If You Loved 'Below,' There's One Movie You Need to Watch Next

Jeff Somers Jeff Somers Freelance Writer ExperienceJeff Somers is a freelancer who has been writing about writing, books, personal finance, and home maintenance since 2012.Jeff has published nine novels and more than 70 short stories; his story Ringing the Changes was selected for inclusion in The Best American Mystery Stories 2006. In 2018, Jeff published the book Writing Without Rules: How to Write & Sell a Novel Without Guidelines, Experts, or (Occasionally) Pants. He holds a bachelor’s degree in English and previously worked in medical publishing as a production editor. When not writing, Jeff spends his free time fixing up his old house. He has tackled a wide range of DIY projects, including remodeling a bathroom entirely on his own in two weeks, and building a roof deck that hasn't fallen down yet. You can find him on Bluesky. Read Full Bio October 29, 2026 Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google We may earn a commission from links on this page. Josh Hartnett and Mackenzie Davis in “Below.” Credit: Courtesy of Netflix. This is Streamalikes, where you can find a curated list of recommendations to stream based on what you already like. Table of Contents Foggy, cold, and hardscrabble, the community of Snook’s Arm, Newfoundland, is the perfect spot for ocean-borne horror in Netflix's Below. This sense of place sets the series apart, though the characters who inhabit it are equally fascinating. Led by Josh Hartnett’s grounded performance as Calvin, the show has atmosphere for days, and a creepy and compelling story that effortlessly balances chills and deep emotional beats. If you ate this show up like a voracious sea creature and you’re craving more slow-burn, deeply human horror (and you’ve already explored all the similar streaming series out there), it’s time to move on to feature-length terror, and there's one classic movie that fits the bill.Jaws created the template for horror stories set in remote, seaside communities When it comes to kindred sea monster stories, Jaws is the obvious choice. Seaside setting? Check—a pre-glam Martha’s Vineyard stands in for Amity Island, with beautiful beaches and crashing waves to spare. A tight community under threat? Check—Amity Island feels like a very real place, and its citizens have concerns and grudges as legitimate as Calvin’s in Below. Shocks and frights? This is Jaws, a film that transformed the entire business of blockbuster movies, renowned to this day for its masterful depiction of a relentless natural force threatening an entire town. The basic story also echoes Below's: When a young woman is killed by a shark during a night swim, Amity Island Police Chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider) tries to close the beaches to protect the public, but Mayor Vaughn (Murray Hamilton) refuses, as Amity Island depends on the tourist trade for its survival. After a young boy is killed, Brody teams up with shark hunter Quint (Robert Shaw) and oceanographer Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) to hunt the beast, and the three soon find themselves in over their heads as they discover how big and relentless the shark really is. Both stories share themes of economic necessity trumping safety in a changing world and concepts of a small group of people fighting a terrifying natural threat.Like almost every horror film or series since 1975, Below owes a debt to Jaws in terms of storytelling and technique. From the isolated, ocean-centric setting (and monster) to the way Below shows you only flashes of its central terror, if you enjoyed the series, you will absolutely love the classic that influenced it. Stream Jaws on Netflix, or rent it on Prime Video. More movies like BelowAlready seen Jaws, or rewatched it, and still in need of more terrifying movies in the same vein as Below? Here are a few more movies that you’ll love.The Bay (2012) The Bay takes a different approach to its scares than Below—it’s a found-footage horror film. But it shares the remote, water-centric setting, the focus on a small community, and a story that pulls from the terror of a fundamental element—water—being polluted and corrupted. In the coastal community of Claridge, Maryland, citizens fall severely ill and begin dying in large numbers, sparking chaos. As investigators race to discover the source of the affliction, the carnage gets seriously gnarly. Just like in Below, the ultimate threat stems from the way people recklessly abuse the world we depend on for survival, and the local residents are center stage in the fight. Stream The Bay on Tubi or rent it on Prime Video. What do you think so far? The Host (2006) One aspect of Below that resonates strongly with viewers is the human element; the Penney family’s internal tensions feel earned and real, and the way the larger community struggles with several existential crises is messy in a gloriously human way. The Host is also about a family struggling against a horrific, waterborne monster—when a mutant creature attacks a crowd near the Han River, Park Gang-du loses his grip on his young daughter, and she’s snatched up by the monster. But when Gang-du receives a phone call from his daughter telling him she’s still alive but trapped with the creature in the sewers, his family escapes quarantine, gears up, and goes after her, no matter the odds (or the corrupt government agencies standing in the way). Stream The Host on Kanopy or rent it on Prime Video. Dagon (2001) Based on H.P. Lovecraft’s The Shadow Over Innsmouth, Dagon begins with four friends on a boat off the coast of Spain. When a storm wrecks the boat and injures one of them, a couple—Paul and Barbara—travel on foot to a nearby village to seek help. What they find instead is a terrifying place paying the price for worshiping a demon named Dagon in exchange for wealth and safety—but at a price that slowly rose, eventually transforming the villagers into something inhuman. Just like Below, the movie explores the choices communities make to survive, and the personal costs that aren’t always clearly understood. Stream Dagon on The Roku Channel or Tubi, or rent it on Prime Video. The Fog (1980) If you loved Below’s foggy, liminal feel and the constant dread of what might be lurking in the mist or under the waves, unseen until it’s too late, John Carpenter’s classic is a must-watch. As the small coastal town of Antonio Bay approaches the centennial of its founding, a strange fog rolls in from the sea and envelopes the town. As the body count rises, the true story of the town’s founding and subsequent prosperity is revealed—and the long-deferred price for the crimes of the town’s ancestors is in the fog, determined to find some element of justice. Stream The Fog on Kanopy or Plex, or rent it on Prime Video. Offseason (2021) If remote communities like Snook’s Arm are inherently creepy to you, check out Offseason. When Marie (Jocelin Donahue) learns that her mother has passed away and has been buried in Lone Palm, the isolated beach town where she grew up, she’s outraged—her mother was very clear that she didn’t want to be buried there. Marie travels to Lone Palm as tourist season ends, just a day before the bridge to the mainland closes for the year, which gives the town a liminal, nightmarish aspect familiar to anyone who’s lived in a tourist town during the offseason. As a storm moves in, Marie and her boyfriend find the townsfolk behaving quite strangely—and soon, it all whips up into a maelstrom of terror that fans of Below will appreciate. Stream Offseason on Hoopla or rent it on Prime Video.