Josh Hartnett stars in supernatural thriller Below on Netflix

Josh Hartnett and Charlie Heaton star in Below, a six-part supernatural thriller set in a struggling Newfoundland fishing community called Snook’s Arm that is terrorized by an ancient, unknowable evil. The series, created by Jesse McKeown and streaming now on Netflix, blends economic hardship, government resettlement programs, and maritime disaster with the sudden appearance of a massive, ammonia-smelling iceberg that turns out to be a giant frozen mucous membrane masking a territorial giant squid.

Snook’s Arm Faces Ancient Evil and Government Resettlement

The fictional town of Snook’s Arm is already battling decades of economic uncertainty, fishing bans, and a looming government-led resettlement program when the catastrophe strikes. Wade Penney, played by Charlie Heaton, is a twitchy local roustabout who runs an Airbnb for credulous guests while warning them about the deadly waters. His family history includes a 1986 seafarin disaster that dragged his family cottage and his muscular grand pappy underwater. Calvin Penney, played by Josh Hartnett, serves as a ripped paterfamilias confronting the community’s latest maritime nightmares.

The Snot-Berg Arrives in the Harbour

Trouble arrives when a towering iceberg materializes in the harbour, releasing an ammonia stench and leading to missing trawlermen and bloodied body parts washing ashore. Dr Fonda Howander, an ocean scientist from the Ocean Science Centre down in Seal Cove played by Mackenzie Davis, identifies the object not as ice, but as a massive frozen mucous membrane. The mucous membrane is actually a giant squid unleashed by thawing Arctic permafrost, which uses icebergs for territorial rubbing and inadvertently kills the local population.

Climate Themes Sunk by Studio Interference

Faint references to warming oceans and breaking systems appear under neon motorbikes and homages to classic horror films like Jaws, The Thing, and The Fog. Theguardian.com noted suspicions that network notes on woke themes pushed the climate messaging into the background.

Cable-Knit Daftness and Chinos on Netflix

The series delivers old-fashioned sea monster horror filled with exploding viscera, sea hags, motorbikes, and plaid-clad tenacity. David Wenham appears as a self-styled climate change activist whose plans for the town match his striking chinos. Below is available to stream on Netflix now.