Is Below on Netflix good? Early reviews say yes, with Josh Hartnett drawing much of the praise for Netflix’s limited series Below. Rotten Tomatoes published the first responses on October 9, 2026, and the consensus pointed to a spooky-season watch that offers more than standard monster-horror basics.
Hartnett stars as a fisherman who protects his community, and the reaction to that role gives the series its clearest edge. Critics mostly said the show brings a new thrill to the genre while folding in resettlement and climate change themes, which gives the horror setup a broader social frame than a simple creature story.
Josh Hartnett, Mackenzie Davis and Natasha Henstridge
Hartnett’s work came through as the main selling point. Johnny Loftus called it a “charmingly ragged performance,” while Archi Sengupta said he brought “a lot of heart” to Calvin and described him as “a flawed, exhausted man who is just trying to protect his family while carrying around a ton of personal trauma.”
Mackenzie Davis, Natasha Henstridge and Joshua Close round out the cast, but the reviews kept circling back to Hartnett because he carries the series’ emotional center. That matters in a six-part format, where the lead has to sustain both the family drama and the horror beats across a longer run than a tighter feature-length cut would allow.
Six parts, not 90 minutes
Joseph Robinson argued the show “has the makings of an effective 90-minute creature feature, but stretching it across six parts with questionable accents, confusing plot points, and underdeveloped characters dilutes its impact.” That is the sharpest line in the early response: the material sounds strongest when it moves fast, but the expanded structure gives the flaws more room.
Jared Richards echoed that split by calling Below “most intriguing in its mysterious first half” before saying promising pieces, including David Wenham as “a shadowy Australian researcher,” start to lose force. For viewers, that means the show seems to work best as a mood piece early on, then becomes more vulnerable once the plotting has to keep paying off over multiple episodes.
Climate crisis, local flavor
Aramide Tinubu described Below as “a captivating ride blending horror and suspense while centering our very real climate crisis,” and added that it examines “the fragility of life, the impermanence of place and how small we are in the universe.” That turns the series into more than a creature title; it gives the story something to say when the scares pause.
Loftus also praised the show’s world-building, saying it establishes “local flavor” while moving the action forward and doesn’t “scrimp on suggesting how crazy and sea monster-y things could really get.” He also singled out Charlie Heaton as “a frazzled delight as Wade,” which suggests the supporting cast is doing more than just filling out the frame.
Worth the watchlist slot
The balance of those reviews is clear: Below looks like a worthwhile add to a spooky-season watchlist, but not a clean win. The praise is strongest for Hartnett and the atmosphere; the criticism lands on pacing, accents and the six-part stretch that some reviewers felt blunted the effect.
For viewers deciding whether Is Below On Netflix Good, the early answer is that it likely is if you want mood, creature-feature suspense and a lead performance doing real work. If you want a tighter horror package, the sharper critique is already on the page.
