anti-Hollywood approach is also evident in the film’s social criticism. With the Paris Games as a backdrop, it decries human greed and the destructive consequences of profit-driven political and economic decisions. “We wanted to show that human greed is at the root of environmental problems“, he claims.

Mixing satire, horror and social criticism, Sous la Seine thus positions itself as a subversive work for its author, using Hollywood codes to turn them against itself and reflect the excesses of our time. And what do you think?

Under the Seine is currently available on Netflix.