The Terror and Below Examine Maritime Horror Settings

Remote maritime environments drive two horror series as AMC's The Terror and Netflix's Below explore survival threats, isolated communities, and unexplained creatures. The productions follow different characters, with The Terror focusing on an Arctic naval expedition and Below on a Newfoundland fishing town.

The first season of The Terror premiered in March 2018 and adapts Dan Simmons' 2007 novel about HMS Erebus and HMS Terror during the Northwest Passage expedition. According to MovieWeb, the series portrays extreme conditions including illness, shortages, and psychological strain among the stranded sailors.

MovieWeb reported that the supernatural creature Tuunbaq, inspired by Inuit folklore elements in Simmons' work, is introduced gradually before a major attack in the eighth episode. The season was brought to television with help from executive producer Ridley Scott.

Netflix's Below follows Calvin Penney, a Newfoundland fisherman played by Josh Hartnett, in the fictional town of Snook's Arm. According to Netflix Tudum's October 8, 2026 interview with Hartnett, the character faces a sea creature threat while protecting his children and community.

Hartnett said his understanding of the mysterious elements came from conversations with people who work at sea and their experiences with unexplained events.

"All that mysterious-creature stuff doesn't feel outside the realm of possibility when you hear stories from real fishermen or people who spend a lot of time on the sea. They always have a story of something that they can't explain." said Josh Hartnett, actor.

Hartnett also discussed the uncertainty surrounding the ocean and the limited understanding of the planet's unexplored areas.

"It's kind of wonderful that we don't know everything about our entire planet yet." said Josh Hartnett, actor.

Creator Jesse McKeown selected Hartnett for Calvin Penney after considering the actor's qualities and family background as fitting for the role.

"I've always loved Josh Hartnett as an actor. I think there's a stoicism and strength about him. The more I found out about him, the more it made perfect sense [for him to play Calvin] — he's got four kids of his own, he's very much a family man, and he's from Minnesota, which is almost Canada. I knew that he would get it." said Jesse McKeown, creator.

Hartnett prepared for Below by studying Newfoundland history and culture, working with local performers, and learning about the region's fishing traditions.

"He told me all these stories. He had so much knowledge of the history of the island and the people, and he did lots of different jobs — like most people do in Newfoundland. He writes books, he writes plays, he was a history professor, I believe, and now he is an actor as well." said Josh Hartnett, actor.

Hartnett also described the impact of the decline of the cod fishery on local fishermen and communities in Newfoundland.

"There was a huge cod stock there for centuries, and they had been kind of over-fished by these huge multinational corporations. The people who really suffered were local fishermen, because they were also not allowed to fish. Overnight, suddenly these people had lost all of their income, but also their identity." said Josh Hartnett, actor.

During production, Hartnett learned fishing skills and built relationships with the actors playing his onscreen children. Charlie Heaton, Ruby Stokes, and Rohan Campbell portrayed members of the Penney family.

Charlie Heaton described Hartnett's approach during the demanding production, which required months of filming away from home in difficult locations.

"You are shooting for five, six months away from family, and you're shooting in these hard locations. It's exhausting, and that's why I loved watching Josh. He's such an incredible number one, such a professional, but he also just wants the work to be good." said Charlie Heaton, actor.

Heaton also recalled Hartnett's support during boat scenes after the actor had taken boating lessons during preparation.

"There are some scenes at the end of the series on the boat. I didn't know Josh had taken boating lessons … I didn't really know how to ride this boat, and the support and care that he gave me through those scenes was really cool." said Charlie Heaton, actor.

Hartnett later recalled seeing humpback whales while filming on a small boat, describing the encounter as part of his connection with the ocean during production.

"You could see their flukes, and they'd do this little thing where they wave their fins at you; it was incredible … they've been traveling that same migration pattern since before World War II. It's extraordinary to feel that connection to the sea." said Josh Hartnett, actor.