Stream of the Day
‘The Boroughs’ aims for heart and horror
A new sci-fi series, executive produced by the creators of ‘Stranger Things’, is streaming on Netflix from today.
The Boroughs follows a grieving newcomer to a seemingly perfect retirement community where a monstrous encounter exposes a dark secret beneath the peaceful surface. Teaming up with a misfit group of unlikely heroes, the newcomer discovers that life in the golden years is far more dangerous than expected.
The new sci-fi series, from creators, showrunners, and executive producers Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews (The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance), is streaming on Netflix from today (21 May 2026). The eight-episode drama is executive produced by The Duffer Brothers, the creators of Stranger Things.
“From the beginning, we knew we wanted The Boroughs to feel equal parts scary, mysterious, exciting, and emotional,” Addiss and Matthews told Tudum, Netflix’s companion site. “The challenge was to create a world that could hold all of these different tones at once. Which is why it was so fun to work with the Duffer Brothers — the masters of balancing heart and horror.”
The Duffer Brothers told Tudum: “For years, we’ve wondered why no one has made a film like Ron Howard’s wonderful Cocoon since, well, Cocoon. Then, out of nowhere, Jeff and Will emailed us an idea for The Boroughs: a story about retirees and monsters.
“They were adamant that — unlike so many stories about older characters — this wouldn’t treat aging as a punchline. Instead, it would treat its characters as real people facing real challenges … along with a few supernatural ones. It was exactly the show we’d been dreaming of.”
The cast includes Alfred Molina (Spider-Man: No Way Home, Three Pines) as Sam, Geena Davis (Thelma & Louise, A League of Their Own) as Renee, Alfre Woodard (Clemency, Salem’s Lot) as Judy, Denis O’Hare (American Horror Story, This Is Us) as Wally, Clarke Peters (The Wire; Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) as Art, and Bill Pullman (The Sinner, Independence Day) as Jack.
“While the characters are a little older than the kids in Stranger Things — they ride golf carts instead of bikes — the spirit is very much the same,” said the Duffer Brothers. “At its core, this is a story about belonging and growing up — no matter your age — filled with adventure, wonder, comedy, scares, and tears. And most importantly, you’re going to fall in love with these characters. Watching legends like Alfred Molina, Geena Davis, Alfre Woodard, Clarke Peters, Denis O’Hare, and Bill Pullman bring them to life was genuinely magical. The monsters are very cool — but it’s the characters who will stay with you.”
Additional executive producers include Hilary Leavitt, under the Duffers’ Upside Down Pictures production banner, and Ben Taylor (Sex Education, Catastrophe), who will also direct the first two episodes.
