Below: Josh Hartnett Faces a Mysterious Creature in Netflix’s Newfoundland Thriller
Something strange is rising from the waters off Newfoundland, and in Netflix’s upcoming thriller Below, fisherman Calvin Penney finds himself caught at the center of a mystery that threatens not only his family but the entire community.
Starring Josh Hartnett, Mackenzie Davis, and Stranger Things actor Charlie Heaton, the six-episode limited series combines supernatural suspense, family drama, local mythology, and the struggles of a close-knit coastal town. Netflix has confirmed that all six episodes will premiere on October 8, 2026.
A mysterious creature emerges from the deep
At the heart of Below is Calvin Penney, a stubborn but compassionate fisherman living in a small Newfoundland town. He is also a father of three, and his life has long been marked by personal tragedy, including the mysterious death of his father decades earlier.
When an unidentified sea creature begins terrorizing the town, Calvin is forced to confront a threat unlike anything he has faced before. As the strange incidents escalate, protecting his family becomes inseparable from protecting the community and its way of life.
Netflix describes the series as the story of a fisherman who must fight to protect his family and a coastal community whose way of life is already beginning to disappear.
The danger becomes even more personal when Calvin’s son Wade begins experiencing frightening symptoms. Played by Charlie Heaton, Wade is the only one of Calvin’s children who has remained at home rather than leaving for opportunities on the mainland, giving the father and son a particularly close connection.
As the creature’s presence becomes increasingly difficult to ignore, Calvin realizes that whatever is happening in the water may be connected to secrets that have been buried in the community for years.
Calvin and Fonda search for answers
Calvin does not investigate the mystery alone. He teams up with Fonda Howander, a visiting marine researcher played by Mackenzie Davis.
Together, they begin trying to understand the creature and determine what is happening in the waters surrounding the town. Their investigation gradually leads them beyond the immediate threat, toward the island’s history and unexplained events that may hold clues to what has emerged from the sea.
The relationship between Calvin and Fonda also gives the series an investigative dimension. Rather than simply trying to escape the creature, the pair are attempting to understand it while uncovering the secrets surrounding its arrival.
Davis has described the partnership as resembling two unlikely partners working together to solve a mystery. She has also praised Below for bringing together suspense, humor and intelligence in a story she would personally want to watch.
Newfoundland becomes part of the story
One of the most distinctive elements of Below is its setting.
The series was filmed on location in Newfoundland, Canada, using the province’s rugged coastline, isolated communities and surrounding waters to create the atmosphere of the story. Creator Jesse McKeown has a long connection to Newfoundland and wanted to build a large-scale story around its distinctive landscape and communities.
For McKeown, Newfoundland offered more than dramatic scenery. Its remote coastline and harsh environment provide a natural backdrop for a story about isolation, survival and a community facing something it cannot easily explain.
The production also made an effort to capture the ocean environment directly. Rather than relying entirely on green-screen work, the cast filmed on Newfoundland’s waters, including scenes involving boats and the Coast Guard.
That experience was particularly memorable for Charlie Heaton. While preparing for the role, he spent time around St. John’s becoming familiar with local culture. Hartnett, meanwhile, worked on the regional accent by listening to a local radio station where fishermen discussed their trade.
The result is a setting that functions as more than background. The ocean, coastline and isolated town all contribute to the tension surrounding the story.
Josh Hartnett leads the cast
Hartnett plays Calvin Penney, a fisherman struggling to keep his fractured family together while dealing with a threat that seems to come from the very waters surrounding his home.
The actor is known for films and series including Pearl Harbor, Black Hawk Down, Penny Dreadful and Trap. In Below, he takes on a character shaped by years of tragedy and a growing belief that he may somehow be cursed.
That history gives Calvin an emotional burden that exists alongside the supernatural mystery. As the creature threatens the town, he must confront both the danger outside his family and the wounds he has carried for years.
The main cast includes:
- Josh Hartnett as Calvin Penney
- Mackenzie Davis as Fonda Howander
- Charlie Heaton as Wade Penney
- Willow Kean as Ruth Penney
- Ruby Stokes as Mary Penney
- Rohan Campbell as Jay Penney
- Kaleb Horn as Noah
The wider cast also features Natasha Henstridge and Mary Walsh. Netflix’s official cast listing confirms the ensemble.
Calvin and Wade’s complicated relationship
The bond between Calvin and Wade is an important emotional thread running through the mystery.
Wade has stayed behind in Newfoundland while his siblings have pursued opportunities elsewhere, leaving him particularly close to his father. Once Wade begins experiencing disturbing symptoms following the creature’s appearance, Calvin’s fight becomes much more than a struggle to save the town.
His son’s safety is now directly at stake.
That family connection allows Below to balance its supernatural elements with a more personal story about a father trying to protect his child while his entire world begins to change.
Mackenzie Davis joins the investigation
Davis plays Fonda Howander, the marine researcher who becomes Calvin’s unlikely partner.
Her expertise gives Calvin another perspective as they try to understand the mysterious creature and investigate the secrets hidden beneath the waters around the town.
The partnership is central to the show’s mystery-driven structure, allowing the series to explore not only what the creature is, but why it has appeared and what its arrival could mean for the community.
Charlie Heaton takes on Wade Penney
Charlie Heaton, best known for playing Jonathan Byers in Stranger Things, portrays Wade, Calvin’s son.
Wade’s increasingly disturbing symptoms add another layer of uncertainty to the story and make the creature’s arrival an intensely personal threat for Calvin.
Heaton is joined in the younger ensemble by Ruby Stokes, Rohan Campbell, Willow Kean and Kaleb Horn.
The creative team behind Below
Below was created by Jesse McKeown, who also serves as showrunner and executive producer. McKeown previously worked on projects including The Umbrella Academy and 19-2.
The writing team includes Karen Walton, Perry Chafe and Natty Zavitz, while the six episodes were directed by Jamie Childs, Helen Shaver and Stephen Dunn.
Executive producers include Jessica Rhoades, Chris Hatcher, Josh Hartnett, Jamie Childs, Louise Sutton and Sharon Hall.
Rather than functioning as a straightforward creature story, the limited-series format gives Below room to develop its characters, family relationships and larger community mystery across six episodes.
The supernatural threat is only one part of the story. At its center is a community being forced to confront an unfamiliar danger while trying to preserve a way of life that is already under pressure.
When does Below premiere on Netflix?
There is not long to wait for the mystery beneath Newfoundland’s waters to surface.
All six episodes of Below will premiere globally on Netflix on October 8, 2026.
With Josh Hartnett leading a cast that includes Mackenzie Davis and Charlie Heaton, Below brings together a mysterious sea creature, a troubled fisherman, a marine researcher, a family under pressure and a remote coastal community.
But beneath the supernatural premise is a more grounded story about family, community and change — and what happens when something unknown threatens everything people have spent their lives trying to protect.