The Newfoundland Fishing Villages Behind Josh Hartnett’s Netflix Sea Creature Thriller

The Newfoundland filming locations in Josh Hartnett’s new Netflix thriller carry a good share of the storytelling. ‘Below’ premiered on Thursday, October 8, with every episode released at once, and it is set in a small Newfoundland fishing town. The story follows Calvin Penney, a fisherman haunted for decades by his father’s mysterious death, whose community is threatened by an unidentified sea creature.

Viewers who finish the series often want to know exactly where it was shot. The production aimed for realism by filming entirely on location in Newfoundland instead of leaning on green screens or sound stages, with filming running between June and October 2025. That decision shapes how the Newfoundland filming locations look and feel on screen.

Where ‘Below’ Was Filmed in Newfoundland

The limited series was created by Toronto’s Jesse McKeown and filmed around Brigus South, St. John’s, Pouch Cove, and other spots on the island. That gives a general picture, but the reporting offers more detail on specific communities along the coast.

Major scenes were shot in coastal locations including Conception Harbour, Brigus South and Bacon Cove. One location guide also places the production in Harbour Main, and describes the work as spread across the Avalon Peninsula and further north.

Anyone hoping for a complete map should temper expectations. The full list of exact shooting points was not publicly released during filming. What is confirmed is a cluster of small coastal communities that stand in for one fictional town.

How Brigus South Became Snook’s Arm

The fictional setting of ‘Below’ is Snook’s Arm, and its real counterpart matters most. According to reporting from CBC News, the creative team transformed Brigus South into Snook’s Arm, and resident Lillian Carey said the set design took the place back in time.

The changes reached private homes. Resident Elizabeth Power showed CBC her house, which was painted blue with white edging and details to look more distressed and worn. Neighbour Alexis Rice said she was surprised by the lengths the production went to, though she did not mind the activity that brought thousands of people to the area.

The setting made an impression on the cast as well. Charlie Heaton, who plays Calvin’s son Wade, said that Snook’s Arm was shot in a bay called Brigus South, and that he found “just that sheer amount of nature every day” moving. The remark suggests the landscape was not simply a backdrop for the people working in it.

Practical Effects and On Location Production

Shooting in real communities pairs naturally with the show’s approach to its creature. The crew used practical effects to build the series’ eerie atmosphere. That choice keeps the production tied to physical places and tangible sets rather than digital environments.

The location work also supports the story’s roots in local culture. The story draws on Come Home Year, a real tradition in which Newfoundlanders who moved away for work return home for the summer. A fictional town built inside a working community gives that tradition a believable home.

Hartnett has spoken about how isolated some of these places feel. In an interview with Toronto Life, he said he came to Newfoundland and realized there are fishing villages that have barely changed in 100 years, including places reachable only by a ferry that runs twice a week.

What the Cast Said About Shooting in Newfoundland

Hartnett’s comments about the shoot have focused on the people as much as the scenery. Asked about his favourite memory, he pointed to “that feeling of hospitality that we had while we were there.” His co-stars, including Mackenzie Davis and Heaton, also praised Jiggs’ dinner, a traditional Newfoundland one pot meal.

The daily routine had its own local flavour. Hartnett said the crew filmed in Brigus South and then drove back up to St. John’s after wrapping each day, and that moose were a real concern on the road. It is a small detail, but it shows how much the geography shaped the working day.

The series also returned to the island for a public showing. CBC reported that stars of the series came back to Newfoundland for a screening of the first two episodes at the Majestic Theatre in St. John’s. For residents of Brigus South who watched their own streets become Snook’s Arm, which familiar corner of the village did you spot first when the series began?