Netflix’s New 6-Part Creature Feature Could Be 2026’s Next Great Horror Show After Widow’s Bay
Netflix is heading into October with a six-episode horror miniseries that could appeal strongly to fans of Apple TV’s Widow’s Bay. Premiering October 8, Below transports viewers to an isolated community in Newfoundland, where residents are forced to confront a mysterious sea creature threatening their town and way of life.
Created by Jesse McKeown and Jessica Rhoades (Black Mirror), the series combines coastal folklore, psychological suspense, horror, and dark humor. Its premise is notably similar to Widow’s Bay, one of 2026’s most acclaimed horror comedies, even though Below takes a different approach to its story.
For viewers waiting to see what comes next for Widow’s Bay, Netflix’s new series could provide a compelling alternative.
Below Brings a Sea Monster to Newfoundland
Below is a six-part limited series centered on the residents of a small Newfoundland fishing town. Their isolated community is thrown into turmoil when a mysterious sea creature begins attacking the area.
At the heart of the story is Calvin Penney, a stubborn fisherman played by Josh Hartnett (Oppenheimer). As the creature’s attacks become increasingly dangerous, Calvin takes on the responsibility of protecting his neighbors while attempting to discover what is really happening in the waters offshore.
Newfoundland plays an important role in establishing the show’s atmosphere. The remote landscape gives the series an inherent sense of danger and isolation, while the close-knit nature of the community provides a human element to the supernatural threat.
Creator Jesse McKeown explained the choice of setting during an interview with Tudum in July. Having visited Newfoundland for many years, McKeown said he had long wanted to set a story there, describing the region as a uniquely rugged, dangerous, isolated, and frightening environment.
That combination of isolation and community appears to be central to Below. The residents cannot simply escape the problem. Instead, they have to confront the creature together while trying to understand the threat surrounding them.
A Strong Ensemble Leads Netflix’s Horror Miniseries
Hartnett is joined by an ensemble cast that includes Charlie Heaton (Stranger Things) as Wade, Calvin’s son, and Mackenzie Davis (Halt and Catch Fire) as marine biologist Fonda Howander.
The cast also features Natasha Henstridge (Diggstown), Joshua Close (Wayward), Rohan Campbell (The Monkey), Ruby Stokes (Bridgerton), and Mary Walsh (Resident Alien).
The combination of an established cast and a contained supernatural premise gives Below a strong foundation for Netflix’s fall horror lineup. More importantly, its focus on an entire community dealing with an inexplicable threat makes it particularly appealing to viewers who enjoyed the character-driven approach of Widow’s Bay.
Why Below Invites Comparisons to Widow’s Bay
Widow’s Bay premiered on Apple TV in April 2026 and quickly established itself as one of the year’s notable horror comedies. Its story uses an isolated coastal community to explore supernatural danger while maintaining a strong focus on the people living there.
Below follows a similar formula.
Its Newfoundland residents face an unidentified creature, with local legends, folklore, suspense, horror, and humor all contributing to the story. The supernatural threat matters, but so do the personalities and relationships within the community.
That balance is one of the clearest connections between the two series.
The protagonists also occupy similar positions within their respective communities. Calvin Penney is a respected fisherman who finds himself responsible for protecting his town and his son. In Widow’s Bay, mayor Tom Loftis, played by Rhys, is similarly pushed into a position of leadership when confronted with a threat he does not fully understand.
Neither man has all the answers. Both are forced to depend on people with greater knowledge as the supernatural danger surrounding their communities becomes increasingly difficult to ignore.
The Ocean Is a Threat in Both Stories
The similarities become even more apparent when it comes to the role of the water.
In Widow’s Bay, the ocean is closely connected to the island’s supernatural curse. People born on the island are unable to cross a particular boundary in the water, while the fog, supernatural creatures, and the Sea Hag reinforce the sense that the community is trapped.
Below takes a more direct approach. Rather than presenting the surrounding water primarily as a supernatural boundary, the series places its characters face-to-face with an unidentified sea creature rooted in the fears and folklore of a fishing community.
The two shows therefore use their coastal settings in different ways, but both turn the ocean into an important source of mystery and danger.
Below Could Help Fill the Widow’s Bay Gap
Below is not simply a copy of Widow’s Bay. Its Newfoundland setting and focus on a mysterious sea creature give it its own identity.
Still, the overlap in ingredients is difficult to overlook. Both series center on isolated communities, local folklore, supernatural threats, and humor emerging from ordinary people trying to survive extraordinary circumstances.
With Widow’s Bay Season 2 still awaited, Below arrives at an especially useful time for fans of the Apple TV series. Its six-episode format, Canadian setting, ensemble cast, and creature-driven story could make it a natural choice for viewers looking for another small-town horror series when it premieres on Netflix on October 8, 2026.