For Fans of ‘Widow’s Bay’ and ‘From’, Netflix’s ‘Below’ Brings a Chilling New Mystery to the Deep
Something is lurking beneath the waters off Newfoundland, and the residents of a small fishing community are about to find out just how dangerous it can be.
Netflix’s upcoming six-episode limited series Below combines supernatural horror, mystery and a close-knit community under siege. Starring Josh Hartnett, Charlie Heaton and Mackenzie Davis, the series follows a fisherman who is forced to confront an unidentified sea creature while trying to protect his family and keep his town together.
For viewers drawn to the isolated settings and unsettling mysteries of shows such as Widow’s Bay, Midnight Mass and From, Below could be one to keep an eye on.
A sea creature threatens a Newfoundland community
Set in a remote fishing community in Newfoundland, Canada, Below centers on Calvin Penney, played by Josh Hartnett. Calvin is a stubborn but big-hearted fisherman who has spent decades carrying the weight of his father’s mysterious death.
His life takes an even darker turn when an unidentified creature emerges from the sea and begins terrorizing the town.
With his family and neighbors in danger, Calvin is forced to confront the threat while attempting to keep his close-knit community from falling apart. He also has a more personal reason to fight: protecting his son Wade and the rest of his family.
The series brings together creature-feature suspense and a family drama rooted in a small community, with the mystery extending beyond the attacks themselves. Calvin and those around him must uncover what lies beneath the water and confront secrets buried in the island’s past.
Josh Hartnett leads the cast
Hartnett takes the central role of Calvin Penney, while Charlie Heaton plays his son, Wade Penney. Mackenzie Davis stars as Fonda Howander, a visiting marine researcher who joins Calvin in trying to understand and confront the creature.
The main cast also includes Willow Kean as Ruth Penney, Ruby Stokes as Mary Penney, Rohan Campbell as Jay Penney and Kaleb Horn as Noah. Natasha Henstridge and Joshua Close are also part of the cast.
The role gives Hartnett another opportunity to explore the character-driven work that has become a prominent part of his career. His recent credits include Trap (2024), Oppenheimer (2023) and Penny Dreadful (2014–2016), while his earlier filmography includes major hits and cult favorites such as Black Hawk Down (2001), Pearl Harbor (2001) and The Virgin Suicides (1999).
Heaton, meanwhile, is best known for Stranger Things, while Davis has appeared in projects including Blade Runner 2049.
Jesse McKeown brings the series to Netflix
Below was created and showrun by Canadian writer and producer Jesse McKeown, whose credits include Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy. McKeown was a writer and producer on the superhero series from 2019 to 2024 and also worked on the acclaimed Canadian police drama 19-2 from 2014 to 2017.
The new series marks McKeown’s move into a very different kind of story, using Newfoundland’s isolated landscape as the setting for a supernatural mystery.
The production was filmed on location in Newfoundland. According to Netflix, the rugged setting was an important part of the show’s identity, with the production choosing real locations rather than relying entirely on studio environments.
That setting also gives Below a distinctive atmosphere. The story unfolds in a small community where people know one another and depend on each other, making the arrival of an unknown threat from the sea particularly disruptive.
‘Below’ will premiere at TIFF before Netflix
Before its worldwide streaming release, Below will have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival’s 2026 Primetime program on September 10, 2026. The series is the opening title of the Primetime lineup.
The festival appearance gives audiences an early look at the six-part series before all six episodes arrive globally on Netflix on October 8, 2026.
With its combination of a remote Newfoundland setting, a mysterious creature from the deep and a family at the center of the danger, Below is shaping up as a promising addition to Netflix’s supernatural thriller lineup.
The central question is simple enough: what is hiding beneath the water? The answer may be what brings Calvin’s fractured family and their community face-to-face with the darkest part of their own history.
