Picture Credit: Netflix
Netflix’s eight-episode sci-fi drama The Boroughs shares a similar DNA with Stranger Things, as well as classic Spielberg and The Goonies. But this time, it puts senior citizens at the center of it all. Does it capture the same magic as the legendary pictures that clearly inspire it, or come off as a cheap phoned-in cash grab?
Let’s start with this: The Boroughs has an extremely talented team behind it. The series is created by Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews, a duo well-regarded for their sci-fi and fantasy works, from The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance to The Lord of the Rings: The War of Rohirrim. It’s also produced by Netflix royalty Matt and Ross Duffer (of Stranger Things fame), marking their second 2026 Netflix Original series produced under their Upside Down Pictures umbrella. Back in March, they debuted horror Something Very Bad is Going to Happen, a limited series that went down really well among fans.
The series also boasts a veteran cast — the lead actors possessing a combined acting experience of roughly 350 years. And such experience certainly shows in their stellar performances; they may be getting old, but the infectious energy remains intact. I was especially impressed with Clarke Peters (The Wire), who plays Art, an elderly resident who momentarily regains his youthful energy and spirit after consuming a peach capable of delivering ‘Fountain of Youth’ style body alterations. Then there’s Alfre Woodard (12 Years a Slave) as Judy; direct and blunt, she gets in on the act of monster-hunting. Plus, the legendary Geena Davis (Thelma & Louise, A League of Their Own) is also involved. As casts go, it doesn’t get much more experienced.
Of all the cast, the most outstanding is our headline star, Alfred Molina, as former engineer Sam Cooper, who kicks off the series as dour, grumpy, and an all-round grouch. While the melancholic side of his character rarely shifts — Molina fights against the Boroughs regime with all the spirit, stubbornness, and intensity that he had over two decades ago when battling Spider-Man as Doc Ock.
The Boroughs. (L to R) Denis OÕHare as Wally, Alfre Woodard as Judy, Alfred Molina as Sam in The Boroughs. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2026
From the outset, Netflix’s The Boroughs has a lot going for it; the series takes place in an idyllic — yet undeniably weird — New Mexico retirement cul-de-sac community called The Boroughs. The sun-drenched, seemingly oasis lies in the heart of the desert, and it contains everything needed for the elderly to live out their lives in peace and content — whether that’s a golf course (or two), picturesque views, pure conformity, and so on. It offers its residents the ‘time of their lives’ — but of course, this is a supernatural romp, and creepiness lurks beneath its cozy and idyllic surface. The trope is very on the nose in this series.
We’re taken into The Boroughs through the lens of Sam (Molina), who’s admitted into the community by his family. Cooper is far from immediately satisfied by the manufactured, faux charm of The Boroughs; he himself calls it a ‘gilded prison’. Stuck in his grief and disinterested in adventuring beyond his little home, he finds himself drawn into its mystery when he witnesses an otherworldly creature firsthand. The people running the operation— specifically Blaine (Seth Numrich) and Anneliese (Alice Kremelberg)— pass the supernatural weirdness off as elderly delirium, or better yet, play deliberately ignorant, but Sam knows what he saw. Perhaps there’s adventure to be had after all. And while he’s not assisted by the corrupt leaders, he finds unlikely allies in fellow community members, notably Judy, Art, and Wally (at least at first, anyway).
The Boroughs. (L to R) Clarke Peters as Art, Alfre Woodard as Judy, Alfred Molina as Sam, Denis OÕHare as Wally, Geena Davis as Renee in The Boroughs. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2026
As for the monster side to the story, it very much echoes Stranger Things, focusing on the dirty human regime ahead of the actual monsters. The beasts themselves are spider-like and have a general Spielberg (Amblin-era) aesthetic about them. They feed off human brain fluid and have the ability to develop a sort of anti-ageing serum (which to the leaders of the Boroughs, it understandably invaluable). But this fluid is in the hands of the wrong people. The monsters are well-designed, and I’d expect nothing less from a show created by the duo behind The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance.
Tonally, The Boroughs favors heart over horror. You won’t be terrified; it’s not that type of series. The monster-horror element is genuinely high-stakes, but never leans far into jump-scare or gore territory. Rather, its heartfelt nature shines through, especially in themes of grief and moving on. At the beginning of the series, Sam Cooper is recently a widower, and his daughter helps him with the transition process of moving into The Boroughs, something he’s understandably intimidated by — he’s on his own, moving to an unfamiliar place. As he goes about his new daily life, it’s like he has a constant shadow of his wife following him, and he has sudden, sharp bouts of feeling overwhelmed. I was pleasantly surprised by the profound and raw way The Boroughs depicts grief. It added an unexpected level of heart and emotional significance to the story.
It’s also refreshing to see a series like this not pit age as a weakness that prevails above all else. Our main group is underestimated and overlooked by those running the Boroughs, but the show never puts restrictions on its characters due to age. They dive into their monster-hunting at the deep end. It never falls into the trap of making ageing a punchline.
MVP
The Boroughs. Alfred Molina as Sam in The Boroughs. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2026
Alfred Molina — Molina’s protagonist Sam Cooper gets put through the wringer this season. A recent widower, he finds himself ostracised in a secluded retirement community. After encountering a monster, he goes full-on investigation mode to uncover the dark secrets behind the Boroughs, making new friends along the way. Sam may remain grouchy throughout, but Molina plays out his emotional, thrilling journey in a way only a veteran like he can.
Verdict
The Boroughs continue a solid run for the Duffer’s Upside Down Pictures so far in 2026. Unlike Something Very Bad is Going to Happen (which I believe is easily the better of the two), this one has a formulaic approach. It’s a tried-and-tested and successful formula that dates back decades, and the Duffers are trying their hardest to bring ‘misfits versus monsters’ into a new generation. It feels like a mashup between Stranger Things (except it trades bikes for golf carts) and cult 1985 classic Cocoon, both in terms of storytelling and aesthetics. I imagine the Cocoon comparisons will soon make their way online in droves, and perhaps even bump the movie back into popularity. But above all that, there’s a massive, obvious Amblin Entertainment influence that permeates all 8 episodes. It brings that quintessential Spielberg aesthetic to a series set in the modern day.
Sure, The Boroughs is a fun and charming series, but it falls a heavy victim to the classic Hollywood ‘town with a dark secret’ trope — and honestly, it’s not the best example of it. It lacks the magic of the classics that fuel its inspiration, and therefore feels at times too predictable, like we’ve seen this story play out so many times before.
After a whole adventure in The Boroughs, the series closes with a tease for another season. The ending of Season 1 is enough to leave you perfectly satisfied, but it’s clear that the writers are waiting in the wings to pen another installment, should Netflix renew.
