Lovecraftian Horror Meets Jaws In Josh Hartnett’s New Netflix Thriller

Published Jul 31, 2026, 7:15 PM EDT Dhruv is a Lead Writer in Screen Rant's New TV division. He has been consistently contributing to the website for over two years and has written thousands of articles covering streaming trends, movie/TV analysis, and pop culture breakdowns. Before Screen Rant, he was a Senior Writer for The Cinemaholic, covering everything from anime to television, from reality TV to movies. After high school, he was on his way to become a Civil Engineer. However, he soon realized that writing was his true calling. As a result, he took a leap and never looked back. Josh Hartnett stars in a new Netflix thriller that seems to perfectly combine Lovecraftian horror with the chills and thrills of movies like Jaws. In recent years, Hartnett has been expanding his acting portfolio by taking on some of the most intriguing and fascinating big and small screen roles. After recently starring in movies like Trap and Oppenheimer and shows like Black Mirror and The Bear, the actor is set to lead an upcoming Netflix thriller, Below. Set to premiere on October 8, 2026, the Netflix show is being touted as a miniseries with a familiar island town setting. Like Apple TV's most recent horror outing, Widow's Bay, and Netflix's Midnight Mass, Below, too, is set to follow the mysterious terrors faced by a community living on an isolated island. However, as familiar as the show's setting and premise may seem, it seems to have an unmatched Lovecraftian edge that makes it all more exciting. A Lovecraftian Underwater Threat Seems To Loom In Netflix’s Below Credit: Netflix Below's trailer perfectly establishes how Josh Hartnett's character is a local fisherman in an isolated Newfoundland town where an underwater threat starts to terrorize the surrounding waters. There are also scenes in the trailer where something massive seems to lurk underwater. However, instead of explicitly revealing that the threat is a shark or a known sea creature, the trailer intentionally maintains an air of mystery surrounding its identity. Like the show's characters, even viewers remain clueless about what lies underneath. With this, the trailer seems to instill the Lovecraftian "fear of the unknown" in viewers, where, like the characters, one can only guess what is in the waters. Lovecraftian stories often tie the unknown to relatable human stories about trauma, grief, and the psychological burden of confronting forces far beyond human understanding. Below seems to be going down the same narrative route where its central creature will seemingly serve as a metaphor or device for the main character to deal with generational trauma. Pure Lovecraftian storytelling can often feel a little too abstract and ambiguous. Owing to this, it rarely translates well to the big screen. Some of the best Lovecraftian movies of all time fix this issue by anchoring cosmic horror with real grit and violence. Netflix's Below seems to be doing the same by adding Jaws-style survival mechanics to its portrayal of humanity's battle against an unknown threat. It is possible that only the trailer for the show is shying away from showing the true nature of the overarching threat to prompt viewers to watch it. The show might reveal things more explicitly. However, based on the trailer alone, Below also seems reminiscent of a Lovecraftian game, which is also set to get an adaptation. Below’s Premise Seems Similar To An Upcoming Lovecraftian Game Adaptation Dredge is an indie Lovecraftian game from 2023 that blends relaxing fishing mechanics with psychological and cosmic horror. The game allows a player to go on a regular fishing adventure before featuring terrifying encounters with eldritch forces lurking beneath the sea. It is hard not to see how Netflix's Below seems reminiscent of Dredge in more ways than one. Interestingly, Dredge, too, is set to get a movie adaptation. Developer Black Salt Games officially partnered with production company Story Kitchen to produce a live-action feature film adaptation of Dredge. The film's concept was reportedly pitched as "The Sixth Sense on the water," combining elements from the works of H.P. Lovecraft and Ernest Hemingway. ​​​​​​​Below premieres on Netflix on October 8, 2026. It has been a while since any new updates were made surrounding the project's development. Owing to this, it is hard not to wonder whether it is still happening. Regardless of whether it sees the light of day, fans of the Lovecraftian horror game and movies like Jaws can watch Netflix's Below to experience a similarly eerie blend of maritime suspense and cosmicism. Below Release Date October 8, 2026 Network Netflix Showrunner Jesse McKeown Below follows a hard-bitten fisherman in a remote Newfoundland town as he contends with a mysterious sea creature. Faced with the threat to his family and community, he strives to preserve his way of life amidst the chaos instigated by the enigmatic aquatic menace. Cast Josh Hartnett, Mackenzie Davis, Charlie Heaton, Rohan Campbell, Kaleb Horn, Willow Kean, Ruby Stokes Directors Jamie Childs, Stephen Dunn, Helen Shaver Writers Perry Chafe, Jesse McKeown, Karen Walton, Natty Zavitz Main Genre Mystery Creator(s) Jesse McKeown Executive Producer(s) Jesse McKeown, Jamie Childs, Sharon Hall, Josh Hartnett, Chris Hatcher, Jessica Rhoades, Louise Sutton, Allison White Producers Jesse McKeown, Ian Hay Seasons 1