Netflix Drops 'Below' Teaser: Hartnett vs. Sea Monster

Get the Culture newsletter
Daily culture — film, music, books, the trends and ideas worth your attention. Free.
- Netflix released the first teaser trailer for six-episode thriller series "Below," starring Josh Hartnett as big-hearted but stubborn fisherman Calvin Penney in a small Newfoundland town terrorized by an unidentified sea creature.
- "Below" will have its world premiere as part of the Primetime program at TIFF 2026 on Sept. 10 before debuting on Netflix on Oct. 8, giving the streamer a less-than-a-month turnaround from festival to streaming.
- Hartnett stars alongside Charlie Heaton, Mackenzie Davis, Ruby Stokes, Kaleb Horn, Rohan Campbell, and Willow Kean; Davis plays a visiting marine researcher who teams up with Calvin to confront the creature and uncover the island's buried secrets.
- Jesse McKeown is the creator, showrunner, and executive producer, with Hartnett also serving as an executive producer alongside Jessica Rhoades (via Pacesetter), Chris Hatcher, Jamie Childs, Louise Sutton, and Sharon Hall.
- The series was filmed on location in St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada and was originally announced in February 2025, with Hartnett officially joining the cast not long after.
Why it matters: A TIFF 2026 primetime premiere slot signals Netflix's intent to position "Below" as awards-adjacent, and an Oct. 8 streaming debut — barely four weeks later — gives the show a tight festival-to-streamer pipeline for awards-season momentum. The Newfoundland setting and character-driven creature-thriller formula gives Hartnett a lead vehicle that leans on atmosphere and family stakes rather than spectacle alone.




