Is Netflix's Below Any Good? Critics Weigh In on the New Josh Hartnett Horror Series

What is Below about?

Below is a six-part limited series that premiered on Netflix on Thursday, October 8, 2026, though The Hollywood Reporter noted it could potentially set up a second season if Netflix moves away from the limited series label. Created by Jesse McKeown, the story opens with a 1986 prologue in Newfoundland where a family tries to guide their house down a river on a barge during the historical Newfoundland Resettlement Program. The house sinks, the father drowns, and young Calvin witnesses a massive eye.

Forty years later, adult Calvin is a fisherman in Snook's Arm collecting floating ice chunks for a vodka company. The government is pushing to relocate the town by lowering the required relocation vote threshold from 90% to 75%, while a giant aquatic creature begins terrorizing the area during an annual family reunion weekend known as "Come Home Year." The cast features Josh Hartnett as Calvin, Mackenzie Davis as marine research scientist Fonda Howander, Charlie Heaton as Calvin's son Wade, and David Wenham as a shadowy Australian researcher named Steve.

Are the reviews positive?

Reviews for the series are mixed-to-positive, highlighted by an 87% score on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer, contrasted with a C+ grade from IndieWire's Ben Travers. Reviewers have praised the atmospheric setting, local cultural touchstones like festivals and customs filmed in St. John's, and the performances of the lead actors.

Johnny Loftus of Decider wrote that the series establishes its local flavor well, describing Charlie Heaton as "a frazzled delight as Wade, who takes too many mushrooms but is also a good dude." Similarly, Aramide Tinubu of Variety called the show "a captivating ride blending horror and suspense while centering our very real climate crisis." On the other end, Joseph Robinson of Fish Jelly Film Reviews argued that the premise had the makings of an effective 90-minute creature feature but suffered from being stretched across six parts with confusing plot points.

Why are critics divided on the pacing?

The central point of contention among reviewers is how effectively the series sustains its narrative across its six-episode runtime. Critics who enjoyed the show, such as Kaiya Shunyata of RogerEbert.com, pointed out that the interweaving of aquatic horror with family drama allowed Below to excel beyond a standard creature feature.

Conversely, critics like Simon Gallagher of ScreenRant argued that weaker plot elements and superfluous side characters were piled on to hit the six-episode requirement. Additionally, Carly Lane of Collider and Ben Travers of IndieWire noted that the series is strongest in its mysterious first half, shifting into a more straightforward family drama once the creature's origins are revealed.

What are viewers saying about the accents?

The heavy regional accents used by the cast have drawn varied reactions from critics. Daniel Feinberg of The Hollywood Reporter and Ben Travers of IndieWire defended the performances as committed and fitting for rural Newfoundland, whereas Joseph Robinson criticized them as "questionable," with other reviews comparing the dialect to a mix of Irish, Scandinavian, and Canadian inflections.