Four decades on, ’80s-style science fiction adventures continue to exert their influence on modern film and TV. The idea of a group of kids teaming up to face an otherworldly threat has become a trope at this point, seen in everything from Super 8 to Stranger Things. So on one level, The Boroughs, a new sci-fi series on Netflix, does a lot that feels very familiar, with its tale of a mysterious alien terrorizing a small neighborhood and the team of plucky friends who band together to stop it. But The Boroughs also does something different: Its neighborhood is a retirement community, and its group of friends are all in their 70s. That seemingly slight change makes a big difference, elevating The Boroughs above most of its Spielberg-imitating brethren.
The Boroughs is the title of the show, but it’s also the name of the beautiful retirement community in the New Mexico desert where, almost immediately, it’s clear there’s something wrong. Things are just a little too perfect. Crotchety newcomer Sam (Alfred Molina) senses this early on, but it takes a while before he has an idea of just what’s going on. There are hints at it, like the resident who complains about owls in the walls, but things really kick off when Sam accidentally catches an alien creature that seems to be feeding on his neighbors while they sleep. This discovery pulls him and his newly formed friend group into a larger conspiracy.
The Boroughs does a good job of teasing out its mystery, which steadily grows in scale over the course of its eight episodes. I won’t spoil anything, but there’s a direct connection between the alien and the many strange things that keep happening around the community, which only makes figuring out what’s really going on — and, of course, stopping it — all the more difficult. In a classic Amblin movie circa 1985, this is the point in the story when a group of kids on bikes would get mixed up in the conspiracy and figure things out. But since we’re in a retirement community, the group skews quite a bit older.
Sam is the central figure, a man feeling adrift and disoriented following the sudden death of his wife and the move to a new place. But he’s helped along by his neighbors. There’s the perpetually cheerful Jack (Bill Pullman), who earns Sam’s friendship by not taking no for an answer; retired journalist Judy (Alfre Woodard) and her husband Art (Clarke Peters), who just wants to get high and play golf; Renee (Geena Davis), a former big-shot manager in the music industry; and Wally (Denis O’Hare), a doctor with a long, sad history of losing his loved ones.
There’s a lot about The Boroughs that is familiar and predictable. You can make an educated guess at where things are headed midway through the season when Art stumbles on a peach tree with seemingly magical properties. There are plot beats ripped out of the films that clearly inspired the show, like when Sam cobbles together alien-fighting weapons out of old TVs. But there’s a fun twist on those familiar elements that comes from the characters and setting. Eventually the story gets so strange and convoluted that it becomes impossible for any of the crew to explain, because anyone listening will just think they’re senile.
More than anything, though, this show is carried by its cast. I enjoyed the mystery — even if the final reveal lands a little flat — but more than that I enjoyed hanging out with these elderly weirdos (to be clear, this is a compliment). Watching The Boroughs, you can’t help but want to grab a beer with the utterly charming Jack, or light up a joint with Art. Seeing Alfre Woodard whip out a gun with deadly determination, or hearing Geena Davis say she wants to “stack some bodies,” is an utter delight. Each member of the group has their own distinct charm — it’s especially gratifying seeing Sam open up to his newfound family — along with skills that just so happen to turn them into the ideal team to fight the extraterrestrial menace.
The lovability of the cast makes it much easier to look past the show’s imperfections, as does the fact that this appears to be a standalone story, and one that, at eight episodes, doesn’t overstay its welcome. And while it’s reminiscent of many classics, it thankfully doesn’t rely solely on nostalgia, standing on its own as a great sci-fi mystery. The Boroughs feels so much like an ’80s movie that it probably would’ve been just fine at a tight 90 minutes, but I’m not going to complain about having more time to spend with these folks.
The Boroughs is streaming on Netflix now.