Below: Netflix's Newfoundland-Based Horror Series is a Culturally Rich Catch
By John Kirk
Rating: A
The Netflix series Below, which featured at the Toronto International Film Festival, has a unique character that can be appreciated on myriad levels, including styling, casting, and inspiration. Quite frankly, it's my favourite series on Netflix right now.
Note: watch for our upcoming interview with Canadian-born writer/showrunner Jesse McKeown
As a fan of the Cthulhu Mythos stories created by New England horror writer, H. P. Lovecraft, and of the films of Steven Spielberg and John Carpenter, I see in the first two episodes a lot of those vibes emerging. There's lore, legend and family history that has all the trappings of a Lovecraftian tale.
Charlie Heaton (Stranger Things) sees something monstrous in Below.
However, this is also wrapped up in a traditional Newfoundland town setting, with its own stories, oral history and a community’s fear of forced relocation, as occurred when the fisheries dried up. It's these straits that pull us into the tale. It's clear there's an eldritch dark shadow hanging over this harbour town of Snook's Arm , and one family in particular. We just want to find out what it is.
Then more mysterious happenings occur. As we get to the third episode, the horror becomes reality, and at that point, it's a story of survival. But the survival runs parallel to the resolution of the lore, and to the community and the family banding together to confront the monstrosity from below.
The mysterious nature of the unknown monster keeps us enthralled. But it's the characters who make the story. Josh Hartnett plays Calvin Penney, the head of a former fishing household now forced to host mainlander tourists in his own home and harvesting iceberg ice for vodka distilleries for a living. He’s an inviting and easy-to-appreciate character. His family, his friends and the rest of the community are likewise engaging with their humour and loyalty.
Our story begins in Calvin’s childhood. A calamity occurred and Calvin swears to this day that he saw something in the deep below. Four decades later, things and people go missing from the surface and shoreline. Calvin is forced to relive that memory to help his family and community deal with the horror that confronts them.
Family histories, legends like the lore of the sea hag, and the stories of lost Arctic expeditions, really sell this story. Some new revelation happens every episode and carries the viewer to a new level of horror and understanding. It’s a cleverly designed story that has multiple layers of appreciation ranging from culture to creepy to catastrophe. There are surprises galore.
Below doesn’t just celebrate horror but the culture of its community setting. Filmed in St. John’s, it entertains with well-known customs like screeching and also with festivals like “Come Home Years,” wherein those who left the Rock get to return for family unity and celebration. It pays homage to the economic hardship Newfoundland has faced ,but also the ties that bring families back together. The cast obviously felt the same way as indicated by the quality of the performances.
Too often in this country there can be a tendency to take for granted our cultural riches. But the fabric of Newfoundland culture is an inextricable and highly valued part of the story.
Canadian icons like Mary Walsh or director Helen Shaver involved in this production also bring a great degree of authenticity and richness to its support for those cultural values.
Whether it’s a love of horror, an appreciation for Canadian culture, an appreciation for a solid thriller and quality story writing, Below does not disappoint.
Mind how you go there now.
Below. Directed by Jamie Childs, Helen Shaver, Stephen Dunn, writer/showrunner Jesse McKeown. Starring Josh Hartnett, Mackenzie Davis, Charlie Heaton, Natasha Henstridge, Rohan Campbell, Ruby Stokes, Joshua Close, Willow Kean, Kaleb Horn, and Mary Walsh. Streaming on Netflix October 8.