Below: Netflix’s chart-topper has a sea monster and Josh Hartnett

The sea can make a lovely postcard. In Below, it is mostly a reason to think twice before stepping onto the dock. Netflix's Canadian limited series brings together an unidentified creature from the deep, family tensions and a community whose livelihood depends on the water. That combination has kept it at the top of Netflix's global English-language TV chart for three weeks.

Number one — on which chart?

According to Netflix's October 27 report, Below recorded 7.7 million views during October 19–25, 2026, taking its three-week total to 45.9 million. This is Netflix's English-language TV category, rather than a ranking of every series across all streaming services. Views should not automatically be treated as a count of individual viewers, either.

Its opening was particularly strong. Below reached 17 million views in its first chart week, which Netflix described as its biggest debut for a Canadian title. It added 21.2 million in week two. Viewing therefore fell in the third week, but interest remained high enough to keep it in first place.

Those numbers explain why the title keeps appearing. They cannot tell you whether the series will suit your taste. Its central premise is a more useful starting point.

A fisherman, a family and something beneath the surface

Josh Hartnett plays Calvin Penney, a stubborn fisherman in a small Newfoundland community who remains haunted by his father's mysterious death. When an unknown sea creature threatens the town, he must protect his family and help hold the community together. He joins forces with a visiting marine researcher played by Mackenzie Davis. Charlie Heaton plays his son Wade.

That is the official premise, without revealing the later twists. The residents' predicament is an appealing part of the setup: the threat comes from the very place on which they depend. You cannot simply lock the sea before bed and call somebody to fix it in the morning.

Six episodes, rather than endless homework

Below is a six-part limited series, with all six episodes available on Netflix since October 8, 2026. Its creator is Jesse McKeown. If you check the number of seasons before committing to a new show, that limited scope is useful information: starting it does not require catching up on years of television.

The series was filmed in Newfoundland. Netflix's coverage highlights the landscape and regional speech; Hartnett prepared for the accent in part by listening to radio conversations with local fishermen. The location is part of the story's conception, rather than merely a name on a map.

Try the trailer first

If coastal mysteries, family drama and an unseen underwater threat sound appealing, the official trailer below offers a useful first impression. It also shows the unusual image of a house at sea, so skip it if you prefer to begin with as little advance knowledge as possible.

Watch the official trailer on Netflix's YouTube channel.

This is an introduction to the series and its viewing figures, rather than a review based on watching every episode. A chart-topping position is an interesting invitation; whether you stay until the end should be up to the story.

Sources:

• Netflix: Below tops the chart for a third week, October 27 report
• Netflix: first-week viewing figures
• Netflix: second-week viewing figures
• Netflix Media Center: premise and release date
• Netflix Tudum: cast, filming and official photographs

Information checked on October 30, 2026. Photographs: Jan Thijs / Netflix, official promotional material published on Netflix Tudum.