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‘Below’ Reviews Are In: Josh Hartnett’s Netflix Sea Monster Series Splits Critics and Viewers

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Few settings are as reliably creepy as the open ocean. It’s vast, dark and full of things nobody has seen, which is exactly why creature features keep returning to it. Netflix has now taken its own dive with a small-town monster story set on the Newfoundland coast.

The streamer is also betting on star power. Josh Hartnett has been in the middle of a busy run of comeback roles, and a six-episode limited series built around a fisherman and a mystery in the water looked like a natural fit for a binge-friendly October release. Expectations were high, particularly after comparisons to other recent coastal mysteries.

Now the first reviews of ‘Below‘ are here, and the reaction is more divided than the marketing might have suggested. The series arrived on Netflix on October 8 with all six episodes at once, and it currently sits at 80% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 10 critic reviews. That score is likely to shift as more reviews come in, but the early takes point to a show people enjoy more as a weekend watch than as a lasting classic.

The series comes from creator and showrunner Jesse McKeown, a writer on ‘The Umbrella Academy’ and ’19-2′. Hartnett plays Calvin Penney, a big-hearted but stubborn fisherman in the small Newfoundland town of Snooks Arm who is still haunted by his father’s mysterious death decades earlier. When an unidentified sea creature starts terrorizing the community, he has to hold his family and neighbors together.

Mackenzie Davis co-stars as Fonda Howander, a visiting marine researcher who teams up with Calvin, while Charlie Heaton plays his son Wade. The supporting cast includes Ruby Stokes, Rohan Campbell, Natasha Henstridge, Willow Kean and Kaleb Horn. The series was filmed in Newfoundland itself.

The strongest praise has come from reviewers who enjoy the show’s layered approach. Original Cin gave it an A, singling out its family lore and local legends and noting that revelations arrive in nearly every episode and push the story into more disturbing territory. Collider’s review landed at 7 out of 10, concluding that viewers may not feel the need to return afterward but won’t regret spending a weekend with it.

Others were more lukewarm. But Why Tho? gave it 6.5 out of 10, saying the series drifts into choppy waters before pulling itself back on course for a bittersweet finish. Screen Rant’s review scored it 5 out of 10, arguing that the show simply has too much story and that it never quite finds its balance among its influences, which range from Stephen King to South Korean monster movies and ‘Stranger Things’.

The harshest takes came from The Daily Beast, which called it a thin washout that starts strongly and then sinks despite Hartnett’s performance. The Spanish outlet mundoCine gave it 2.5 out of 5, calling the memorable opening scene a reminder of what the show could have been. JoBlo similarly found it bland, even while naming Hartnett the standout.

If there is one point of agreement, it’s that the lead performance works. IGN’s review said Hartnett is great but that the series can’t sustain its compelling premise. Screen Rant also described his take on the town’s chief as likable, comparing the setup to a modern-day answer to ‘Jaws’.

The accents are another matter. Some viewers praised the cast’s commitment to a Newfoundland sound, while JoBlo felt Hartnett’s attempt fell short, and Screen Rant questioned Heaton’s choice of a more conventional Irish accent for his character. It’s the kind of detail that can pull some audiences out of the story.

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Reactions from early viewers are similarly mixed but mostly positive. Several called it a decent, easy watch, enjoying the creepy atmosphere and the cast while feeling that the story loses momentum toward the end. One described it as chilling but deeply flawed, saying the series struggles to juggle all of its themes and doesn’t give each storyline a proper conclusion.

Others were far more enthusiastic. One viewer gave it an 8 out of 10, saying it felt like a mix of ‘Jaws’, ‘Free Willy’, ‘Jurassic World’ and ‘Widow’s Bay’, and that six episodes weren’t nearly enough. Another review praised the way dramatic tension, family dynamics and a dash of sci-fi pull viewers into the mystery quickly, calling it a binge-worthy tone that suits the short run.

Taken together, the response suggests ‘Below’ works best as a short, atmospheric creature feature rather than a prestige-level event. The setting, the cast and the sense of dread earn consistent praise, while the pacing and the overstuffed plot draw most of the complaints. For a six-episode limited series released just ahead of Halloween, that may be enough to keep audiences watching.

With only a handful of reviews in so far, the final critical picture is still developing. For now, the show seems to be exactly what its trailers promised, a monster mystery that’s more fun than perfect.

How would you rate Josh Hartnett’s new sea monster series after the early reviews?

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