Below is the latest mystery to unfold over on Netflix, and as a massive creature feature fan, this was a series I was beyond excited for, especially because the threat this time comes from the ocean. There’s something about aquatic horror that has always fascinated me. The idea that we can look out across this seemingly endless body of water without knowing what might be lurking beneath the surface is both terrifying and exciting. It’s one of the reasons I’ve always gravitated toward stories about creatures hiding in the depths, and Below immediately had my attention.
Created by Jesse McKeown, Below is a six-episode limited series that takes us to the remote Canadian fishing community of Snook’s Arm, Newfoundland. What begins as a mystery surrounding strange occurrences in the ocean quickly becomes something much larger, weaving together family trauma, a struggling community, and a terrifying threat that could change everything for the people who call this place home.
The series opens in 1986, where a young Calvin Penney (Azriel Dalman) is traveling with his family from Little Pot Rock to Snook’s Arm. In a rather unusual sight, the family is transporting their entire house across the water, towing it behind their boat as they prepare to begin a new chapter. However, their journey turns into a nightmare when a mysterious incident forces Calvin to sever the line connecting their boat to the house, leaving his father behind to die.
Nearly four decades later, Calvin (Josh Hartnett) is still haunted by that day. Now a widower and father of three, he’s doing everything he can to maintain a life in a community that has seen better days. With the fishing industry having largely disappeared, Calvin and his son Wade (Charlie Heaton) make a living harvesting iceberg ice for a local vodka distillery while also renting out rooms in their home.
Things take a turn when Calvin’s latest ice delivery is rejected because of an inexplicable odor, leading him to Dr. Fonda Howander (Mackenzie Davis), a marine scientist working at the local research center. Meanwhile, his other children, Mary (Ruby Stokes) and Jay (Rohan Campbell), have returned home for the town’s Come Home Year celebrations. As increasingly bizarre events begin unfolding around Snook’s Arm, including a horrifying accident involving Wade, Calvin and Fonda begin investigating what might be happening beneath the water. But the deeper they dig, the more Calvin begins to suspect that whatever is happening now may be connected to the tragedy that claimed his father’s life.
A Town Fighting to Stay Alive
One of the most interesting elements of Below is that the series isn’t simply concerned with whatever might be hiding beneath the ocean. There’s an entire community at the center of this story, one that has spent generations depending on the sea for survival and is now facing the possibility that its way of life may be coming to an end. Fishing once provided the backbone of Snook’s Arm, but those days are largely gone, and the younger generation is beginning to question whether there’s anything left for them to build a future around.
Calvin, however, refuses to let go. For him, Snook’s Arm isn’t simply where he lives. It’s his home, his family’s history, and one of the few things he still has left to hold on to. That determination creates tension with his children and his sister Ruth (Willow Kean), who recognize that the town may no longer be capable of supporting the people who have spent their lives there. There’s something heartbreaking about watching a community slowly disappear, especially when the people fighting hardest to preserve it are also the ones struggling to accept that change may be inevitable.
It’s also where Below introduces some of its larger ideas about our relationship with the natural world. Environmental changes, human desperation, and the consequences of refusing to adapt all become part of the larger mystery. The ocean has always been both a source of life and a source of danger, and the series explores what happens when that delicate relationship begins to shift, giving the story something meaningful to explore beyond the creature itself.
A Family Worth Fighting For
While the creature and the mysteries surrounding Snook’s Arm are undoubtedly a huge part of what makes Below so intriguing, it’s the human element that gives the series its heart. At the center of everything is Calvin Penney, a man still haunted by the death of his father nearly four decades earlier and desperately trying to hold on to the family and community he loves. As the strange occurrences surrounding the island begin escalating, Calvin finds himself fighting not only to uncover the truth but also to protect the people who mean everything to him.
What I particularly appreciated was how much the series made me care about each member of the Penney family. Rather than simply introducing characters to throw into increasingly dangerous situations, Below takes the time to establish their relationships, struggles, and complicated history. They don’t always see eye to eye, and there’s plenty of tension beneath the surface long before the creature begins wreaking havoc. But those imperfections make them feel like an actual family, and as the chaos unfolds, I found myself genuinely rooting for every single one of them to make it out alive.
That’s something I think the best creature features understand. You can have the coolest monster imaginable, but if you don’t care about the people running from it, the spectacle can only take you so far. Thankfully, Below gives us both. The family dynamics add real emotional weight to the horror, making every dangerous encounter that much more nerve-racking because I actually cared about who might survive. Josh Hartnett anchors the story as Calvin, while Mackenzie Davis’s Fonda offers a scientific perspective on the increasingly inexplicable events. Together with the supporting cast, they help ground a story that could have easily become overwhelmed by its larger-than-life premise.
