The oceans’ vastness can feel ominous, and though scientists have studied what lurks beneath, so much remains unknown. In Netflix’s new limited series “Below,” creator Jesse McKeown introduces viewers to a tiny town in the Canadian province of Newfoundland, a man still haunted by his past and a family desperate to look ahead toward the future. Deeply intriguing and at times terrifying, “Below” is a perfectly paced thriller. The series masterfully blends genres, looking beyond the mythos of sea creatures to take a hard look at human nature, especially as we continue down the harrowing road of an irreparable climate crisis.
“Below” opens in 1986 in Newfoundland. Nine-year-old Calvin Penney (Azriel Dalman) and his family are relocating from Little Pot Rock to a slightly larger island, Snook’s Arm. Sitting in a boat, tugging their house behind them, the journey initially appears to be going smoothly. But, after a mysterious incident, Calvin is forced to cut the tow between the boat and the house, leaving his father to drown. Forty years later, adult Calvin (Josh Hartnett) is still haunted by the event.
Though his father’s death torments him, Calvin is an affable, hardworking widower. Fishing has long dried up in Snook’s Arm, so Calvin and his son Wade (Charlie Heaton) make a living by collecting ice for a local vodka brewery and running an Airbnb out of their home. Calvin is especially pleased to celebrate Come Home Year because his other children, Mary (Ruby Stokes) and Jay (Rohan Campbell), are back to the island for a week-long stay. Unfortunately, the visit doesn’t go as smoothly as Calvin expects. The brewery rejects his latest ice haul due to its stench, which leads him to Dr. Fonda Howander (Mackenzie Davis), who runs the local science center. Soon, after Wade, who loves to self-medicate his ADHD with alcohol and mushrooms, is involved in a horrific accident, and Snook’s Cove residents begin acting oddly, Calvin and Fonda realize something is amiss in the water.
Save for Hartnett’s hilarious attempt at a Newfoundland accent, “Below” is a gripping watch. McKeown offers audiences a beautiful snapshot of an eroding but close-knit community and a man determined to save it. Though Calvin’s children and sister Ruth (Willow Kean), who works as Snook’s Arms Harbor Master, realize there are very few resources left to hold on to, Calvin digs in his heels, determined to find a way forward. As the town and its residents descend into chaos after a massive iceberg emerges from the water, Calvin realizes it might all be connected to his father’s accident.
At just six episodes, each running 45 minutes or less, “Below” is engrossing because it’s more than it appears. Although a horrifying sea creature sits at the center of the show, this story is about a man desperate to cling to a decaying past, a grieving family and how greed can create monsters. Episode 4, “The Ocean Will Have Us All,” is particularly riveting. The episode centers around the creature, but it also showcases how far people are willing to go and who they will sacrifice — no matter the cost — for their own selfish gains. The final minutes of the episode show some gutting displays of inhumanity, which only begin to make sense in the penultimate episode, titled “Little Pot Rock.”
In the end, “Below” is a captivating ride blending horror and suspense while centering our very real climate crisis. As a result, McKeown delivers a truly unique story in a well-worn genre. By examining the Penney family and the place they call home, the show addresses the fragility of life, the impermanence of place and how small we are in the universe. Moreover, the series reminds audiences that change is inevitable, and the only way to deal with it is to shift and adjust when it comes.
“Below” is now streaming on Netflix.