Below: What the submarine thriller is about and whether it's worth watching
Does this submarine thriller deliver the dread of The Abyss, or does it sink?
Below is a one-season submarine horror-mystery series starring Josh Hartnett, Mackenzie Davis and Charlie Heaton. It's a claustrophobic thriller in the vein of The Abyss and Event Horizon—tight spaces, mounting dread and something wrong below the surface. IMDb users gave it a 6.6, which puts it in "solid but not essential" territory for guys who grew up on 90s sci-fi horror.
The show follows a submarine crew that encounters something unexplained and dangerous during a mission. The setup is classic: isolated setting, no escape, crew turning on each other as the threat escalates. Jesse McKeown wrote it, and the casting of Hartnett (who's having a quiet career resurgence) and Davis gives the show two leads capable of carrying the tension.
What happens in Below?
The series is built around a submarine crew dealing with a mystery that blends psychological horror and something possibly supernatural or scientific gone wrong. The genre tags—drama, horror, mystery—point to a slow-burn structure where the tension comes from not knowing what's real, what's in their heads and what's actually hunting them in the deep.
Expect tight corridors, flickering lights, crew members acting strange and the creeping realization that they might not all make it back. If you loved the paranoia of The Thing or the underwater dread of The Abyss, Below is playing in that sandbox.
Is Below worth watching?
It depends on what you want. The 6.6 from IMDb users suggests it's competently made but doesn't stick the landing for everyone. That score usually means good atmosphere and performances, with a story that divides viewers.
If you're a fan of submarine thrillers or 90s-style sci-fi horror that takes its time building dread, it's worth a night. Hartnett and Davis are both strong, and the premise is right in the wheelhouse for guys who had Aliens and The Abyss on VHS. Just don't expect it to become a classic you'll rewatch every year.
One season means it tells a complete story, which is a plus—no cliffhanger, no cancellation frustration.
Who stars in Below?
Josh Hartnett leads as a member of the submarine crew facing the unknown. Mackenzie Davis and Charlie Heaton round out the main cast. All three bring the intensity needed for a confined-space thriller where every glance and hesitation matters.
How does it compare to classic submarine horror?
Below isn't trying to reinvent the genre—it's leaning into what worked in the 80s and 90s. The Abyss had the underwater spectacle and the Cold War tension. Event Horizon had the gothic horror in a sci-fi shell. Crimson Tide had the crew-versus-crew drama. Below borrows from all of them: the claustrophobia, the paranoia, the sense that the environment itself is hostile.
The 6.6 score suggests it has the pieces but doesn't fully assemble them into something that rises to the level of those classics. Still, for a generation that grew up on those films, it's a solid homage. If you've been craving that kind of tension and you've already rewatched the 80s classics, Below will scratch the itch for a few hours.
Where does Below fit in the sci-fi horror revival?
The last few years have seen a wave of shows and films trying to recapture the practical-effects-driven, slow-burn horror that defined the late 80s and early 90s. Below sits in that wave—a throwback that respects the pacing and tone of the era without the budget or ambition of a theatrical release.
For guys who miss when sci-fi horror meant atmosphere over jump scares, it's a reminder that the formula still works when the cast and setting are strong enough to carry it.
Parents' guide
Rated Not rated (TV series) · Best for 16+. Below is a horror-thriller with intense psychological and supernatural elements set in a claustrophobic submarine. Expect violence, tense scenes, and disturbing imagery typical of the genre; language likely includes profanity; no sexual content reported. The horror is atmospheric rather than gore-heavy, but the mounting dread and paranoia may be intense for younger viewers.
Woke or not?
Not woke. No messaging or agenda detected in the available information. The series is a straightforward genre thriller focused on atmosphere, character tension and survival—classic submarine horror with no reported identity politics, character rewrites, or forced messaging.
Quick answers
What is Below about?
Below is a submarine horror-mystery series about a crew that encounters something dangerous and unexplained during a mission, blending psychological tension with sci-fi horror.
Is Below worth watching?
It's worth streaming if you're a fan of 90s-style submarine thrillers and claustrophobic horror, but the 6.6 IMDb score suggests it's solid without being essential.
How many seasons of Below are there?
Below has one season, which tells a complete story with no cliffhanger.
Who stars in Below?
Josh Hartnett, Mackenzie Davis and Charlie Heaton lead the cast.
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