5 TV Shows To Watch If You Like Josh Hartnett’s Below On Netflix

Netflix’s “Below” has become the streamer’s thriller series for the 2026 eerie season. Josh Hartnett is Calvin Penney, a fisherman who, after witnessing something weird in the water as a child, is convinced the same phenomenon is back. After an iceberg appears in the waters surrounding the small Canadian town, Calvin and marine biologist Dr. Fonda Howander (Mackenzie Davis) attempt to work out what the iceberg brought with it. The show is filled with action, both on and off land, a strange illness, and even an attempt to take advantage of the community without them knowing. 

With just six episodes, fewer than the eight that have become the standard in the streaming landscape, it’s easy to binge “Below” in a day and be left wanting more. There are some other great series to fill the void, whether you’re looking for more coastal mysteries or horrors in the water. They take you back in time to the 19th century, introduce unusual new residents, and feature sea life that’s willing to fight humanity. These are the perfect shows to watch next for “Below” fans.

The Swarm

“The Swarm” shows a variety of anomalies with fish and whales, like an orca washing up dead on the beach, all over the world. They’re connected in that sea life is attacking humans and helping spread a deadly bacteria. Scientists are trying to understand why it’s happening in this sci-fi thriller series, though it’s hard to parse out because the “brain” they think is behind everything, called the Yrr, continues to get in their way and raise the stakes.

There are some striking similarities between “Below” and “The Swarm” that make the latter a must-watch for enthusiasts of the Josh Hartnett-led project. Both feature an infection of sorts impacting humans, contracted from something in the water, though both manifest differently. There is odd activity from what lives in the ocean, which continues to be unexplainable, though it clearly has the potential to decimate human populations. The two series even share thematic elements, like human-related environmental destruction and how nature is fighting back.

The 2023 German show has a 70% on Rotten Tomatoes, with praise for its tone. IGN’s Marya E. Gates writes that it “find[s] the terror in the deep blue sea” and is “a slow-burn puzzle to be pieced together alongside the scientists.”

Midnight Mass

What happens when a new priest sweeps into a small coastal community? Nothing great, according to “Midnight Mass.” When Riley (Zach Gilford) finishes prison time and returns to town, he immediately notices the odd new priest as he attempts to reintegrate himself into the community. Unusual events start to happen in town, with dead animals, religious miracles, and paranormal entities turning everyone’s world upside down.

Another small fishing community being terrorized? Yes, but that’s where the similarities between “Midnight Mass” and “Below” end. Mostly. In this Mike Flanagan project, things are rooted more in the paranormal, with overt religious undertones, whereas “Below” keeps its issues strictly in the physical realm. Though the problems are based on different things, both shows have an eerie feel to them as the residents try to understand what’s going on. For “Below” fans wanting something similar that has nothing to do with ocean life, enjoying the setting of the series more, “Midnight Mass” is the way to go.

The supernatural TV drama boasts an 87% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, with reviews complimenting the characters and the connection they forge with the audience. “Nearly all of the characters garner empathy, even the most broken,” Meagan Navarro wrote for Bloody Disgusting.

The Rig

An oil rig near Scotland becomes engulfed by mist in “The Rig.” Much of the crew is meant to be going home soon, however, their ride hasn’t arrived, and then the fog rolls in. It contains a parasite infecting the crew, giving them hallucinations and physical symptoms, though thent to get it under control, or it could spread on land, resulting in a catastrophic loss of human life

There isn’t a creature causing problems in “The Rig,” not really. Like “Below,” the situation the people living on the oil rig are in is due to humans taking advantage of the environment. Even if the crew doesn’t quite know what they’ve hit as they drill into the Earth’s surface, what they’ve hit is the root of their problems. Tonally, the two series are a bit different, but with similar theming and plot devices, “The Rig” captures feelings of helplessness and confusion just like “Below” does.

Critics gave the Amazon Prime Video show a 66% rating across two seasons on Rotten Tomatoes. The second season takes part of the team to a new oil rig, with a new wild weather phenomenon to deal with, and a new connection to what they unleashed in Season 1, giving audiences more to chew on.

Storm of the Century

There have been comparisons between Stephen King and “Below,” so it only feels right to include a King project on this list. There is some religious theming, but what makes this a great watch for those who enjoyed “Below” is the vibe. While the bizarre weather event feels comparable to the sudden appearance of an iceberg, a newcomer with mind control powers infiltrating the community is the personification of the bacteria in “Below.” The characters in both don’t know how to counteract it, and they have little help from the outside world.

The 1999 miniseries boasts an 85% from critics and an 82% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. Reviews highlight the strength of the cast, with Entertainment Weekly’s Ken Tucker describing actor Colm Feore, who plays the stranger, as the “star” of the show “who manages to embody satanic cruelty in careful, measured tones.”

The Terror

Take a trip back to the 19th century with “The Terror,” watching as the British Navy tries to find the Northwest Passage. Told through the voyages of two ships, there is supernatural interference and freezing temperatures as the crews try to survive long enough to make it back to warmer waters. While the tale is based on a real expedition, what happens to them is unknown, and the project takes significant creative liberties.

The AMC series is an anthology, so each season features a new cast of characters and a fresh story to enjoy. The first season is what will appeal to fans of “Below” initially since it features a water-based problem. However, the second and third seasons are just as chilling. Leaning more into horror than the Netflix show does, “The Terror” looks at specific communities and something plaguing them, which is ultimately what “Below” is about.

The first season earned a 94% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, with compliments given to how well the series builds tension and suspense. BBC’s Scott Bryan writes that “the drama’s strength is its claustrophobia,” making you feel just as isolated and alone as the crew.