Below

Premise and setting

The miniseries is set in the fictional remote Newfoundland town of Snook's Arm, a community terrorized by a mysterious sea creature. The central protagonist is Calvin Penney, a hard-bitten fisherman and iceberg harvester portrayed by Josh Hartnett, who must fight to protect his family and his vanishing way of life. The story weaves together the supernatural threat with the real-world economic pressures facing the town, including the legacy of the collapsed cod fishery. Creator Jesse McKeown stated that the province's history of dealing with unexplained phenomena and tragic events, from killer storms to maritime disasters, provided a natural backdrop for a horror narrative.

The setting is deeply informed by Newfoundland's rugged coastlines and close-knit communities, which McKeown believed would be ideal for an epic story. Although the town is fictional, it shares its name with the former Newfoundland village of Snook's Arm, which was resettled in 2018. The series uses this setting to explore the tensions between tradition and change, as seen through the eyes of Calvin's children, who have connections to Montreal and Alberta. The inclusion of a marine biologist character, Dr. Fonda Howander, brings a scientific perspective to the local legends and unexplained events plaguing the community.

Cast and characters

The series features an ensemble cast led by Josh Hartnett as Calvin Penney, a fisherman grappling with the supernatural threat and his family's future. Mackenzie Davis plays Dr. Fonda Howander, a marine biologist at the Seal Cove Ocean Science Centre, a character based on real-life marine biologist Dr. Annie Mercier. Charlie Heaton portrays Wade Penney, Calvin's oldest son, while Ruby Stokes plays Mary Penney, Calvin's daughter who attends university in Montreal. Kaleb Horn appears as Noah Townsend, Mary's boyfriend from Montreal, and Rohan Campbell plays Jay Penney, Calvin's youngest son who works in Alberta.

Willow Kean takes on the role of Ruth Penney, the harbourmaster and Calvin's older sister. The recurring cast includes several notable Canadian actors, such as Mary Walsh as Mayor Linda Best, Natasha Henstridge as Resettlement Liaison Officer Jan Hicks, and Joshua Close as Fishery Officer Jaxon Noseworthy. Shawn Doyle appears as Walton Budgell, an old friend of Calvin, and Marthe Bernard plays his daughter, Maggie Budgell. The guest cast features Joel Thomas Hynes as rival iceberg harvester Jerry Biles, Tantoo Cardinal as Anik, and David Wenham as the commander of the RSV Sir John Franklin.

Production and development

Netflix ordered the six-episode limited series in February 2025, with Jesse McKeown serving as creator, writer, and showrunner. McKeown assembled a writing team that included Karen Walton, Perry Chafe, and Natty Zavitz to develop the story. The directors for the series were Jamie Child, Helen Shaver, and Stephen Dunn, who helmed various episodes. Executive producers alongside McKeown were Jamie Child, Jessica Rhoades, Chris Hatcher, Louise Sutton, and Sharon Hall, overseeing the production from development through to release.

Casting announcements began in May 2025 with Josh Hartnett tapped for the lead role and also serving as an executive producer. Mackenzie Davis was cast opposite him in June 2025, with Charlie Heaton, Natasha Henstridge, Joshua Close, and Rohan Campbell joining in July. Further casting in August 2025 added Willow Kean, Ruby Stokes, and Kaleb Horn to the ensemble. Principal photography commenced in June 2025, with much of the filming taking place in Brigus South, Newfoundland. The production utilized the town's existing homes, transforming them to look like other buildings such as a church and a fish plant for the fictional setting.

Music and cultural references

The series incorporates a notable musical selection in its finale episode. The song 'The Passenger' by Siouxsie and the Banshees was included in the finale episode. The track plays during a scene when Calvin tries to send Mary and Noah away. In that scene, Calvin says, 'Now you want to stay?' The series draws on Newfoundland's local supernatural legends. Creator Jesse McKeown cited the province's local supernatural legends as inspiration. He noted that folks there have been dealing with unexplained phenomena and tragic events for hundreds of years. He referenced killer storms, maritime disasters, and the collapse of the cod fishery. McKeown stated that surviving the winter there can be a horror movie in and of itself.

The character of Dr. Fonda Howander is directly based on a real-life marine biologist. Creator Jesse McKeown based the character on real-life marine biologist Dr. Annie Mercier. McKeown's approach was to fit the strange events of the plot into a long history of unimaginable difficulties. He specifically referenced Newfoundland's history of killer storms and maritime disasters. He also referenced the collapse of the cod fishery and people going hungry. McKeown stated that these strange events fit into that history.

Release and reception

Below was first presented to audiences at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival, where it received a preview screening as part of the Primetime program. The full series was then released globally on the Netflix streaming service on October 8, 2026, with all six episodes available at once. This release strategy allowed viewers to engage with the complete limited series narrative in a single sitting if they chose. The launch positioned the show as a flagship Canadian thriller for the platform in the fall of that year.

