There is a certain kind of television series that occupies the fine line — or perhaps the twilight zone — between parody and the real thing. In some cases, that ambiguity is mostly frustrating. But in others, like the Canadian miniseries "Below," now streaming on Netflix, it proves to be the saving grace of a thriller that would otherwise be a ridiculous show completely unaware of its own absurdity.
It is still ridiculous, but in a rather enjoyable way — provided you can make a slight adjustment to your viewing perspective. Instead of expecting a production that takes itself too seriously, you have to accept it for what it is: a whimsical assortment of horror tropes involving monsters and remote, godforsaken small towns. On the surface, there is not a trace of humor or a knowing wink at the audience. Yet the show is so spectacularly flawed that it is hard not to wonder whether creator Jesse McKeown was having a laugh when he made a "limited" series in more ways than one.
"Below" — Trailer
(Courtesy of Netflix)
Calvin Penney comes from a fishing family in the remote town of Snooks Arm in the Canadian province of Newfoundland. When he was a child, his family relocated under a government resettlement program. But during the sea voyage to their new home, a terrifying sea monster devoured his father. In a moment of quick thinking, Calvin saved the rest of his family from a similar fate. The last thing he saw was a giant eye staring up at him from the depths.
The charming Josh Hartnett plays the adult Calvin, who is living in what was once the family's new home, now decades later. He is not alone. One of his sons, Wade (Charlie Heaton), is there with him. But Calvin remains deeply traumatized and convinced that his family is cursed. He refuses, for example, to let Wade anywhere near the boat's helm — or even aboard the vessel — because he cannot forget the monster's eye.
Calvin no longer catches fish. These days, he makes a living harvesting ice from icebergs, which the local vodka distillery, Crocker, uses to produce its liquor. The Crockers are the predictable villains, embodying ruthless, heartless capitalism. At one point, they demand that the residents relocate yet again, for reasons that become clear later.
One day, Calvin hauls in a strange, foul-smelling, slimy iceberg. The courageous Dr. Fonda Howander (Mackenzie Davis) of the Ocean Sciences Centre determines that it is not an iceberg at all, but the 10,000-year-old a 10,000-year-old layer of frozen mucus from an ancient giant squid. The creature had been trapped in an iceberg but has now broken free, "Jurassic Park"-style, and is terrorizing the locals.
From there, the series unleashes an absurd overload of storytelling, an all-you-can-eat buffet of plotlines. Alongside the "Jaws"-style squid, there is a bacterium that infects residents with a pathological thirst and psychotic behavior, hallucinations involving sea witches, debts to shady lenders and a showdown with a gangster, a corporate conspiracy and a battle against capitalism, a lament over climate change and warming oceans and a secret cult on a deserted island.
Add to all that the family drama and the budding romance between Fonda and Calvin. Everything is performed with the solemn reverence and tortured pathos of a prestige drama, accompanied by the strangest accent I have ever heard — something between Canadian and Irish — all bathed in the gray-green light of a fishing town and punctuated by the bloody excesses of a B-movie: body parts, severed limbs, animals swallowed whole and, miraculously, even a happy ending.
Still convinced that his family is cursed. From 'Below'
(Photo: Courtesy of Netflix)
So yes, the story of a struggling man's reconciliation with a sea monster certainly borders on comedy, but not in the same way as the similarly themed "Widow's Bay," which recently made waves at the Emmy Awards. Here, there is less self-awareness and more spectacular flaws that leave you wondering just how much more absurd things can get. (The answer: Apparently, most of the budget went toward coaching Hartnett on his accent, leaving very little for CGI. And it shows.)
As the series unfolds, the notion of a vicious monster gradually gives way to sympathy for a sea creature that simply wants to live in peace and lay its eggs in warm waters. So even viewers who manage to stay focused through all six episodes without getting lost in the plot holes will have to make the mental switch from a horror thriller to a kind of environmental action drama.
Still, credit where it is due. "Below" was filmed on location along Newfoundland’s rugged, icy coastline, which means beautiful scenery and the authentic atmosphere of an isolated fishing town. It is hard not to like the mustachioed, charismatic Hartnett. And there is something reassuring about knowing that the whole thing wraps up in six episodes, even if the ending leaves the door open for more. This is Netflix, after all.
So even if the series is unlikely to take home a slew of awards at the next Emmys, it is worth giving an episode or two a try, provided you are willing to get swept up in its icy absurdity — especially now, as the planet continues to warm.