The Real Newfoundland Towns Behind Netflix’s ‘Below’ Will Have You Eyeing Flights to the Rock

Netflix’s new sea creature thriller ‘Below‘ wastes no time convincing viewers that its fishing community is a real, windswept place. The six part limited series arrived globally on October 8 with all episodes available at once, and one question has dominated search bars ever since. Where was ‘Below’ actually shot?

The answer is refreshingly simple. The series was filmed in Newfoundland, Canada, and the production leaned hard into that setting. Here is a closer look at the coastal communities that stood in for the show’s fictional home of Snook’s Arm.

‘Below’ Filming Locations Across the Avalon Peninsula

The series used locations across the Avalon Peninsula and further north, with places such as Brigus South, Harbour Main, Conception Harbour and Pouch Cove helping build its bleak maritime world. That spread of small communities gives the show its sense of a coastline where everything feels a long way from help.

Major scenes were shot in coastal spots including Conception Harbour, Brigus South and Bacon Cove. Another report adds that the show filmed partly on the Southern Shore in Bay Bulls and Brigus South. Taken together, the picture is a production that moved between several fishing communities rather than camping in a single village.

There is a caveat for location hunters. Not every exact filming spot was publicly identified during production, so some of the show’s most atmospheric corners remain a bit of a mystery. That is pretty standard when a crew is working in small towns and wants to keep curious visitors out of the shot.

Brigus South Becomes Snook’s Arm

If one place deserves the headline, it is Brigus South. The Newfoundland fishing community was transformed into the fictional town of Snook’s Arm, which is where Josh Hartnett’s fisherman Calvin Penney tries to hold his family together.

That setting matters because the town is practically a character in the story. Calvin is a stubborn but kind hearted local fisherman who has spent decades haunted by the mysterious death of his father, and the rugged shoreline gives that grief somewhere to live. When a creature starts terrorising the harbour, the cliffs and open water make the threat feel unavoidable.

The show’s visuals have drawn plenty of attention too. One preview describes the table top peaks and fjords surrounding the rivers where Calvin makes his living. Anyone who has watched the trailer will know the scenery does a lot of the heavy lifting.

Why the Series Was Filmed Entirely on Location

The decision to stay in Newfoundland was no accident. The production aimed for realism by filming entirely on location instead of relying heavily on green screens or sound stages, and the crew also used practical effects to create the series’ eerie atmosphere.

Creator Jesse McKeown has a personal connection to the province. He told Netflix Tudum that he has been coming to Newfoundland for many years and it has become part of his life. He has also lived on and off in Newfoundland and Labrador, his wife’s home province, for 18 years, which helps explain why the series feels so rooted in its surroundings.

Cast members felt it too. Rohan Campbell, who plays Jay Penney, told NOW Toronto the show captures the province in every scene and that it had to be Newfoundland. That sort of local pride is rare for a creature feature.

Filming in Newfoundland Left a Mark on the Cast

The shoot was a long one. Filming ran from July 3 to October 12 in the St. John’s area, and St. John’s also served as the practical starting point for maritime filming, with local water safety support and Coast Guard involvement. Shooting around real boats and real water is never simple.

Off camera, the ensemble bonded over local traditions. Campbell said the cast got Screeched in together, a Newfoundland rite of passage, and spent time together outside of filming. Hartnett appears to have been equally taken with the place, and he said people kept inviting him to experience different parts of the province, including a lobster boil with co star Larry Barry.

The production also drew local support. Laura Churchill, chief executive officer of Picture NL, said the province has long been home to incredible stories and the team was thrilled to see Netflix bring this new series to life there. For fans of the show, that makes a Newfoundland road trip feel like the natural next step.

If you could stand in one spot from ‘Below’, would you pick the fishing streets of Brigus South that became Snook’s Arm or another corner of the Avalon coast where the creature’s terror takes hold?