‘The Boroughs’ Review: Alfred Molina Leads an All-Star Ensemble Through Netflix’s Clunky Geriatric Spin on ‘Stranger Things’
The Netflix series 'The Boroughs' features an ensemble cast led by Alfred Molina, exploring themes of aging and time in a retirement community. While the show draws comparisons to 'Stranger Things' with its sci-fi elements, it suffers from a lack of engaging plot development. Despite its talented cast, the series struggles to fully utilize its strengths, leaving viewers wanting more.
- ▪The series is set in a retirement community where characters grapple with the passage of time.
- ▪Alfred Molina stars as Sam, a newcomer reluctant to embrace his new life after the death of his wife.
- ▪The show features an ensemble cast including Geena Davis and Alfre Woodard, but the plot is criticized for being dull.
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| Original publisher | The Hollywood Reporter |
| Canonical URL | https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/the-boroughs-review-alfred-molina-duffer-bros-netflix-1236602497/ |
| Publication time | Thu, 21 May 2026 07:01:00 +0000 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-05-21T07:05:03.555Z |
| Last seen | 2026-05-21T07:05:03.555Z |
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'The Boroughs' Courtesy of Netflix Share on Facebook Share on X Google Preferred Share to Flipboard Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Send an Email Print the Article Post a Comment The question of time, and how best to spend it, is front of mind for the characters of Netflix’s The Boroughs. As Boomers living out their last years in an idyllic desert retirement community, they’re never not aware of how quickly time can move, how little of it they might have left, how much of it they’ve wasted already or fear wasting still. There is some irony, then, in the fact that the series’ greatest flaw might be misallocation of this precious resource.
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