Below Review: Netflix’s Monster Mystery Drowns in Twists
Netflix’s Below starts with the ingredients of a gripping supernatural mystery, but Josh Hartnett’s new horror series quickly becomes something far more complicated. What begins as an atmospheric monster story gradually transforms into an ambitious exploration of corporate greed, ecological destruction, and generational trauma.
Created by Jesse McKeown, the six-part Netflix series stars Hartnett as Calvin Penny, a widowed fisherman living in a coastal community where fishing has been prohibited. With the town struggling to survive and residents considering relocation offers, an unsettling supernatural mystery begins taking shape.
The early episodes of Below evoke classic Stephen King storytelling, David Lynch’s unsettling atmosphere, and the monster-of-the-week mysteries of The X-Files. For audiences looking for another Stranger Things-style supernatural thriller, the premise certainly has potential.
But Below’s biggest weakness is its inability to maintain focus.
As new mysteries, unexpected horror sequences, and increasingly ambitious themes pile up, the compelling central story becomes harder to recognize. Even the finale’s Godzilla-like parallels struggle to bring everything together.
Our Below Netflix review explores the show’s shifting identity, Josh Hartnett’s performance, its surprisingly effective atmosphere, and why a promising supernatural horror series ultimately becomes overwhelmed by its own ambitions.
Chapters:
0:00 Below vs. Widow’s Bay: The Netflix Horror Comparison
0:25 Below’s Stephen King and X-Files Influences
0:49 Josh Hartnett’s Calvin Penny Explained
1:10 The Problem With Below’s Many Storylines
1:36 The Strange Cabin in the Woods Detour
1:55 Why Below’s Ending Changes Everything
2:17 Josh Hartnett and the Series’ Strongest Moments
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