Critical reception to the series was generally positive. The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported an 87% approval rating based on 45 critic reviews at the time of release. The website's critics consensus stated, 'Below features the classic tropes of better creature features but uses its limited time wisely, ensuring all who dive in come out the other end thoroughly thrilled.' On Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, the series received a score of 70 out of 100 based on 17 critics, indicating 'generally favorable' reviews. This reception highlighted the series' effective use of its miniseries format and its strong sense of place.

Key creative team

The core creative team behind Below was led by creator, writer, and showrunner Jesse McKeown, who conceived the series and oversaw its production. The writing staff was a collaborative effort, with scripts developed by McKeown alongside writers Karen Walton, Perry Chafe, and Natty Zavitz. This group brought a blend of experience in drama and genre storytelling to the project. The directorial duties were split among three filmmakers, with Jamie Child, Helen Shaver, and Stephen Dunn each directing episodes of the six-part series. The executive production team was expansive, ensuring the project had significant support from its inception through to distribution on Netflix.

The executive producers of the series were Jesse McKeown, Jamie Childs, Jessica Rhoades, Chris Hatcher, Louise Sutton, and Sharon Hall. Josh Hartnett also served as an executive producer in addition to his lead acting role. The series was ordered by Netflix in February 2025. The six-episode limited series was created, written, and showrun by Jesse McKeown.

• Jesse McKeown (creator/showrunner)
• Jamie Child (director)
• Jessica Rhoades
• Chris Hatcher
• Louise Sutton
• Sharon Hall

Josh Hartnett served as an executive producer in addition to his lead acting role. This was announced in May 2025. The series was developed for Netflix, which ordered it in February 2025. Production of the series began in June 2025. Much of the filming was done in Brigus South, Newfoundland. The show is set in the fictional town of Snook's Arm. The town's name is shared with a former Newfoundland village that was resettled in 2018.

Questions about Below

Where was Below filmed?

The majority of filming for Below took place in Brigus South, Newfoundland and Labrador, beginning in June 2025. The production utilized the town's existing homes and structures, modifying them to represent other buildings needed for the fictional setting, such as a church and a fish plant. Although the series is set in the fictional town of Snook's Arm, this location provided the rugged coastal backdrop essential to the story. The name Snook's Arm is a reference to a former Newfoundland village that was resettled in 2018.

Who stars in the Netflix series Below?

The series stars Josh Hartnett as Calvin Penney, Mackenzie Davis as Dr. Fonda Howander, and Charlie Heaton as Wade Penney. The main cast also includes Ruby Stokes as Mary Penney, Kaleb Horn as Noah Townsend, Rohan Campbell as Jay Penney, and Willow Kean as Ruth Penney. The recurring cast includes Mary Walsh as Linda Best, Natasha Henstridge as Jan Hicks, and Joshua Close as Fishery Officer Jaxon Noseworthy. Guest stars include Joel Thomas Hynes as Jerry Biles and Tantoo Cardinal as Anik.

How many episodes are in Below?

Below is a six-episode limited series, or miniseries, telling a complete story within that single season. All episodes were released simultaneously on Netflix on October 8, 2026. The limited series format was chosen by creator Jesse McKeown and Netflix, allowing for a focused narrative without the expectation of subsequent seasons. This structure contributed to the show's pacing and the efficient use of its thriller and creature feature elements across its runtime.

Is Below based on a true story or legend?

While the specific plot of Below is fictional, it is heavily inspired by the supernatural legends and historical hardships of Newfoundland. Creator Jesse McKeown cited the province's long history of unexplained phenomena, maritime disasters, and the collapse of the cod fishery as key inspirations. The character of marine biologist Dr. Fonda Howander is based on the real-life work of Dr. Annie Mercier. The series uses these authentic cultural and environmental touchpoints to ground its story of a mysterious sea creature terrorizing a remote community.

What is the Rotten Tomatoes score for Below?

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported an 87 percent approval rating based on 45 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus states that Below features the classic tropes of better creature features but uses its limited time wisely. It says the series ensures all who dive in come out the other end thoroughly thrilled. Metacritic assigned a score of 70 out of 100 based on 17 critics, indicating generally favorable reviews.

Who created and wrote the series Below?

The series was created by Jesse McKeown. Jesse McKeown served as creator, writer, and showrunner. Other writers of the series include Karen Walton, Perry Chafe and Natty Zavitz. The series was ordered by Netflix in February 2025. McKeown believed that Newfoundland would be a great place for something big and something kind of epic. He cited the province's rugged coastlines and close-knit communities.

Sources and further reading

• Below (Wikipedia)
• Below: Netflix's Newfoundland-Based Horror Series is a ... (original-cin.ca)

Checked by the Yadude Books desk. Last updated 2026-10-18.