On October 8, Netflix is debuting a new six-part limited series called Below. Set in Newfoundland, Canada, it stars Josh Hartnett as a fisherman who battles not just his troubled past, but a mysterious creature that’s lurking in the nearby waters. Jaws is obviously the first thing that comes to mind with such a story, but it’s hard to focus on anything outside of Hartnett’s Canadian accent.
The accent is just a small part of the show’s first teaser trailer, which you can watch below, but it sticks out like a sore thumb. We get it. This show is set, and was shot, way up in Northeastern Canada. The accent is meant to be authentic to the region. But, as great as Hartnett often can be, we’re worried this is a distraction. Check out the trailer.
Now, the accent just jumps right out, doesn’t it? “Sure, who’d want to live anywhere else?” It was the first thing that stood out to us. But, now that it’s been addressed, let’s move beyond it. Or at least try to.
In Below, Hartnett is Calvin, “a big‑hearted but stubborn fisherman living in a small Newfoundland town, who’s still haunted by his father’s mysterious death from decades ago,” reads the press release. “When an unidentified sea creature begins terrorizing his hometown, Calvin must fight to hold his close-knit community together. Determined to keep his son Wade (Charlie Heaton) and the rest of his family safe, he teams up with a visiting marine researcher (Mackenzie Davis) to confront the creature and reveal the island’s buried secrets before it’s too late. Blending local myth, thrilling suspense, and heartfelt humor, this twisty six-part limited series dives into themes of family, community, and change—both terrifying and inevitable.”
That sounds kind of great, right? Widow’s Bay meets Jaws? (Yes, we’re using the most obvious references ever. Don’t hate us.) That cast is pretty solid too. Mackenzie Davis in particular almost always picks incredible projects (Halt and Catch Fire, Station Eleven, etc.). So we’re holding out hope for something fun and mysterious. That is, if we can get over the accent.
Below debuts on Netflix October 8. What did you think of the teaser?
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