Below (2026) is a Canadian suspense thriller limited series created and showrun by Jesse McKeown. Directed by Jamie Childs, Helen Shaver, and Stephen Dunn, the six-episode Netflix series stars Josh Hartnett, Mackenzie Davis, Charlie Heaton, Natasha Henstridge, Joshua Close, Rohan Campbell, Willow Kean, Ruby Stokes, Kaleb Horn.
The story follows Calvin Penney, a Newfoundland fisherman whose quiet life is disrupted when a mysterious sea creature emerges from the Atlantic.
Calvin works with marine researcher Fonda Howander to protect his family and coastal community while investigating the creature’s attacks.
Their search also exposes secrets surrounding Calvin’s father and the area’s troubled history. The series is scheduled to premiere globally on Netflix on October 8, 2026, following its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Below Age Rating
Below is rated TV-MA, indicating that the series is intended for mature audiences because of its intense violence, frightening material, strong language, and mature survival themes. The series combines creature horror with psychological suspense, making its atmosphere considerably darker than a conventional family adventure. Parents should expect sustained danger and disturbing situations involving both humans and the unknown creature.
Violence & Peril
The violence in Below is strong, particularly during encounters with the mysterious marine creature. The story includes attacks at sea, dangerous encounters, accidents, physical injuries, and situations where characters face potentially fatal consequences.
The creature poses a significant threat to people living around the harbor. Characters may be attacked or injured while working on boats or investigating the threat. The series also includes references to body trauma and injuries involving humans and marine animals.
Because the story focuses on an isolated coastal community, many violent scenes occur against an atmosphere of helplessness. Characters can become trapped at sea or surrounded by an unpredictable predator. Parents should expect suspenseful violence and some disturbing imagery rather than constant action.
Frightening & Intense Scenes
The frightening material is strong and is one of the series’ main concerns for younger viewers. Below uses deep-water imagery, isolation, darkness, creature attacks, and sudden scares to create an ongoing sense of danger.
Open-water sequences may be particularly unsettling for viewers who are afraid of the ocean or deep water. The creature is presented as an unknown predator, allowing the series to build tension before and during encounters.
The series also includes psychological distress as characters struggle to understand what is happening around them. Claustrophobic situations, threatening sounds, sudden attacks, and uncertainty about the creature’s location contribute to the horror atmosphere.
Language
Below contains frequent strong language. Characters use coarse expressions and strong profanities, particularly during stressful situations, arguments, emergencies, and encounters with the creature.
The language contributes to the series’ gritty adult tone. Parents should not expect profanity to be limited to a few isolated moments.
Mature Themes
The series explores several mature themes, including death, grief, family trauma, unresolved loss, dangerous working conditions, community decline, environmental threats, and fear of the unknown.
Calvin’s unresolved feelings surrounding his father’s death form an important emotional part of the story. The series also examines family responsibility and the struggle to protect loved ones when an entire community faces an unfamiliar threat.
Alcohol consumption is depicted in social and working-class maritime settings, including taverns and community gatherings. Smoking and tobacco use may also appear among adult characters. These elements are secondary to the main creature-horror storyline but contribute to its mature atmosphere.
Is Below Suitable for Teens?
Ages 13–15: No: Below is not recommended for younger teenagers. The TV-MA rating reflects the series’ strong creature violence, frightening scenes, intense peril, strong language, and darker themes.
Ages 16–17: With Guidance: Older teenagers who enjoy serious creature thrillers may be able to handle the series with parental guidance. However, the frightening ocean sequences, attacks, injuries, profanity, and psychological tension may be too intense for sensitive viewers.
Ages 18+: Yes: The series is designed for mature audiences and is appropriate for adults who enjoy suspense, creature horror, and darker survival stories. Viewers should still expect strong violence and frightening material.
Final recommendation: Below is best suited for older teens with guidance and adults, with 18+ recommended for viewers sensitive to horror, violence, or deep-water imagery.
What Parents Can Do
- Prepare younger teens for creature attacks, ocean peril, injuries, sudden scares, and the series’ sustained atmosphere of dread.
- Explain that the story also deals with grief, family loss, and the pressure of protecting a community during a crisis.
- If watching with an older teen, discuss how the characters respond to fear, uncertainty, dangerous environments, and threats they cannot fully understand.
Official Trailer
FAQs
Q: What is the age rating for Below?
A: Below is rated TV-MA on Netflix because of strong violence, frightening material, strong language, and mature themes.
Q: Is Below appropriate for kids?
A: No. The series is not suitable for children because of creature violence, frightening scenes, injuries, strong language, and intense peril.
Q: Is Below suitable for teenagers?
A: Older teens may watch the series with parental guidance, but its TV-MA content makes it more appropriate for mature viewers.
Q: Does Below contain scary or violent scenes?
A: Yes. The series features creature attacks, dangerous ocean situations, injuries, body trauma, jumpscares, deep-sea horror, and sustained suspense.
Q: Does Below contain strong language or sexual content?
A: The series contains frequent coarse language and strong profanities. Sexual content is not a central element of the story based on the available material.
Q: Where can I watch Below?
A: Below is a Netflix limited series scheduled to premiere globally on October 8, 2026.