Netflix's new six-episode thriller Below is winning over audiences with its dark small-town atmosphere and monster-mystery premise. The show, set in a remote fishing community in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, has viewers racing through the season and asking for more.
A Gripping Premise With Coastal Dread
Below is a family drama and monster thriller that follows a fisherman and a marine biologist who team up to protect their community and uncover dark secrets lurking in the deep water, according to Netflix's official synopsis. Josh Hartnett stars as Calvin Penney, a widowed fisherman and father of three tormented by the mysterious circumstances of his father's death. Charlie Heaton, known for Stranger Things, plays his restless son Wade.
Calvin joins forces with a marine researcher, played by Mackenzie Davis, to confront the creature and reveal the island's buried secrets. The show's opening scene, featuring a house being towed across the water, immediately hooked audiences.
Viewer Reactions and Critical Consensus
Critics' consensus on Rotten Tomatoes reads: "Below features the classic tropes of better creature features but uses its limited time wisely, ensuring all who dive in come out the other end thoroughly thrilled."
One viewer wrote: "I was so hooked by the opening scene, the grey atmosphere, the visual of a house being towed across the water, the sound of the engine, the creaking house, the tension building... absolute perfection. Loved every minute of that first episode." They added a caveat about the ending, saying it felt like a rewrite, but noted they would watch a second season.
Some viewers felt the storyline lost its way midway. One commented: "Like other people here said, it started out pretty good and after episode three got completely lost." Another praised the show: "Kept us entertained all the way through. A bit of silly stuff - it is about a giant squid, after all. But everything about it was just done so well... Characters, location and story really well done. Very [strong] sense of place. More of this kind of show please."
Where to Watch Below
All six episodes of Below are available to stream on Netflix, having debuted on October 8. Viewers need a Netflix subscription, with prices starting from £7.99 per month. In a Reddit thread, one user recommended the show, saying they binged the whole thing in a weekend, with another responding they had just binged it and really enjoyed it.
