Josh Hartnett Faces a Mystery From the Deep in Netflix’s ‘Below’

Something terrifying is stirring beneath the waters of Newfoundland — and Josh Hartnett’s new Netflix thriller Below is about to bring the mystery to the surface.

The six-episode limited series follows Calvin Penney, a fisherman and single father living in the remote coastal community of Snooks Arm. Already haunted by his father’s unexplained death and struggling to hold his fractured family together, Calvin finds himself facing an even greater threat when a mysterious sea creature begins terrorizing the town.

Netflix describes Below as a thriller about a fisherman fighting to protect his family, his community and a way of life that is gradually disappearing.

A Creature Beneath the Water

The newly released trailer keeps the nature of the creature largely hidden, but it makes clear that something is seriously wrong in the waters surrounding the town.

A strange iceberg appears offshore, while disturbing events begin unfolding across the community. Calvin is forced to investigate what is happening as the threat grows closer to his family.

His son Wade, played by Charlie Heaton, becomes particularly important to the mystery. Calvin eventually teams up with Fonda Howander, a marine researcher played by Mackenzie Davis, as they try to understand the strange events and uncover what is lurking beneath the surface.

The result is designed to be more than a conventional creature thriller. Alongside the supernatural mystery, the series puts Calvin’s family struggles and the future of his community at the center of the story.

Josh Hartnett Leads a Troubled Newfoundland Family

Hartnett plays Calvin as a man carrying years of disappointment and tragedy.

According to the actor, Calvin has experienced a series of setbacks from a young age and has come to feel increasingly disconnected from both his community and his place in the world. The arrival of the creature forces him to confront those feelings while fighting to keep his family safe.

The rest of Calvin’s family is played by Charlie Heaton as Wade, Ruby Stokes as Mary, Rohan Campbell as Jay, Willow Kean as Ruth and Kaleb Horn as Noah. The cast also includes Natasha Henstridge and Mary Walsh.

For Hartnett, the role also meant immersing himself in Newfoundland culture, including its distinctive accent and environment.

Newfoundland Is More Than Just a Backdrop

The remote coastal setting plays a major role in Below.

Creator Jesse McKeown has a longstanding connection to Newfoundland through his wife and her family, and he has wanted to tell a story there for years. The series uses the region’s isolated fishing communities and harsh Atlantic landscape to explore a community struggling to preserve its way of life.

McKeown has described the show as a story about a fisherman who can no longer rely on fishing as he once did because there are fewer fish, forcing him to find other ways to make a living on the water. It is during that process that Calvin begins noticing that something unusual is happening around him.

The production also made a point of filming on location in Newfoundland and Labrador rather than relying heavily on green-screen work. The cast filmed scenes on the actual ocean, including sequences involving boats and open water.

That real-world setting gives the series a grounded quality even as the story moves into darker and more mysterious territory.

A Thriller With More Beneath the Surface

Below was created by Jesse McKeown, who also serves as an executive producer and writer. The writing team includes Karen Walton, Perry Chafe and Natty Zavitz, while Jamie Childs, Helen Shaver and Stephen Dunn directed the series.

Netflix has positioned the show as a blend of suspense, mystery and family drama, with the creature mystery tied closely to larger themes surrounding community, resilience and a disappearing way of life.

The series has already drawn attention ahead of its Netflix debut, with Sharp describing the first two episodes as gripping and praising Hartnett’s performance and Newfoundland setting.

Below consists of six episodes, with all six arriving on Netflix on October 8, 2026.

With a mysterious creature beneath the water, a community on the brink and a father desperate to protect his children, Below is setting itself up as a thriller where the biggest danger may be hiding far deeper than anyone expects.