The Boroughs | Netflix Series Review (2026)

Added: 2026-05-28

[00:00:01][music] [music] [music] >> What up and welcome to Rama's Green YouTube channel and here's my review of Netflix new series The Burrows. Let's rock this. Okay, the best way to describe this new show is it's kind of like Stranger Things but featuring senior citizens. I kid you not, that is the description that everybody who has watched this show will agree on. Just to be clear, The Burrows was not really created by the Duffer brothers. They only helped produce this project but clearly the actual writers and creators of The Burrows are big fans of Stranger Things. And so for this show, they borrowed a lot of the storytelling styles and visuals and tone of Stranger Things. I mean, the influence or the inspiration is as obvious as the sun in the sky. Thanks to Netflix, I've already watched the entire eight episodes of this first season and what is my overall verdict? I loved it. I thought it was fantastic. The Burrows was heartfelt and thrilling and witty. The characters, despite their old age, funny and playful and lovable and charming. They are a perfectly put together cast ensemble who operate like The Goonies or like the Scooby-Doo Mystery Gang after a hip replacement. And what I love the most about it is that the writers tackle the themes of loss and grief and sense of purpose and fear of mortality in a way that not only connects well with the mystery but it is also imbued with perceptiveness and empathy. It's not jarring. It's not preachy. It's gentle yet suspenseful and deeply moving.

[00:01:56]Created and showrun by Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews and executive produced by the Duffer brothers in the Borrowers, in a seemingly perfect retirement community, a grieving newcomer's monstrous encounter inspires him to join a misfit crew of unlikely heroes who uncover a dark secret that proves their golden years are more dangerous and they are more formidable than anyone expects.

[00:02:21]Starring Alfred Molina, Gina Davis, Alfre Woodard, Danny Soh Hair, Clark Peters, Bill Pullman, and Jenna Malone.

[00:02:28]Each episode runs about 45 to 50 minutes long, but it never drags. There's never a single boring minute. The first episode sets the mystery up nicely and as their little ragtag team gradually forms, it becomes more and more engaging with every passing episode. In a parallel universe, this could easily have been a nostalgic coming-of-age tale from the Amblin Entertainment era, you know what I mean? But you switcheroo the teens with the old people, swap out the bicycles for the customized golf carts, and voila! Suddenly, you have this different way of looking at this supernatural adventure subgenre. Superb cast, by the way, led by the great Alfred Molina, whose character Sam is the emotional anchor of this show.

[00:03:18]Alfred delivers a beautiful performance who balances the pain of losing his wife with the intellectual stubbornness that makes him a Joe Schmoe hero that's easy to cheer for. And Alfred is surrounded by equally caliber stellar actors like Oscar winner Gina Davis and Oscar nominee Alfre Woodard and the legendary Bill Pullman, all of whom contribute their own level of brilliance. One of the supporting characters is desperate, the other is curious to know, and another character is cynical, the other one is driven by a secret affair. So, they're all eccentric and interesting in their own way. And to my point earlier, all of their dilemmas are handled by the writers with the utmost care that doesn't leave any of them hanging. And the mild action sequences are catered to and are very mindful of the actors' age and capabilities. The pacing is excellent. The production designs are gorgeous. I mean, that suburbia is so cozy. It looks like it at least. Oh, and the monsters. I'm not sure how much of it are practical effects or maybe all of it are CG, but they look spooky and eerie as hell. Nicely done. Last but not least, yes, this is a sci-fi mystery drama, but it's got so much human emotion in it. The story doesn't treat aging as a punchline, but it approaches the concept of golden years as an exciting life chapter in where these characters not only confront the monsters, but they also confront the literal and metaphorical theft of time.

[00:04:58]So, yeah, overall, I give The Burrowers the rating of 4 and 1/2 out of 5. Some parts of it are kind of scary, but it's not a full-blown horror. It's mostly a skin-crawling, delightfully funny sci-fi conspiracy adventure full of wonders and camaraderie.

[00:05:18]>> [music] >> Golden years.

[00:05:22]Golden years.

[00:05:23]>> [music]