Netflix’s The Boroughs Review: A Gripping Sci-Fi Monster Mystery Led by a Stellar Veteran Cast
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Reel Perspectives
May 23, 2026
Netflix has a winner with The Boroughs, a new sci-fi monster mystery that takes a different path from the familiar formulas audiences have come to expect with a more seasoned approach led by some of the best names in the business.
Created around a "Stranger Things" premise and driven by a remarkable ensemble, the series follows residents of a desert retirement community called, The Boroughs, set in New Mexico where the golden years of its resients suddenly become a battleground against a terrifying otherworldly creature.
When many sci-fi and supernatural stories continue to focus on younger protagonists discovering themselves, this new Netflix series produced by the Duffer Brothers and co-created by Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews, flips expectations. It confidently establishes its own identity by shifting attention toward characters carrying decades of experiences, relationships, loss and regrets. One of the series' greatest strengths is an embrassment of riches from its stellar cast with Alfred Molina leading the way as Sam, a grumpy old man still reeling from his wife's death, forced into The Boroughs by his daughter because he could not get out of the contract. Geena Davis, Alfre Woodard, Clarke Peters, Bill Pullman, and Denis O’Hare bring decades of screen presence each bringing humor, gravitas, vulnerability, and warmth in equal measure.
While the series is boasted by its star power, the characters wrestle with questions about identity, relationships, purpose, and what comes next which gives the series a heartbeat beneath the science fiction elements.
The Boroughs ultimately delivers something that is highly entertaining over its 8 episodes while delivering a thoughtful story about aging. It combines suspense, humor, and emotion with a cast whose experience elevates every scene proving that some of the most fascinating stories can lead with an older ensemble where the most compelling adventures can begin exactly where people least expect them.
All episodes of The Boroughs are streaming now on Netflix.
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