That said, one area where Below occasionally stumbles is with some of the accents. Given how important Newfoundland and its community are to the story, there are moments when the accents don’t quite land, occasionally pulling me out of the experience. It’s noticeable enough to be distracting at times, especially when the series is trying to immerse you in this very specific world. Thankfully, it’s never enough to derail the adventure or take away from the performances and mystery that make Below such an entertaining ride.
The Horror of What Lurks Beneath
As someone who absolutely loves aquatic creature features, the biggest thing I was looking forward to with Below was the creature itself, and thankfully, the reveal was everything I had hoped for. While the creature wasn’t quite as massive or terrifying as I initially imagined, the direction the series takes with its central mystery was exactly what I wanted. Rather than simply introducing some enormous monster and letting chaos unfold, Below finds a fascinating way to ground its threat in something that feels surprisingly plausible, making the mystery all the more intriguing.
What I particularly loved was how the series took its time revealing what was lurking beneath the surface. Instead of showing us everything right away, Below offers glimpses here and there, allowing the tension to build as we slowly begin to understand what these characters are dealing with. There’s something incredibly effective about knowing a creature is out there without fully understanding its size, appearance, or capabilities. It plays into everything that makes aquatic horror so terrifying in the first place, especially when the characters are surrounded by freezing water with absolutely no idea what might be waiting beneath them.
And when the creature is finally unleashed, all hell breaks loose. The chaos that follows is incredibly satisfying, delivering the kind of creature-feature spectacle I was hoping for after spending so much time wondering what exactly was hiding in the depths. While I certainly wouldn’t have complained if the threat were a little bigger and more terrifying, watching everything finally erupt was an absolute blast. The series knows how to make those moments count, and the payoff makes all that anticipation worth it.
But what makes the creature particularly fascinating is that it’s not simply some mindless monster attacking anything that moves. There’s a reason behind its actions, and as the mystery unfolds, you begin to understand that there’s far more happening than initially meets the eye. Without spoiling anything, I’ll just say that Below has some genuinely fascinating surprises up its sleeve, and discovering those secrets is part of what makes the experience so rewarding. Trust me, the less you know going in, the better.
A Mystery That Keeps You Hooked
One of the biggest strengths of Below is its pacing. What makes that especially impressive is how much the series manages to juggle without losing momentum. Between the increasingly bizarre events surrounding Snook’s Arm, the complicated relationships within the Penney family, and the mystery of what’s lurking beneath the water, there’s a lot happening here. For the most part, these elements work together beautifully, with the human drama making the horror more effective and each new discovery raising the stakes for everyone involved.
That said, not every storyline is handled quite as successfully. There are a couple of side plots that could have been better integrated into the larger narrative, with certain developments feeling like they haven’t been entirely earned or don’t quite make sense within the story being told. It’s not enough to derail the central mystery or diminish how invested I was in the characters, but these moments do stand out in a series that otherwise does such a great job of connecting its various moving pieces.
Still, there’s something refreshing about a series that understands how much time it needs to tell its story. So often, mysteries like this can become bogged down by unnecessary detours or spend far too long withholding information in an attempt to stretch out the suspense. Below largely avoids that problem by making each episode feel like an important piece of the larger puzzle. Just when you think you’re beginning to understand what’s happening, another discovery changes how you look at everything, making it incredibly difficult not to immediately jump into the next episode.
Final Thoughts
By the time Below reached its finale, I was completely invested in the mystery, the characters, and everything unfolding beneath the waters of Snook’s Arm. Thankfully, the ending absolutely delivered. After spending six episodes uncovering the secrets surrounding this community and the threat lurking offshore, I walked away incredibly satisfied with how everything came together. But perhaps the biggest compliment I can give the series is that even after the credits rolled, I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to this world.
There’s something so fascinating about the mythology Below establishes, and I can’t help but feel like we’ve only scratched the surface of what this town and the surrounding ocean have to offer. While the series tells a satisfying story across its six episodes, I would absolutely love to see Netflix revisit Snook’s Arm if the show performs well. There are still so many possibilities for exploring the mysteries hidden beneath these waters, and I’d happily dive back in for another season.
As someone who loves aquatic horror and creature features, Below delivered much of what I was hoping for. From its satisfying creature reveal and thrilling encounters to the emotional family story at its center, this is a series that understands the importance of giving audiences both a monster worth fearing and characters worth caring about. While I wouldn’t have complained about a bigger, more terrifying creature, the mystery, excellent pacing, and satisfying finale make this one hell of an entertaining ride. If you’re a fan of creature features, oceanic horror, or a good mystery, Below is absolutely worth diving into.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Seths
Below is now streaming on Netflix.
