Netflix’s six-episode miniseries Below premiered this week, starring Josh Hartnett and Charlie Heaton as a father and son navigating a remote Newfoundland fishing village terrorized by an unseen threat in the iceberg-filled waters. The series, filmed on location in Snook’s Arm, Newfoundland, follows the Penney family as they relocate in 1986, only to encounter a creature that attacks their boat and claims its first victim early in the journey. Forty years later, Calvin Penney (Hartnett) operates a fishing boat collecting ice for the local drinks industry, while his father Wade (Heaton) remains haunted by the past. Their strained relationship is tested as the village faces increasing danger from the mysterious entity lurking beneath the surface.
The series has drawn comparisons to Jaws for its premise of a boat-crunching, man-eating sea creature, though creators emphasize its focus on familial drama and atmospheric tension. Hartnett and Heaton, known for their brooding performances in earlier roles, deliver emotional portrayals of a father and son grappling with trauma and unresolved conflict. Filming took place in the fishing village of Snook’s Arm, which served as the primary setting for the miniseries. The remote location, described as akin to Northern Exposure’s Cicely, Alaska but with more sea and fewer amenities, adds to the series’ isolated and eerie atmosphere.
Hartnett, 48, has cultivated a career renaissance in recent years with roles in Black Mirror, Oppenheimer, and Trap, while Heaton, 32, has diversified his post-Stranger Things portfolio with projects like Industry and the upcoming Peaky Blinders sequel. Both actors highlighted the emotional depth of their characters in interviews, noting that the script’s raw family dynamics made their performances more intuitive. Hartnett described the father-son relationship as "all on the page," requiring minimal acting beyond "feeling those things toward Charlie." Heaton added that he enjoys "trying to surprise people," including himself, with his role choices.
The miniseries is now available for streaming on Netflix, offering viewers a blend of survival thriller and character-driven drama set against the stark backdrop of 1980s Newfoundland.