The Duffers are back. And they’re offering even stranger things than before.

To be clear, The Boroughs is in no way connected to their most famous creation, Stranger Things. But, as Netflix searches for their next big, spooky hit, the comparisons between the two worlds are undeniable. After all, this is another horror-tinged sci-fi series, drenched in conspiracies and mysterious circumstances. (There’s even a gruff, bearded security guard that looks similar to David Harbour’s Jim Hopper.)

But, despite the similarities within their set-ups, Borough’s still charts its own course. And it has a whole lot of fun doing it.

The Boroughs. (L to R) Clarke Peters as Art, Geena Davis as Renee, Bill Pullman as Jack, Alfre Woodard as Judy, Alfred Molina as Sam in The Boroughs. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2026

Set in the sun-drenched emptiness of the New Mexico desert, The Boroughs follows Sam (Alfred Molina), a retired widower who is forced to live in a retirement community after his wife passes away. While everyone who lives there seems happy, it’s the last place that Sam wants to spend his days. But things change dramatically when Sam accidentally discovers a monstrous entity that’s stalking the manicured cul-de-sac. With the fire in his belly renewed, Sam teams up with his new friends to unravel the dark truth at the heart of their community before their time runs out.

Executive produced by the Duffers and show run by Will Matthews and Jeffrey Addiss, The Boroughs has a very different look than its Netflix cousins from Hawkins, Indiana. Set in a brightly lit cul-de-sac and retirement community, Boroughsleans into its 1960s post-war nostalgia. While (mostly) modern, every suburban home feels like it’s been plucked out of space and time. Televisions are black and white, pastel colours are prominent and, most importantly, everything feels eerily clean.

But, as we know with suburbia, things are never as they good as they seem.

The Boroughs. Alfred Molina as Sam in The Boroughs. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2026

While the people are genuine, the series instantly lets you know that there’s a darkness that’s lurking ‘behind the walls’. Without giving spoilers, something strange is going on in their neighbourhood. And these men and women are none the wiser. It’s in this way that the series leans into its Stranger Things-esque storytelling. Even so, by changing the setting and the age of its characters, Boroughs manages to feel like its own entity.

Actually, in some ways, the series’ retirement community setting tracks with the recent trend of elderly stars solving mysteries. From Only Murders in the Building to the revived Matlock and Netflix’s own Thursday Murder Club, we’ve seen a rise in content surrounding ‘retirees’ who find themselves in otherworldly circumstances. And, frankly, Boroughshas a lot of fun with its motley crew of characters.

Even so, the heart and soul of Boroughs remains Molina. As Sam ‘The Man’, Molina makes the lovable grump an absolute joy to watch onscreen. He’s broken and hurting but also sympathetic and earnest. And, as the mystery begins to unravel, Molina gains a twinkle in his eye that positively sparkles onscreen. (Though, it’s worth noting as well that Alfre Woodard also makes the most of every moment of screen time as well.)

The Boroughs. Alfre Woodard as Judy in The Boroughs. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2026

And Boroughs takes its aging characters very seriously. These are men and women who recognize that there’s more life behind them than ahead of them. Some are broken-hearted and some are dealing with disease but all are wrestling with their own mortality. In these moments, Boroughs seems genuinely interested in exploring what life means when you’re bearing the weight of your past.

Yet that’s also where the series finds its joy. Yes, these are characters who are hurting. However, they’re also rediscovering pieces of the things that they’ve been missing along the way. That curious energy fuels The Boroughs, making it as much about rebirth as it is about grappling with death. It also makes it a surprisingly spooky good time.

All eight episodes of The Boroughs are available on Netflix on Thursday, May 21st, 2026.