Josh Hartnett Battles a Terrifying Sea Creature in Netflix’s ‘Below’: Trailer

Josh Hartnett is heading into dangerous waters, and the latest Netflix trailer for Below makes one thing clear: whatever is lurking beneath Newfoundland’s ocean is not something anyone wants to meet.

The six-episode thriller puts Hartnett at the center of a terrifying mystery involving an unidentified sea creature, a struggling fishing community, and secrets buried for decades. With Mackenzie Davis and Charlie Heaton joining Hartnett, Below is shaping up as one of Netflix’s more intriguing new mystery thrillers.

The limited series premieres globally on Netflix on October 8, 2026.

Watch the ‘Below’ Trailer: Something Is Dragging People Into the Deep

The newly released ‘Below’ trailer wastes little time creating an atmosphere of dread. A house being towed across the water is suddenly pulled beneath the surface, turning an already isolated Newfoundland community into the hunting ground for an unknown threat.

Hartnett’s character delivers the warning: “Stay away from the water.”

But staying away may not be an option.

The trailer of Josh Hartnett’s Below teases stormy seas, underwater investigations, frightened residents and a community struggling to understand what is attacking them. The mystery appears to stretch far beyond a conventional monster story, with the creature potentially connected to long-hidden secrets surrounding the town.

Creator Jesse McKeown, known for The Umbrella Academy and 19-2, developed the series around Newfoundland’s rugged landscape and close-knit communities.

What Is ‘Below’ About?

Below follows Calvin Penney, played by Hartnett, a stubborn but compassionate fisherman living in the small Newfoundland community of Snooks Arm.

Calvin is already carrying years of emotional baggage. His father’s mysterious death has haunted him for decades, while his own family life has become increasingly fractured.

Everything changes when an unidentified sea creature begins terrorizing the town.

With his son Wade Penney, played by Charlie Heaton, and the wider community in danger, Calvin teams up with Fonda Howander, a visiting marine researcher played by Mackenzie Davis.

Together, they try to understand the creature and uncover the island’s buried history before the threat destroys their way of life.

Netflix describes the series as a combination of local mythology, suspense, and heartfelt humor, with its larger story exploring family, community, resilience, and inevitable change.

Josh Hartnett Leads a Strong ‘Below’ Cast

Josh Hartnett plays Calvin Penney, a single father of three struggling to keep his family together while confronting an increasingly deadly threat.

The actor, whose credits include Oppenheimer, Trap, Pearl Harbor, Black Hawk Down and Penny Dreadful, has said he was immediately drawn to the script.

The main cast also includes Mackenzie Davis as Fonda Howander and Charlie Heaton as Wade Penney.

The ensemble features Willow Kean as Ruth Penney, Ruby Stokes as Mary Penney, Rohan Campbell as Jay Penney and Kaleb Horn as Noah.

Karen Walton, Perry Chafe, and Natty Zavitz wrote the series. Jamie Childs, Helen Shaver and Stephen Dunn directed episodes.

Why Newfoundland Is So Important to the Story

Newfoundland is more than a backdrop in Below. The isolated coastal environment is central to the show’s atmosphere and story.

McKeown has described Newfoundland as a place that combines a rugged, dangerous landscape with warm, eccentric communities. That contrast appears to drive the series: a tight-knit town suddenly facing something it cannot explain or control.

The production was filmed in Newfoundland, Canada, allowing the series to use its rocky coastlines, fishing communities and vast waters to create an unsettling sense of isolation.

The result is a setting where help can feel impossibly far away—and the ocean itself becomes the biggest source of fear.

‘Below’ Release Date: When Can You Watch It?

Netflix will release all six episodes of Below worldwide on October 8, 2026.

The series is also set for a world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival before its global Netflix debut.

With Josh Hartnett leading a supernatural mystery, Mackenzie Davis bringing a scientific perspective and Charlie Heaton caught in the middle of a family crisis, Below could become Netflix’s next major thriller obsession.

And if the trailer is any indication, the real question isn’t what is beneath the water.

It’s how long the people of Newfoundland can survive once it comes looking for them.