Netflix’s latest thriller, Below, is due to land on the 8th of October. It’s a six-part series that stars Mackenzie Davis, Charlie Heaton and Josh Hartnett. Below takes place in a small fishing community in Canada, where a sea creature terrorises the town.
The Plot Explores a New Threat
Hartnett plays Calvin Penney, a fisherman struggling to deal with the death of his father. When a creature threatens his home, he decides to join forces with Fonda Howander, a marine researcher. Together they try to find out what is lurking beneath the water.
Sea monsters are not a new concept, as movies like Jaws helped to put ocean terrors on the map. Thrash, another survival movie, focuses on a town that’s been hit by a hurricane, but instead of just having the threat of the weather, sharks are introduced as well. Devil’s Mouth is another example. Podcasts have tapped into the growing curiosity of the deep.
Seacreatures, which is hosted by Matt Testoni, is popular and covers real-life animals like jellyfish and vampire squid. The trend extends into gaming too.
Underwater imagery is prominent in UK online slots. Titles like Big Bass Bonanza, Fishin’ Frenzy and their respective spinoffs all focus on what’s under the surface, using real species of fish to create entertainment, showing how far and wide the theme really goes.
A Netflix Exclusive
McKeown, the creator of the series has been visiting Newfoundland for years, and that’s where the idea of the series came from. Hartnett was also captivated by the story, saying he read the two scripts in under an hour. He felt as though the concept was engaging, and that he had never read anything like it before. The story was written by Jesse McKeown andKaren Walton, whoworked on Orphan Black.
Jamie Childs, Helen Shaver and Stephen Dunn served as directors, and Jessica Rhoades is working as the show’s executive producer, alongside McKeown. The series had a world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival on September 10th but is due to air on Netflix on October 8th. The trailer, below, has already amassed over threemillion views on YouTube, and interestingly, doesn’t show the threat that’s plaguing the town at all.
Keeping viewers in the dark is a solid strategy, as it not only encourages people to tune in; it adds to the authenticity of it being a small fishing village, without advanced resources to pinpoint the type of threat that’s being faced. According to the written plot, Calvin’s son, Wade, begins to exhibit symptoms as the terror takes hold of the village, and this adds an extra element of suspense.
The series was shot almost entirely on location in Newfoundland. Some scenes were shot in Labrador, and green screens were avoided in favour of real ocean settings, which helped to reflect the real-life coast guards who work tirelessly to keep people safe from icebergs and other sailing disasters that often strike when it’s least expected. Choices like this give the series a much more sinister feeland add authenticity.
Check out the trailer here: