A quiet Newfoundland fishing community becomes the target of a mysterious sea creature in Below, Netflix’s new six-part thriller starring Josh Hartnett, Charlie Heaton and Mackenzie Davis.
Set against the rugged backdrop of Newfoundland, the series follows a fisherman forced to confront a threat from the ocean while trying to protect his family and keep his close-knit community together. Netflix has confirmed that all six episodes will arrive on 8 October 2026.
Hartnett leads the series as Calvin Penney, a stubborn but big-hearted fisherman whose troubled past makes the creature’s arrival particularly difficult to face. The actor is joined by Stranger Things star Charlie Heaton and Mackenzie Davis, who plays a marine researcher drawn into the mystery.
What is Below about?
Calvin Penney has spent years living with the consequences of his father’s mysterious death. He is also a single father of three, deeply attached to his family and the small Newfoundland community he calls home.
That fragile sense of stability is shattered when an unidentified creature begins terrorising the village.
As strange events spread and the locals descend into chaos, Calvin’s son Wade begins experiencing frightening new symptoms. With his family increasingly at risk, Calvin teams up with Fonda Howander, a visiting marine researcher played by Mackenzie Davis, to find out what is happening beneath the water.
Their investigation takes them deeper into the island’s buried secrets as they attempt to understand the creature and stop the threat before it is too late.
Netflix describes the series as a mix of local myth, suspense and heartfelt humour, with family, community and change at its centre.
The six-episode format also gives the story room to explore the wider community rather than focusing solely on a battle between one fisherman and a monster. Creator Jesse McKeown has described the project as a creature feature told on the scale of a limited series, allowing the story to develop its characters and unexpected turns over six episodes.
A Newfoundland setting is central to the story
Below was filmed in Newfoundland, Canada, making the region’s remote coastal landscape an important part of the series.
The production also went out onto the actual ocean rather than relying entirely on green-screen work. Charlie Heaton has spoken about filming on the water and working with the Coast Guard, while the cast and crew used the local setting to give the series a stronger sense of place.
That authenticity extends to the performances. Hartnett worked on the regional accent by listening to a local radio station featuring fishermen discussing their trade, while Heaton spent time around St. John’s to become more familiar with the culture and community.
The setting also plays into the show’s atmosphere. Below places its supernatural mystery in a community already accustomed to harsh weather, maritime disasters and the difficulties of life in an isolated coastal environment.
Who stars in Below?
Josh Hartnett takes the lead as Calvin Penney. The actor is known for films and series including Pearl Harbor, Penny Dreadful and Trap, and Below gives him another role that combines family drama with darker thriller elements.
He stars alongside:
- 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 Netflix cast also includes Natasha Henstridge and Mary Walsh.
Josh Hartnett as Calvin Penney
At the heart of the series is Calvin, a fisherman carrying decades of grief while trying to hold his family together.
His relationship with Wade is especially important. Wade is the only one of Calvin’s children who has remained at home rather than leaving for opportunities on the mainland, leaving father and son closely bound to one another. Their complicated relationship becomes even more difficult as the strange events surrounding the town begin to affect Wade.
Mackenzie Davis as Fonda Howander
Davis plays Fonda, the marine researcher who becomes Calvin’s partner in investigating the creature.
The pairing gives the story its investigative element as the two attempt to make sense of events that appear to have both scientific and supernatural dimensions. Davis has described the dynamic between Fonda and Calvin as having the feel of two unlikely partners working together to solve a mystery.
Charlie Heaton as Wade Penney
Heaton plays Calvin’s son Wade, whose increasingly disturbing symptoms add another layer of danger to the story.
Best known for Stranger Things, Heaton is part of a younger cast that also includes Ruby Stokes, Rohan Campbell, Willow Kean and Kaleb Horn.
When is Below coming to Netflix?
There won’t be a long wait once the series arrives. All six episodes of Below will be released on Netflix on 8 October 2026.
With Josh Hartnett leading a story about a remote Newfoundland community, a troubled father, a marine researcher and an unexplained creature lurking beneath the water, Below is shaping up as a thriller built around both supernatural suspense and the bonds holding a community together.
