Looking for the hardest scenes in Netflix’s Below? The cast has pointed to the real challenge behind the show: working on the water, filming in rugged Newfoundland locations, and making a fictional fishing community feel like a real place. Interviews published around the series’ October 8, 2026 debut describe long stretches away from home, practical ocean work, and the effort required to get the region’s rhythms and accents right. The cast has not publicly identified one single scene as the definitive hardest shot, but their comments make clear why the production demanded more than a typical studio thriller.
Below is a six-episode Netflix limited series created by Jesse McKeown. Josh Hartnett plays fisherman Calvin Penney, Mackenzie Davis plays marine biologist Fonda Howander, and Charlie Heaton plays Calvin’s son Wade. Its isolated Newfoundland setting is more than a backdrop: the sea, boats, weather, and tight-knit community shape the story’s tension.
What the cast says was hardest about filming Below
The most grounded answer is not one dramatic monster scene. It is the combination of practical locations and sustained work in a demanding coastal environment. In Netflix Tudum’s behind-the-scenes coverage, Heaton describes filming for five or six months away from family and working in difficult locations. He also recalls scenes late in the series that take place on a boat, explaining that Hartnett had taken boating lessons and helped him through the work.
That detail matters because the performances need to look instinctive. If an actor is concentrating on unfamiliar equipment, movement, or the water itself, the audience can feel that effort. Hartnett’s preparation and support helped the boat scenes feel like part of the characters’ lives rather than a technical obstacle for the cast.
1. Filming on the real Newfoundland ocean
For Heaton, working out on the ocean was a new experience. In an interview with Netflix Tudum, he said the production used practical locations rather than relying entirely on green screen. He described being out on the water with the Coast Guard, driving boats, and kayaking in the ocean—work he called an intense first for him, even after practical-location experience on Stranger Things.
That approach gives the series a physical quality. A boat shifts underfoot, the horizon changes, and the weather can make a scene feel exposed in a way a controlled set rarely can. The ocean is also part of the show’s threat, so real water helps establish scale and uncertainty before the creature appears.
2. Boat scenes that needed trust between co-stars
Heaton singled out late-series boat scenes when discussing Hartnett’s professionalism. He said he did not realize Hartnett had taken boating lessons, and that Hartnett offered support while Heaton was still learning how to handle the boat. It is a useful behind-the-scenes glimpse into how the actors worked together—but it is not proof that one particular sequence was officially ranked as the show’s hardest scene.
For Hartnett, the preparation connected directly to Calvin Penney, a fisherman whose identity is tied to the water. Netflix’s interview notes that Hartnett spent time with local fishermen and learned to tie fishing nets. He also immersed himself in Newfoundland culture and history, seeking the everyday details that make Calvin credible beyond the monster plot.
3. Getting the Newfoundland voice and community right
The cast also had a cultural challenge: the characters needed to sound and behave like people from the place the story depicts. Hartnett listened daily to a local radio show featuring fishermen and learned about the region’s fishing history. He and Heaton spent time with local people, while the cast worked with a dialect coach to help the family’s voices feel consistent.
Heaton has also credited Newfoundland locals for welcoming the production and helping him understand the region. The value of that work is easy to miss because it is not an action set piece. But accent, timing, local humor, and the way people relate to one another make the fictional town feel lived-in. Without those details, the sea-monster premise would have less emotional weight.
4. Long days in a remote production environment
Remote coastal locations can mean more planning than a conventional interior shoot. The cast and crew must work around access, weather, daylight, and the practical realities of filming near water. Netflix’s coverage describes the locations as hard, and Heaton’s comments about the months spent away from family point to the cumulative strain of a long production—not just one frightening or physically demanding scene.
That context helps explain the cast’s performances. Below asks its actors to balance suspense with family conflict, local humor, and the pressure of protecting a town. Keeping those emotional shifts believable while working in a physically demanding setting is part of the job, even when the audience only sees the finished scene.
5. Mackenzie Davis’s lab work and the show’s grounded details
Mackenzie Davis’s character, marine biologist Fonda Howander, brings a different kind of challenge to the story: making the science-facing side of the mystery feel convincing while the series moves into supernatural horror. Netflix reports that the production used Newfoundland’s Ocean Sciences Centre as the filming location for Fonda’s lab. Davis described the building’s distinctive look as an immediate fit for the character’s world.
That location gives the research scenes a tangible environment rather than a generic laboratory. It also supports the show’s central contrast: the community’s lived experience of the sea meets a scientific attempt to understand what is happening beneath it.
So, which Below scene was the hardest to film?
Based on the public interviews available, the clearest answer is the practical ocean and boat work, especially the later boat scenes Heaton discussed. But it would be misleading to claim the cast named a single official “hardest scene.” Their comments describe several demanding parts of the production: working on open water, learning unfamiliar boat skills, filming in remote locations, spending months away from home, and capturing Newfoundland’s local voice accurately.
Those elements help explain why Below feels tactile. The setting does not simply decorate the horror; it places the actors inside the same uncertain environment their characters are trying to survive.
Frequently asked questions
Where was Netflix’s Below filmed?
Below was filmed on location in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, including the St. John’s area and coastal locations. Netflix has also confirmed that some scenes were filmed on the ocean.
Did the Below cast film on real boats?
Yes. Charlie Heaton described working on the water with the Coast Guard, driving boats, and kayaking in the ocean. He also discussed boat scenes late in the series.
Did Josh Hartnett take boating lessons for Below?
Charlie Heaton said he later learned Hartnett had taken boating lessons and appreciated the support Hartnett gave him during boat scenes.
How long did Below take to film?
Netflix describes Below as a six-episode limited series. Heaton referred to spending five or six months away from family while filming, though that comment should not be treated as a precise official production calendar.
Is Below based on a true story?
No. Below is a fictional supernatural thriller. Its Newfoundland setting and fishing-community details draw on real places and regional history, but the sea-creature story is fictional.
Sources and further reading
- Netflix Tudum: Josh Hartnett on Below and the sea
- Netflix Tudum: Below teaser and behind-the-scenes details
- Netflix Tudum: Below cast guide
- Reuters: Below cast credits Newfoundland community
By Shivam Das
