The vastness of the oceans can seem daunting, and although scientists have studied what lies beneath, much remains unknown. In Netflix’s new limited series “Below,” creator Jesse McKeown introduces viewers to a small town in the Canadian province of Newfoundland, a man still haunted by his past, and a family desperate to look toward the future. Deeply intriguing and at times terrifying, “Below” is a perfectly paced thriller. The series masterfully blends genres, looking beyond the myth of sea creatures to take a critical look at human nature, especially as we continue down the heartbreaking road to an irreparable climate crisis.
“Below” opened in 1986 in Newfoundland. Nine-year-old Calvin Penney (Azriel Dalman) and his family move from Little Pot Rock to a slightly larger island, Snook’s Arm. Sitting in a boat, pulling their home behind them, the journey seems at first to go smoothly. But, after a mysterious incident, Calvin is forced to cut the cable between the boat and the house, leaving his father to drown. Forty years later, adult Calvin (Josh Hartnett) is still haunted by the event.
Although the death of his father torments him, Calvin is an affable and hardworking widower. The fishing has long dried up in Snook’s Arm, so Calvin and his son Wade (Charlie Heaton) make a living collecting ice for a local vodka brewery and running an Airbnb from their home. Calvin is especially excited to celebrate the year of coming home because his other children, Mary (Ruby Stokes) and Jay (Rohan Campbell), are back on the island for a week’s stay. Unfortunately, the visit doesn’t go as well as Calvin hoped. The brewery rejects its latest crop of ice cream 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 medicate his ADHD with alcohol and mushrooms, is involved in a horrible accident and the residents of Snook’s Cove start acting strange, Calvin and Fonda realize something is wrong in the water.
With the exception of Hartnett’s hilarious attempt at using a Newfoundland accent, “Below” is a gripping watch. McKeown offers the audience a beautiful snapshot of an eroding but tight-knit community and a man determined to save it. Although Calvin’s children and his sister Ruth (Willow Kean), who works as the harbor master of Snook’s Arms, realize there are very few resources left to cling to, Calvin persists, 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 could all be linked to his father’s accident.
With only six episodes, each lasting 45 minutes or less, “Below” is captivating because there is more than it seems. Although a horrifying sea creature is 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 Get Us All,” is particularly captivating. The episode focuses on the creature, but it also shows 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 overwhelming displays of inhumanity, which only begin to make sense in the penultimate episode, titled “Little Pot Rock”.
Ultimately, “Below” is a gripping adventure blending horror and suspense while centering our very real climate crisis. As a result, McKeown delivers a truly unique story in a well-known genre. By examining the Penney family and the place they call home, the series addresses the fragility of life, the impermanence of place, and how small we are in the universe. Additionally, the series reminds audiences that change is inevitable and the only way to deal with it is to change and adapt when it comes.
“Below” is now streaming on Netflix.
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