New Netflix Horror Series
Netflix reveals first look at the new sea-monster horror series Below starring Josh Hartnett.
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Key Points
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The first trailer opens with a Newfoundland “screeching-in” ceremony, including a shot of local rum and a kiss with a codfish, before an unusual iceberg drifts into the harbor and Fonda warns residents to stay away.
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Creator Jesse McKeown said the series draws on Newfoundland’s long history of real-world hardships—including killer storms, maritime disasters, the collapse of the cod fishery, hunger and brutal winters—rather than treating the creature threat as an isolated event.
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McKeown cited Steven Spielberg and John Carpenter as key influences on the series’ approach to horror and creature-feature storytelling.
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The production was filmed on location in Newfoundland and Labrador, using the region’s actual ocean and rugged landscapes to establish the show’s isolated, ominous atmosphere.
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The story expands beyond Calvin and Wade’s relationship: Calvin’s other children have taken different paths and face complicated returns to a hometown already under pressure from the emerging threat.
Netflix unveiled the first trailer for Geek Tyrant, a six-episode horror series about a Newfoundland fishing community under siege from a mysterious sea creature. The show stars Josh Hartnett as Calvin Penney, a fisherman haunted by his father's death, alongside Mackenzie Davis as marine researcher Fonda Howander and Charlie Heaton as Calvin's son Wade. The series premieres at the Toronto International Film Festival before arriving on Netflix on October 8, 2026.
Creator Jesse McKeown grounded the horror in Newfoundland's brutal real history—killer storms, shipwrecks, the cod fishery collapse, and brutal winters—rather than treating the creature as an isolated threat Dark Horizons. The production filmed on location, using the region's actual ocean and rugged landscape to build an ominous, isolated atmosphere.
The Trailer Opens With Local Traditions and a Warning
The first footage kicks off with a Newfoundland "screeching-in" ceremony—a local tradition featuring rum and a kiss with a codfish ShowBiz Junkies. Then an unusual iceberg drifts into the harbor, and marine researcher Fonda warns residents to stay away. The tonal shift from celebration to dread sets up the creature threat looming in the water.
Drawing Horror From Newfoundland's Real Suffering
McKeown built the series on the region's documented hardships rather than fictional world-building. Killer storms, maritime disasters, the collapse of the cod fishery, hunger, and brutal winters all shaped the show's atmosphere Dark Horizons. The creature isn't a separate problem—it's woven into a community already fractured by generations of struggle and isolation.
The cast expands beyond Calvin and his son Wade. Calvin's other children have taken different paths and face complicated returns to a hometown already under pressure from the emerging threat Coming Soon. Family reunion and creature terror collide in the confined setting.
Spielberg and Carpenter Influence the Creature-Feature Approach
McKeown cited Steven Spielberg and John Carpenter as key influences on the series' horror and creature-feature storytelling Dark Horizons. Both directors mastered building tension through isolation and slowly revealing the threat. McKeown applies that same formula to Below, letting dread build through Newfoundland's barren landscape.
Toronto Festival Premiere Before Global Netflix Release
Below will premiere in the Toronto International Film Festival's Primetime program before rolling out globally on Netflix on October 8, 2026 Mandatory. The festival slot gives the six-episode limited series a prestige launch before reaching Netflix's global audience. Early reactions suggest the trailer is scarier than many fans expected Coming Soon.
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