Netflix's new mystery thriller Below, starring Josh Hartnett, has viewers hooked, with many spending their entire weekend binge-watching all six episodes. The show, set in a remote Canadian fishing village, combines an atmospheric small town with dark secrets and a protagonist haunted by his past.
A Quick, Atmospheric Thriller
Below is a family drama and twisty thriller filmed in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Netflix's series description reads: "A fisherman and a marine biologist team up to protect their community and uncover dark secrets lurking in the deep water."
Josh Hartnett plays Calvin Penney, a fisherman and widowed father of three still haunted by his father's mysterious death. Charlie Heaton, known for Stranger Things, plays his restless son Wade. Calvin teams up with a marine researcher, played by Mackenzie Davis, to "confront the creature and reveal the island’s buried secrets before it’s too late."
Viewer Reactions
Per Rotten Tomatoes, the general consensus from critics is: "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."
Viewers say they were hooked from the first episode by the show's premise and atmosphere. One Netflix subscriber on Reddit suggested: "Below. It's new and a one season series. I binged the whole thing in a weekend." Another replied: "I just binged this yesterday day. Really enjoyed it."
A viewer wrote on Rotten Tomatoes: "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. The ending didn’t work for me. It’s like it was a rewrite or they flat out had no idea how to land the plane, so to speak. That said, I’d watch a second season. Such a unique part of the World."
Mixed Opinions on the Ending
On the other hand, some viewers have complained that the story goes off the rails halfway through. As one said: "Like other people here said, it started out pretty good and after episode three got completely lost."
A different viewer weighed in, saying: "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, we [easily] overlooked that. Characters, location and story really well done. Very [strong] sense of place. More of this kind of show please."
"I wish it ended as well as it started, but overall a fun watch and good to see Josh back in the game," noted another.
Where to Watch
All six episodes of Below are available to watch on Netflix after premiering on the platform on October 8. A Netflix subscription, which starts from £7.99 monthly, is required to watch.
