The Boroughs is here.
The eight episode Netflix supernatural mystery series, co-executive produced by Stranger Things creators The Duffer Brothers, just premiered on the streamer on Thursday (May 21).
The new TV show stars Alfred Molina (Sam), Geena Davis (Renee), Alfre Woodard (Judy), Denis O’Hare (Wally), Clarke Peters (Art), Bill Pullman (Jack), Carlos Miranda (Paz), Jena Malone (Claire), Seth Numrich (Blaine), and Alice Kremelberg (Anneliese).
Here’s a synopsis:
In the sun-drenched expanse of the New Mexico desert lies The Boroughs, a picturesque retirement community promising its residents the time of their lives. But for new arrival Sam Cooper (Alfred Molina), paradise feels more like a prison. Everything changes when a terrifying nighttime encounter reveals that something monstrous is stalking the manicured cul-de-sacs. Dismissed by the powers that be as just another confused old man, Sam finds unlikely allies in a band of neighborhood misfits: a sharp-witted former journalist, a spiritual seeker, a cynical music manager, and a brilliant doctor running out of options. Overlooked and underestimated, these unlikely heroes must band together to unravel the dark truth at the heart of The Boroughs before their time runs out.
Early reviews are already in for the series. What are critics saying so far?
The Boroughs currently has a 92% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Daily Beast says: “A consistently surprising new-by-way-of-old-school genre affair that appears primed to be the streamer’s next big thing.”
CBR gives it 7 out of 10, writing: “The sci-fi drama series is an engrossing, comfortable series elated by a high-profile cast.”
Time says: “Easily the best of the three Netflix series the Duffers have shepherded since Stranger Things ended last year…The Boroughs shares that franchise’s Spielbergian juxtaposition of horror and heart.”
Collider gave it 7 out of 10 also, writing: “It’s going to be nigh on impossible to shake the Stranger Things comparisons with anything produced by Upside Down Pictures, but it is a lazy comparison; The Boroughs deserves more than to be discussed as a copy.”
Screen Rant gives it 6 out of 10, noting: “The heartwarming charm and familiar sci-fi nostalgia of The Boroughs manages to overcome its pacing and derivative flaws to deliver an entertaining, easy-to-watch mystery.”
TV Guide gives it 6.5 out of 10, writing: “The Boroughs has more than enough wit and emotional depth to carry us through some more predictable plot points, foregrounding characters who do, for once, live up to the overused descriptor of unlikely heroes.”
ComicBook.com gives it 4 out of 5, writing: “A witty, charming ode to great 1990s sci-fi stories, with a big slice of Stephen King thrown in. In other words, if you’re into genre storytelling, this is your jam.”
Mashable writes: “The Boroughs tells a meaningful tale about aging and grieving, all wrapped up in an irresistible adventure.”
The Seattle Times says: “It looks and feels like far too much of modern streaming television, halfheartedly bringing a bunch of compelling actors together only to do very little with them.”
Check out the first photos from The Boroughs…
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