Josh Hartnett's latest Netflix thriller is making waves for more than the creature lurking beneath its icy waters. MovieWeb reports that Below has overtaken Florence Pugh's East of Eden on Netflix's streaming chart, while its Newfoundland accents have sparked a separate conversation among viewers. The ranking is a reported chart snapshot, rather than confirmation of a worldwide weekly No. 1.
Released October 8, the six-episode limited series follows Calvin Penney, a fisherman fighting to protect his family and a coastal community threatened by a mysterious sea creature. Created by Jesse McKeown, whose credits include The Umbrella Academy and 19-2, the series pairs supernatural danger with a town's struggle to preserve its disappearing way of life.
Hartnett leads an ensemble that includes Mackenzie Davis and Stranger Things star Charlie Heaton. Davis plays marine biologist Fonda Howander, while Heaton portrays Calvin's son Wade, bringing family tensions into a story where the threat offshore is only part of the trouble. Netflix's cast guide confirms that the production filmed on location in Newfoundland, drawing on McKeown's experience of the Canadian province.
That regional identity has also become a talking point. Some viewers have mocked the attempted Newfoundland accents, with Hartnett's delivery attracting particular criticism. The reaction raises an awkward question for a series so invested in its setting: does the dialogue help audiences believe in the community, or distract them from the danger?
The critical response is more varied than a simple declaration that everyone loves it. Rotten Tomatoes has published a first-reviews roundup describing Below as a monster horror worth watching, while The Financial Times calls it watchable and distinctive despite similarities to Apple's Widow's Bay. The Daily Beast, however, argues that its monster-movie premise lacks depth.
Behind the creature feature is an attempt to tell a story about community survival. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Hartnett and McKeown discussed the show's roots in local legends and older genre filmmaking, with influences including Steven Spielberg and John Carpenter. Hartnett, who also serves as an executive producer, was drawn to its interest in ordinary people defending their community.
All six episodes are now streaming, giving viewers the chance to decide whether the suspense outweighs the accent debate. With a recognizable cast, a remote coastal setting and an underwater mystery, Below has the ingredients for a Halloween-season binge-and enough disagreement around it to keep the conversation going after the credits.
