May 21, 2026 — 5:00pm Boroughs ★★★½ The boomers are more than OK in The Boroughs, an enjoyably upbeat supernatural adventure where the ageing residents of an American retirement village have to band together to fight off their various adversaries. Whether it’s a society that wants to park them out of the way or spindly creatures that make nocturnal brain fluid raids, these retirees are up against it. Let’s be clear: nobody puts nanna in the corner. Denis O’Hare as Wally, Alfred Molina as Sam, Alfre Woodard as Judy in The Boroughs.Recently widowed and still grieving, Sam (Alfred Molina) arrives at the town-sized desert retirement community that is The Boroughs as an afterthought. His late wife signed them up and now Sam is unpacking their shared life alone. But he’s barely met cul-de-sac neighbours such as Jack (Bill Pullman), Renee (Geena Davis), or married couple Judy and Art (Alfre Woodard and Clarke Peters) before the wildness kicks in.The show is upfront about its scares. From the opening scene it’s ready to reveal the creepy intruders stalking the residents. It’s more interested in how the ageing collective respond, and what that does for their self-belief. They know no one will believe them – too much talk of monsters just gets you sent to “the Manor”, a secure ward for those with cognitive decline – and they have to remember just what they’re capable of.The Boroughs was created by Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews (The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance), but the most prominent credit is Stranger Things creators the Duffer Brothers as executive producers. The two shows share some DNA, including improvised monster hunts, ominous authority figures, and just-in-time escapes, albeit with golf carts for Sam and his pals instead of BMX bikes. John Paesano’s score is an uplifting homage to John Williams; negative fearing has no chance. Geena Davis as Renee in The Boroughs.There may be some unlikely heroics, but the ageing characters are never just cliches. They have ongoing needs and tangled emotional lives. Judy and Art are at the painful end of a long-time open marriage, while Renee has caught the eye of a younger security guard, and Sam is wrestling with unresolved anger. They’re not just conservative or curmudgeonly. Ageing, naturally or otherwise, is a bittersweet reality and telling metaphor.It’s a pleasure to see Molina, so long a gifted addition to supporting casts, have his way with a leading role. But the entire cast captures a dynamic of renewal and self-recognition, with True Blood maverick Denis O’Hare adding a sad, sardonic edge as the ailing Wally. As sturdily plot-driven as the eight episodes are, The Boroughs works as a great hang. It’s fun watching these characters traverse the unexpected. That matters.The Boroughs streams on Netflix from May 21. Want more TV? We’ve got you.Newsletter: Find out the next TV, streaming series and movies to add to your must-sees. Get The Watchlist delivered every Thursday.Rivals (season two) review: It’s Benny Hill meets Succession, and it’s the most OTT fun you’ll have watching TV this year.Legends review: Steve Coogan does a cracking Michael Caine impression, but with this British crime drama he’s mastered a Michael Caine role.Restoration Australia: How an unusual restoration and its “bleak” history stopped Anthony Burke in his tracks.The Other Bennet Sister: It’s been the most-watched new drama in Britain – and it celebrates an unexpected character.Shaun Micallef: The satirist has dissected gambling’s dark arts in his new documentary. It will leave you shattered.From our partners