Six Spoiler-Free Reviews of Josh Hartnett’s Below, and a New Trailer
The show is now streaming on Netflix, and the six review blurbs (below) look excellent. Also included in this article: the short description, film details, and a brand new trailer. This might just be a great binge watch for you this weekend.
It’s been called a cousin to the great AppleTV series Widow’s Bay, due to both the coastal fishing town setting as well as the supernatural elements. It’s also being compared to Jaws because of the ocean-dwelling beast, whatever it is. The show first appeared on Rotten Tomatoes with a rare 100% rating, and as I write this, it is now showing 81%.
I previously wrote about Below here, in an article where I posted the first teaser trailer. This is what I said:
Below features Josh Hartnett as a fisherman battling a sea creature which may or may not be connected to his dad’s death many years earlier. I am a Josh Hartnett fan. I’ve followed his career since The Faculty, Pearl Harbor, and 30 Days of Night. Since then, he’s stayed a little under the radar (for me, at least) until recently with Oppenheimer, Trap, and the utterly fantastic Fight or Flight, which I enthusiastically reviewed earlier here at Life After Gateway.
The story description, from the official IMDB page, says:
When a mysterious sea creature terrorizes a remote town, a fisherman must fight to protect his family, his community, and his way of life.
Production Details
- Starring: Josh Hartnett (Fight or Flight), Charlie Heaton (Stranger Things), Mackenzie Davis (Terminator: Dark Fate)
- Location: Filmed on location in Newfoundland, Canada
- Streamer: Netflix
- Number of Episodes: 6
- Premieres: Airing NOW on Netflix
Reviewers are Saying (No Spoilers Here):
The Hollywood Reporter:
“These six episodes are a pleasant surprise, offering more than what initially appeared on the surface …”
Roger Ebert:
“… the six-episode series shapes up to be one of the year’s best and most poignant.” — 3.5/4 stars
Variety:
“Below is a captivating ride blending horror and suspense.”
Digital Spy:
“You’ll have a Kraken good time with this one … it is a fun, even cosy, watch for horror fans who love to snuggle up with some scares.”
Daily Telegraph (UK):
“Josh Hartnett’s sea-monster horror gave me genuine chills. Although it falls foul of the instinct to preach, Netflix’s Below still provides an eerie atmosphere — and a memorable beast.” — 4/5 stars
Financial Times:
“Below is an entertaining concoction, though even over just six episodes, it is a little thinly stretched and overly earnest.”
The Trailer
Here’s the trailer; let me know if it appeals to you. It even features Gordon Lightfoot’s legendary singing. Below is a six-episode limited series from Netflix. Do you plan on watching it? Let me know in the comments.
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A Blanket of Steel by Timothy S. Johnston and from Fitzhenry & Whiteside, LTD. is the recipient of the 2024 GLOBAL Thriller Award GRAND PRIZE and the 2024 CYGNUS Award First in Category.
— Timothy S. Johnston, 9 October 2026
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Praise for Timothy S. Johnston’s A Blanket of Steel
“Fans of Clive Cussler’s NUMA Files will be delighted with Timothy S. Johnston’s undersea novels. Truman McClusky and Dirk Pitt are cut from the same adventurer’s cloth.” — Nick Cutter, author of The Deep and The Troop
“Action that ranges from close range combat to torpedo-fueled attacks. The result is a thriller that keeps moving from confrontation to confrontation … with constant danger and the vast depths of the ocean as a setting, there is always reason to keep reading.” — Kirkus Reviews
“Read the book and prepare to be blown away by one of the best writers I have ever had the pleasure to read. Timothy S. Johnston is simply amazing.” — FIVE Stars from Readers’ Favorite
“A Blanket of Steel is not simply a ‘daring do’ thriller … It’s prescient.” — Amazing Stories
“A priority selection. An action-packed story that is hard to put down. A Blanket of Steel is outstanding.” — D. Donovan, Sr. Reviewer, Midwest Book Review
“Innovative technology, Mac taking risks no one else would dare and thinking his way through to brilliant solutions … But the stakes are higher than they’ve ever been before. This is it. The countdown to the final battle … Johnston does an excellent job of keeping the tension taut as he plays with the reader’s perceptions of characters we thought we knew and trusted …” — SFcrowsnest
“Expect to be left breathless. Trust me here. Please. I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN.” — Michael Libling, author of The Serial Killer’s Son Takes A Wife and Hollywood North: A Novel in Six Reels
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A BLANKET OF STEEL is out now!
WATCH THE GRIPPING BOOK TRAILER HERE.
FOR PURCHASE OPTIONS CLICK HERE
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A Blanket of Steel from Timothy S. Johnston and Fitzhenry & Whiteside, Ltd.
Book Cover & Jacket Copy:
AN UNSTOPPABLE THREAT!
A mysterious assassin has murdered Cliff Sim, Chief Security Officer of the underwater colony, Trieste. Cliff was a mountain of a man, highly trained, and impossible to defeat in combat. And yet …
Someone brutally beat him and left his broken body in a secret Chinese facility at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean.
And included a calling card for Truman McClusky, Mayor of Trieste.
Taunting him.
Mac has led the underwater colonies in their fight against the world’s superpowers. Climate change has devastated the surface; nations suffer famine, drought, rebellion, rising waters, and apocalyptic coastal flooding. But now, as Mac leads the underwater colonies to freedom and independence, he’s faced with the gravest threat of his life: a Russian assassin, hellbent on killing Mac and everyone he cares for. Now Mac must uncover the identity of the killer, face him in combat, and at the same time lead people in battle against the largest underwater force ever assembled. It’s Mac’s final test, and to win the war, he must use every tool at his disposal, including the most surprising and devastating underwater weapons ever invented.
If Mac fails, all hope is lost for the future of human colonization on the ocean floors.
But the assassin could be anyone …
Watch your back, Mac.
A Blanket of Steel is the most gripping thriller yet in The Rise of Oceania.
FOR PURCHASE OPTIONS CLICK HERE
The other books in The Rise of Oceania series by Timothy S Johnston:
The War Beneath 9781771484718
The Savage Deeps 9781771485067
Fatal Depth 9781554555574
An Island of Light 9781554555819
The Shadow of War 9781554556007
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TSJ’s Awards
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THE WAR BENEATH: FIRST PLACE 2018 GLOBAL THRILLER Action / Adventure Category Winner, 2019 Silver Falchion Award Finalist, 2018 CLUE Award Semi-Finalist, 2019 Kindle Book Awards Semi-Finalist, & 2019 CYGNUS Award Shortlister
THE SAVAGE DEEPS: FIRST PLACE 2020 CYGNUS Award Winner, 2019 GLOBAL THRILLER Awards Finalist, 2022 Kindle Book Awards Semi-Finalist; 2019 CLUE Award Shortlister
FATAL DEPTH: FIRST PLACE 2021 GLOBAL THRILLER Award Winner, 2022 Silver Falchion Award Finalist (Best Action Adventure), 2021 CYGNUS Award Semi-Finalist
