It’s hard to beat the ocean as a setting for something creepy and eerie. It’s vast in size and depth, and the darkest, deepest parts remain uncharted. Who knows what lurks down there and, in turn, may one day surface near human settlements? This is part of the story in Netflix’s Below, a new six-part horror series that plays on our deepest fears and makes great use of atmosphere and dread to steadily escalate the fear.
Watching the first two episodes at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival made it clear what the filmmakers and cast had in mind. Though it dragged in places, it was pretty successful overall.
Netflix’s Below Assembles a Strong Cast Led by Josh Hartnett
Set in a small coastal village in Newfoundland, Calvin Penny (Josh Hartnett) tries to make a living by harvesting ice from icebergs, as the old way of fishing is no longer an option because the fish supply has been depleted. He hopes to build the business and pass it down to one of his kids, a family tradition, but there is a problem. First, the fish disappear. Then people start to go missing, then turn up dead under strange circumstances.
Hartnett does a great job as Calvin, making you feel the man’s pain and frustration, from a past that haunts him to a future that’s cloudy and uncertain. The town is filled with colorful characters, including his kids Wade (Charlie Heaton), who still lives with him, Mary (Ruby Stokes), and Jay (Rohan Campbell).
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Mary and Jay are in town for a celebration, and while they miss their dad, they’re happy to be elsewhere. As things get increasingly weird, Calvin enlists local marine biologist Fonda Howander (Mackenzie Davis). Together they soon discover something old and big is hunting in the coastal waters.
The big plus of this series is the setting, with the vast ocean and rolling fog, which make it a character in its own right. It’s a beautiful location that’s deadly at the same time, serving up some heavy irony as the ocean they rely on to survive is now trying to hunt them down and kill them.
They keep things pretty close to the chest about what this creature really is, but it doesn’t take long for things to point in a certain direction. It’s a pretty good setup, especially for a limited series, so there isn’t much time wasted on unnecessary storylines.
Below Builds an Ocean of Dread but Sometimes Drifts
That being said, there are some moments that seem too drawn out, pushing the family and town dramas in places that they might not need to go. It’s tough to build interest in the story and characters when you have limited time.
Besides those few moments, the first two episodes succeed in establishing a strong atmosphere of fear and dread while getting you invested in characters you’d like to see make it through this alive. That’s a pretty good setup in only two episodes of television.
Below is where they both sink or swim, depending on how they pace the remaining episodes and juggle the sea-creature story against the family drama. Hartnett is a good lead to take them there, but it will require all hands on deck to make sure this show survives its own story.
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