Oct 22, 2026 · 34 min
Matt Walsh dissects Netflix’s giant-squid horror gamble
Ep. 1861 - I Watched The Worst Netflix Woke Slop Ever Made, And I Barely Survived The Experience
The review tests how a promising creature-feature premise collapses when execution, accents, and ideological messaging overwhelm the monster movie itself.
- 1Walsh sees Below as a Jaws-style giant-squid premise weakened by poor execution and ideological messaging.
- 2The film’s Newfoundland accent becomes an early target of Walsh’s broader criticism of its presentation.
- 3Walsh also considers why knowingly bad “slop” entertainment can remain appealing despite its flaws.
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Walsh explains why a giant-squid premise initially drew him to Below before criticizing the film’s execution and messaging.
The brief
Matt Walsh opens with a confession: despite recognizing its flaws, he sometimes enjoys “slop” entertainment, especially when a film offers an irresistible premise.
Below initially appeals as Jaws with a giant squid terrorizing a town, giving Walsh a familiar creature-feature framework against which to judge the film.
The review quickly turns to the film’s Newfoundland accent, which Walsh criticizes while comparing it unfavorably with other regional accents.
Walsh argues that Below’s straightforward horror setup is undermined by poor execution and what he characterizes as self-parodying ideological messaging.
The episode’s larger subject is the uneasy pleasure of bad entertainment: a weak film can still attract attention when its central premise is strong enough.
Books & mentions
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