Quick answer: The debate over the accents in Netflix’s Below reflects a trade-off: Newfoundland speech gives the thriller a stronger sense of place, but its rhythms and expressions may take time for unfamiliar viewers to follow. Cast interviews describe dialect coaching and help from local performers, so the question is not simply whether the accents sound “right” or “wrong”—it is whether they make the community feel authentic while keeping the story clear.
In a show about a close-knit fishing community, voices are part of the setting. They signal family ties, local identity and a history that exists beyond the sea creature threatening the town. If every character sounded like a generic television protagonist, Below would lose some of the specificity that makes its Newfoundland location matter.
Why the Newfoundland accent matters
Below follows Calvin Penney, played by Josh Hartnett, as a mysterious sea creature threatens his coastal community. The town’s economy, family ties and fear of being forced to leave home shape the drama. A regional voice helps carry that world-building into everyday conversations, jokes and arguments.
Newfoundland English is not one uniform accent. Speech varies across communities and speakers, and its history reflects long-standing connections with Irish and English settlement alongside the province’s own development. For a series filmed on location, the challenge is to make the characters sound as though they belong to the same place without pretending every local speaker sounds identical.
What the cast has said about learning the accent
Netflix’s behind-the-scenes coverage says Hartnett listened to a local radio program featuring people discussing fishing and life on the island. He also worked with a dialect coach and practised with the cast. Charlie Heaton has described the challenge of learning the accent and the actors’ wish for the Penney family to sound as though they came from the same place.
The Los Angeles Times interview with Hartnett and Heaton provides context about the difficulty of hearing the dialect’s rhythm and learning alongside local performers. Netflix’s official Below feature also discusses the cast’s immersion in Newfoundland culture.
Why some viewers may find the accents distracting
For viewers unfamiliar with Newfoundland English, regional vowel sounds, sentence rhythms and local expressions may require extra attention. When a scene also introduces unfamiliar names or a new mystery, that effort can make a line harder to catch. That reaction does not automatically mean the performance is inaccurate: comprehension also depends on pace, articulation, background sound and how much context a scene gives the audience.
There is a difference between an accent that is unfamiliar and one that feels unconvincing. The first asks viewers to listen differently; the second can break the illusion of a shared community. A fair assessment should consider both the performance and the sound mix rather than treating a regional dialect itself as a flaw.
Why the accent can make the show feel more authentic
Regional speech can communicate intimacy, family history and belonging without pausing the story for an explanation. It also reminds viewers that Newfoundland is not merely scenery for an outsider’s adventure. The production’s use of dialect coaching and local performers suggests the accent was treated as part of the world-building, not as a decorative gimmick.
The most useful question is whether the accents deepen the characters while keeping important scenes understandable. Authenticity should not be an excuse for muddy dialogue, but clarity should not require every character to sound the same. In Below, that tension mirrors the series itself: it aims for a broad thriller audience while trying to make its town feel like a particular place with a particular voice.
Watch the cast discuss the accent work
Collider’s behind-the-scenes conversation discusses learning the dialect, spending time with local communities and building a believable family voice.
Read Netflix’s official Below feature for more on the series’ setting and cast preparation.
Frequently asked questions
Are the accents in Below real Newfoundland accents?
The series aims to represent Newfoundland speech, and cast interviews describe dialect coaching and time spent learning from local performers. Individual performances may still sound more or less convincing to local listeners.
Why are viewers divided about the accents?
Some viewers may need time to follow the rhythm and expressions, while others value the way the dialect gives the fictional community a stronger identity. Both reactions can coexist.
Did Josh Hartnett and Charlie Heaton work with a dialect coach?
Interviews about the production describe the cast working with a dialect coach and practising together so the Penney family would sound as though they shared a regional background.
Does the accent make Below more authentic?
It can strengthen the sense of place. Whether it succeeds for each viewer depends on the performance, sound mix and familiarity with the dialect.
Where can I watch Below?
Below is available on Netflix. Check the official Netflix title page for availability in your region.
Sources
- Netflix Tudum: Below — cast, setting and production background
- Los Angeles Times: Josh Hartnett and Charlie Heaton on Below
- Reuters: Below cast credits Newfoundland community
- Collider behind-the-scenes video: Below — One Accent Had to Make the Family Feel Real
Author: Shivam Das
