Netflix's latest horror series has become an unexpected streaming sensation, attracting 17 million views in just six days and drawing comparisons to the hugely successful Stranger Things.
But while viewers have praised the show's unsettling atmosphere and impressive cast, one particular detail has sparked widespread confusion online.
The accents.
Some audiences have questioned whether the actors are deliberately exaggerating their voices, with others suggesting the dialogue sounds unlike anything they've heard before.
However, people who actually live in the region where the series takes place have offered a surprising explanation.
And according to several locals, the actors have done a considerably better job than viewers might realise.
What is Netflix's new horror series Below about?
The six-part Netflix drama Below follows a small fishing community in Newfoundland, Canada, where residents find themselves threatened by a mysterious creature lurking in the surrounding waters.
The series combines supernatural horror with the everyday struggles of an isolated coastal community.
Its cast includes Josh Hartnett, Mackenzie Davis and Charlie Heaton, who previously played Jonathan Byers in Stranger Things.
The show's release has attracted considerable attention, with a reported 17 million views during its first six days on Netflix.
It has also received positive reviews from critics, earning a reported 85% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Despite that success, the cast's distinctive accents have become a major talking point among viewers.
Why do the accents in Below sound so unusual?
The explanation lies in the show's setting: Newfoundland, an island off Canada's Atlantic coast with a distinctive linguistic history.
Newfoundland English developed through centuries of settlement and cultural exchange, particularly involving migrants from Ireland and southwestern England.
Irish immigration during the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries helped shape the way English was spoken in many communities across the island.
As a result, some Newfoundland accents contain pronunciation patterns and expressions that may sound surprisingly Irish to unfamiliar listeners.
Other communities have linguistic influences associated with English regional dialects and neighbouring Canadian populations.
Importantly, Newfoundland does not have one single uniform accent.
Pronunciation, vocabulary and rhythm can vary considerably between different towns, coastal settlements and urban areas.
That variation helps explain why the accents in Below might sound inconsistent to viewers unfamiliar with the region.
Newfoundland residents defend the actors' performances
While some international viewers have criticised the cast's accents, people from Newfoundland have taken to social media to defend them.
One Reddit user who identified themselves as a Newfoundlander said the portrayals were among the most convincing they had encountered in a major television production.
They acknowledged that the actors occasionally slipped out of character but praised the series for accurately representing local slang and coastal culture.
Another commenter argued that the British and Canadian performers had done particularly well.
They singled out Charlie Heaton, Ruby Stokes and Rohan Campbell for their performances, while acknowledging that American actor Josh Hartnett's accent was less consistent.
Nevertheless, they praised the programme for capturing the language and atmosphere of the province.
There isn't just one Newfoundland accent
One of the biggest misconceptions highlighted by local viewers is the assumption that everyone in Newfoundland speaks in exactly the same way.
A Newfoundland fisherman who posts online under the name HarbourCustoms explained that the province contains considerable regional variation.
He noted that the way people speak can change depending on which part of Newfoundland they come from.
That means two people from different communities might sound noticeably different despite growing up within the same province.
These differences are especially pronounced in some smaller coastal communities, where traditional speech patterns have been preserved across generations.
For international viewers, those unfamiliar sounds can sometimes be mistaken for an exaggerated performance rather than an authentic regional accent.
How Josh Hartnett prepared for his role
Josh Hartnett, one of the show's leading actors, reportedly spent considerable time studying how people in Newfoundland speak before filming began.
According to the show's creators, he listened to local radio broadcasts and phone-in programmes to familiarise himself with the accent.
One programme he reportedly studied was The Fisheries Broadcast, a longstanding Canadian radio show featuring discussions about Newfoundland's fishing industry.
Speaking to Variety, series creator Jesse McKeown explained that Hartnett immersed himself in the region's everyday conversations before arriving for production.
Rather than relying solely on a dialect coach or a generic Canadian accent, Hartnett used recordings of actual Newfoundland residents to develop his performance.
Executive producer Jessica Rhoades also praised his commitment to learning the distinctive way of speaking.
Why Newfoundland English is different from other Canadian accents
Although Newfoundland is part of Canada, its linguistic history differs from that of many other Canadian provinces.
The island developed distinctive English-speaking communities through generations of migration, geographic isolation and local traditions.
Some features of Newfoundland English retain similarities to older Irish and British dialects that have changed considerably in their places of origin.
Regional vocabulary can also be unfamiliar to people from elsewhere in Canada.
For example, the term 'outport' is commonly associated with smaller coastal settlements, while 'bayman' can refer to someone from a rural or coastal community.
These linguistic and cultural details are particularly relevant to Below, given its setting in a remote fishing village.
Is Below worth watching on Netflix?
Despite the debate surrounding the accents, Below has enjoyed a strong opening on the streaming platform.
Its combination of supernatural horror, mystery and coastal isolation has drawn comparisons with other popular Netflix genre dramas.
Critics have also praised its atmosphere and the way it incorporates the community's culture into the story.
The six-episode format makes it a relatively short watch for viewers looking for a new horror mystery.
And while the characters' voices might initially sound unusual, Newfoundland residents have suggested that audiences should not be too quick to dismiss them.
Far from being entirely invented, many of the accents reflect genuine regional speech patterns that are rarely heard in mainstream international television.
Below is available to stream on Netflix.
