Updated October 13, 2026.
Netflix’s Below is the creature feature everyone is suddenly searching for, and for good reason. Josh Hartnett plays a broke Newfoundland fisherman, there is something enormous in the harbour, and a rich family seems a little too keen to see the whole town leave. Here is our spoiler-free review, the full cast, the critics’ verdict, and then (behind a clear warning) the ending explained.
Below: quick facts
| Platform | Netflix (streaming in India) |
| Release date | October 8, 2026 (all episodes at once) |
| Format | Limited series, 6 episodes |
| Genre | Horror / mystery thriller, creature feature |
| Creator & showrunner | Jesse McKeown (The Umbrella Academy writer) |
| Directors | Jamie Childs, Stephen Dunn, Helen Shaver |
| Setting | Snook’s Arm, a fishing village in Newfoundland, Canada |
| Rotten Tomatoes | 81% critics (32 reviews), 62% audience, as reported by CBR on Oct 9 |
| Season 2? | Not announced; billed as a limited series |
What is Below about? (spoiler-free)
As a boy, Calvin Penney watched the sea swallow his family’s floating house with his father still inside, and swears he saw a giant blue eye staring up at him. Decades later he is a widowed father of three, scraping by in the dying village of Snook’s Arm. Then an iceberg drifts into the harbour, boats start getting attacked, locals develop a strange and unquenchable thirst, and a resettlement vote threatens to empty the town. Calvin teams up with mainland marine biologist Fonda Howander to find out what is really down there.
Below cast
| Actor | Character |
|---|---|
| Josh Hartnett | Calvin Penney |
| Mackenzie Davis | Dr. Fonda Howander |
| Charlie Heaton | Wade Penney |
| Ruby Stokes | Mary Penney |
| Rohan Campbell | Jay Penney |
| Willow Kean | Ruth Penney |
| Natasha Henstridge | Jan |
| Kaleb Horn | Noah |
| Joshua Close | Officer Jaxon Noseworthy |
Below review: is it worth watching?
Short answer: yes, especially if you like your monster stories with a beating heart. Below works best as an atmospheric slow-burn: fog, ice, a tight-knit community and a mystery that keeps shifting shape. Hartnett is quietly excellent as a man carrying decades of guilt, and Mackenzie Davis gives the show its spark. Critics have been broadly positive (81% on Rotten Tomatoes per CBR), with TheWrap calling it a “flawed but fun monster drama” whose finale “delivers on character even if it abandons a bit of its plot.” Audiences are more split (62%), mostly because this is more family drama and eco-thriller than wall-to-wall creature carnage.
- Watch it if you liked Jaws-style small-town dread, Midnight Mass or Stranger Things-style family-vs-monster stories.
- Skip it if you want non-stop action; the first half takes its time.
- Binge time: six episodes, an easy weekend watch.
▶ See Below on Netflix Tudum | Looking for more? See our top 10 series to watch on OTT this October.
Below ending explained (major spoilers)
Spoiler warning: everything below this line reveals the finale. Based on Netflix Tudum’s official explainer and interviews with creator Jesse McKeown.
What is the creature?
A highly intelligent deep-water cephalopod that the islanders call “Mudder.” The “sickness” in town is not supernatural: her mucus spread into melting icebergs and the water supply, triggering the thirst that draws prey to the sea. Climate change and melting ice pushed her into Snook’s Arm.
Who is the real villain?
The Crockers. Calvin finds an old mining permit showing the wealthy family pushed people off Little Pot Rock to get at cobalt and copper that run under the sea into Snook’s Arm. The resettlement vote is the same play again, and Jan, who runs the vote, turns out to be Jim Crocker’s daughter.
What happens to Mudder?
With the town evacuated and the military (pushed by Jim Crocker) preparing an air strike, Fonda discovers Mudder’s egg sac is stuck in the iceberg; she is a mother protecting her young, not a monster. The Penneys stay behind: Mary and Wade shoot the iceberg into smaller pieces and Calvin nets the chunk holding the eggs and tows it to deeper water, then cuts the line, mirroring the opening scene. Sadly, Fonda later explains the water was too warm for the babies to survive, “and it’s just getting warmer.”
How does it end for Calvin and Snook’s Arm?
The resettlement vote is thrown out, the locals return, the Crocker name comes off the storefronts and the Penneys open the Big Squid Distillery, though the Crockers are pushing for another vote. Calvin and Fonda share a hint of romance. In the final seconds, several more icebergs crest the water. McKeown told TIME it is “not a cliffhanger” so much as a warning about what climate change has coming for us.
Will there be a Below Season 2?
Nothing is announced. Below is billed as a limited series and, per Decider, Hartnett has said there are no plans for a second season, though the producers told TV Insider they left the door open.
FAQs
Where can I watch Below in India?
Below is streaming on Netflix in India and worldwide. All six episodes released on October 8, 2026.
How many episodes does Below have?
Six. It is a limited series created by Jesse McKeown.
Who stars in Below?
Josh Hartnett (Calvin Penney), Mackenzie Davis (Fonda Howander) and Charlie Heaton (Wade Penney), with Ruby Stokes, Rohan Campbell, Willow Kean and Natasha Henstridge.
Is Below worth watching?
Yes, if you enjoy atmospheric, character-driven horror. It holds 81% with critics on Rotten Tomatoes (per CBR), though audiences are more mixed at 62%.
Will there be a Below Season 2?
No second season has been announced; it is billed as a limited series.
Final verdict
Below is not a perfect show, but it is a memorable one: a moody, surprisingly emotional creature feature with something to say about greed and a warming planet. Give it a weekend. Then browse our October 2026 OTT top 10 for what to watch next.
Sources: Netflix Tudum (official ending explainer), CBR, Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic, TheWrap, TIME, Decider, TV Insider, Screen Rant; image via TMDB.
