Josh Hartnett’s 6-Part Supernatural Netflix Series Is Mandatory Viewing for Fall 2026
Fall is almost here, which means pumpkin spice treats, changing leaves, Halloween decorations, and, of course, a fresh lineup of horror movies and unsettling TV shows. This year, Josh Hartnett has the perfect addition to that seasonal watchlist.
The actor is leading Netflix’s upcoming supernatural thriller Below, a six-episode miniseries set in Newfoundland. With Hartnett playing a fisherman forced to confront terrifying sea creatures, the series looks tailor-made for cold-weather binge-watching.
Hartnett has already proven that he belongs in the horror genre. In 1998 alone, he appeared in two films that remain particularly memorable: Halloween H20: 20 Years Later, in which he played John Tate, the son of Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis), and the sci-fi horror movie The Faculty, where he portrayed the smart and confident Zeke Tyler.
Nearly three decades later, Below gives him another opportunity to dive into the kind of dark material that helped make some of his early performances stand out.
Josh Hartnett Leads Netflix’s Below
In Below, Hartnett plays Calvin Penney, a fisherman living in a small Newfoundland community that finds itself under attack from mysterious creatures from the sea.
The series also stars Charlie Heaton, best known for playing Jonathan Byers on Netflix’s Stranger Things, and Mackenzie Davis, who appeared in the holiday comedy Happiest Season. Still, Hartnett is naturally attracting much of the attention as the show’s lead.
The teaser suggests Calvin will become the person who has to step up and protect his community. Saving everyone will apparently come at a price, though, and the series promises plenty of eerie moments along the way.
The Newfoundland setting also gives the show an especially fitting atmosphere for fall. Hartnett is even taking on a Newfoundland accent for the role, adding another layer to his performance.
There is already an amusing possibility for fans of television thrillers: perhaps Calvin could eventually cross paths with Tom Loftis (Matthew Rhys) from Apple TV’s Widow’s Bay. For now, however, Below has its own mysterious creatures and isolated community to deal with.
The Role Comes at an Interesting Point in Hartnett’s Career
Below arrives at a fascinating stage in Hartnett’s career.
He first became a major Hollywood heartthrob during the 1990s and 2000s, appearing in films such as Here on Earth and the comedy 40 Days and 40 Nights. At the same time, he took on more serious projects, including the war films Pearl Harbor and Black Hawk Down.
Some of his mid-2000s work attracted considerable attention without always matching the quality of his earlier projects. He appeared in The Black Dahlia and Sin City in 2005, followed by a run of films that gradually became less memorable.
His 2010s filmography was similarly uneven. But Hartnett began taking on more interesting roles again in the 2020s, including a turn as physicist Ernest Lawrence in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer in 2023.
The following year brought one of his most prominent recent roles: Cooper Abbott in M. Night Shyamalan’s Trap. The movie may not work for everyone, and its numerous concert sequences can be distracting, but Hartnett’s performance gave audiences another chance to see him at the center of a thriller.
Television Has Given Hartnett Some of His Best Recent Roles
Interestingly, some of Hartnett’s most compelling work in recent years has come from television.
He starred as Ethan Chandler on the beloved fantasy horror series Penny Dreadful, a role that allowed him to explore considerably darker material than many of his early Hollywood projects.
He later appeared in Black Mirror in the episode “Beyond the Sea,” playing an astronaut in one of the anthology show’s more unsettling stories.
Hartnett also demonstrated his ability to balance drama and humor on The Bear. He appeared in several episodes as Frank, Tiff’s (Gillian Jacobs) now-husband. Frank became one of his more intriguing recent characters because his relationship with the family helps explore the difficult tension between old relationships and new ones.
His presence also gives Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) a clearer understanding that he needs to move forward.
That range makes Below particularly interesting. Hartnett is returning to the thriller and horror territory he knows well while drawing on the experience he has gained from more recent television roles.
Below Could Be Another Strong Chapter for Hartnett
For audiences who remember Hartnett primarily as the young actor whose face appeared on magazine covers throughout the 1990s and 2000s, his recent career offers a useful reminder of how versatile he has always been.
He was convincing as Laurie Strode’s son in Halloween H20: 20 Years Later and as a teenager trying to figure out whether his teachers were actually aliens in The Faculty. More recently, he has shown that he can handle serious drama, horror, science fiction, and even comedy.
Below brings several of those strengths together. Hartnett gets to lead a supernatural thriller while playing a character who appears to be at the center of a fight for his entire community.
And this isn’t his only major project arriving in fall 2026.
Hartnett Has Another Thriller on the Way
Hartnett will also appear in the highly anticipated film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s popular novel Verity later this fall.
He plays Jeremy Crawford, whose wife, an author, becomes bedridden following an accident. As expected, there is considerably more to the situation than initially appears.
With both Below and Verity arriving in the same season, Hartnett is taking on two prominent roles connected to the thriller genre. It raises an interesting question about where his career could go next.
He has already shown that he can work comfortably in darker material, but it would also be fun to see him return to comedy. Hartnett has appeared in several episodes of Drunk History, proving that side of his range is there as well.
For now, though, Below looks like an especially promising showcase for the actor.
Netflix will release all six episodes of Below on October 8, 2026. With its Newfoundland setting, supernatural threats, and Josh Hartnett at the center, it could be one of the ideal shows to settle in with once fall arrives.