Netflix Releases Below, a Supernatural Thriller Set in Newfoundland

Netflix's six-episode supernatural thriller Below combines Newfoundland's resettlement history with a mysterious threat beneath the water, following a troubled fisherman and his family as they confront strange events in their coastal community. Starring Josh Hartnett, the series explores economic hardship, environmental uncertainty, and a father's efforts to protect his children.

The story begins in the 1960s, when a Newfoundland family moves from a remote settlement toward Snook's Arm by towing their house across the water. The historical practice reflects a Canadian government initiative that paid residents of isolated communities to relocate closer to larger towns, making public services easier to provide.

The family's journey turns tragic when a mysterious creature emerges from the depths, trapping the father inside the sinking house. His son Calvin Penney must cut the rope connecting the house to their boat, leaving him haunted by the enormous eye he sees beneath the water.

Hartnett plays the adult Calvin, who remains in Snook's Arm with his youngest son, Wade, portrayed by Charlie Heaton of Stranger Things. Calvin fishes for icebergs to supply a local vodka distillery, but his prospects are limited by the economic decline of his community and the long-standing moratorium on cod fishing.

When the distillery rejects an iceberg because of concerns about its purity, Calvin asks a scientist friend, played by Mackenzie Davis, to examine it. Her findings lead the family into an investigation of unusual activity in the surrounding waters, bringing together environmental science, creature horror, and family drama.

The production also draws on Newfoundland's regional identity. Although the fictional community is called Snook's Arm, the series uses Brigus South in Newfoundland as its setting. Actors from Newfoundland and Labrador contribute to the show's portrayal of local life and speech.

The dialogue includes expressions such as "b'y," a regional term for boy, and "best kind," meaning great. One character uses the exclamation "Jesus friggin' Murphy," while another asks, "How you feeling?" The response, "Oh, you know, like a smacked arse," reflects the show's distinctive local vocabulary.

Another character describes a sleep-paralysis experience by saying, "I t'ought I was having a spell of the ol' hag." The series also depicts a Newfoundland welcoming ritual called "screeched in," which involves kissing a dead fish and taking a shot. The ceremony is presented as a tradition associated with visitors.

Below has drawn comparisons with Widow's Bay because both series feature coastal communities facing obscure threats and fathers trying to protect their sons. However, the shows differ in tone and execution, with Widow's Bay placing greater emphasis on comedy and the performance of Matthew Rhys, while Below follows more familiar supernatural-thriller conventions.

Among the elements criticized in the review are the series' uneven pacing and its use of familiar genre devices, including wealthy antagonists and a scientist arguing that a mysterious creature should be studied rather than killed. A storyline involving an infection transmitted through mucus left by the creature is resolved quickly, while an abandoned village inhabited by people who refused relocation receives less attention than the reviewer wanted.

The series ends with unresolved questions that leave its future uncertain. Its creators have said they are not considering whether Below could receive a second season, although the open-ended finale leaves room for further storytelling.