The Boroughs Review: Alfred Molina and Geena Davis Lead a Fun, Spielbergian Sci-Fi Adventure

Netflix's The Boroughs boasts the kind of ensemble cast that most shows can only dream of. In the process, it makes a not-so-subtle statement about ageism in genre TV. At this point in their careers, we typically see beloved actors like Alfred Molina and Geena Davis in supporting roles, playing second fiddle to younger stars. Rarely do they get cast as heroic leads. But The Boroughs bucks that trend by placing them at center stage, in a Spielbergian romp about a group of senior citizens who uncover a deadly conspiracy in their retirement community.

For the same reasons that mental institutions are a horror movie staple, this community turns out to be a perfect setting for a mystery where authority figures cannot be trusted. Secluded away in the New Mexico desert, the Boroughs retirement village is essentially a company town. Everything is owned by the same corporate entity, from housing to gym facilities to the local police force. Blurring the lines between care and control, each home comes equipped with a knockoff Siri device that doubles as a surveillance tool. So if one of the elderly residents happens to die under suspicious circumstances — say, after being attacked by a spindly-limbed monster of unknown provenance — then their demise is easy enough to sweep under the rug. Old people die all the time, after all. Old people also tend to have memory problems, providing a convenient excuse to dismiss any unusual eyewitness reports in the neighborhood. Surely they're just confused.

Our protagonist, retired engineer Sam Cooper (Alfred Molina), is definitely not prone to confusion. Recently widowed, he used to act as a grumpy counterpoint to his more gregarious and upbeat wife. Buying a house in the Boroughs was her idea, but after her unexpected death, he's now having to move in alone. 

Sam's daughter, Claire (Jena Malone), hopes that he can build a new life here, but he's not exactly a receptive audience for the Stepford Wives cheer of the Boroughs' staff, or the energetic social calendar of the other residents in his cul-de-sac. Jack (Bill Pullman), a prolific flirt and party host, does his best to welcome Sam into the fold, introducing him to the pleasures of their retiree lifestyle: golf, gossip, and a copious supply of medical marijuana. In the end, however, friendship is only one of the reasons why Sam decides to stick around. There's clearly a dark secret lurking behind the Boroughs' prosperous facade, and he's determined to find out what it is. 

6.5

The Boroughs

at Netflix

Like

• The all-star cast of beloved character actors
• Denis O'Hare's hilarious yet sympathetic performance
• The retirement-age characters give a fresh perspective to a familiar type of sci-fi story

Dislike

• The plot is pretty predictable
• It loses speed toward the end of the season

The Boroughs' trailer makes sure to promote its connection to Stranger Things, but while the Duffer brothers do share an executive producer credit, this show is really the brainchild of screenwriters Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews (The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim). Despite some overlap with its suburban sci-fi setting, The Boroughs is a lot more lightweight than Stranger Things is, prioritizing warmth and humor over deep lore or scares. Its greatest draw is clearly the cast, teaming Alfred Molina with a squad of septuagenarian character actors: Geena Davis playing the Boroughs' charismatic art teacher, Alfre Woodard as a serious-minded former journalist, Clarke Peters as her New Age stoner husband, and American Horror Story alum Denis O'Hare (a mere 64 years old) in a scene-stealing performance as a retired doctor with terminal cancer.

Although Sam's investigation starts out like a creature feature, The Boroughs' real tension emerges from the uncomfortable power dynamic of its setting, where the main characters are gaslit and disrespected by people who allegedly care for their wellbeing. When art teacher Renee (Davis) tries to report a crime to the town's private security firm, a lazy rent-a-cop handwaves her concerns with a sneer. Worse yet, Sam and his retirement-age neighbors face an unspoken threat of institutionalization. The Boroughs has a robust facility for dementia patients, and any reports of paranormal activity could easily be diagnosed as the ramblings of a deteriorating mind.

As the main characters team up to investigate the strange goings-on in their neighborhood, they begin to realize that their comfortable retirement is far more precarious than they ever imagined. If only this idea went a little further. When The Boroughs lingers on the vulnerability of its cast, we catch a glimpse of how our society can overlook the perspectives of older people — a tricky topic to navigate, given that Baby Boomers also wield a disproportionate amount of political power. However, the show quickly changes tack whenever things get too intense, returning to sillier material involving secret tunnel systems and morgue heists.

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Fittingly, The Boroughs can feel like a throwback at times, elaborating on the type of sci-fi concept that might fill an episode of classic shows like The X-Files, Doctor Who, or The Twilight Zone. That isn't to say it's too thin for a full series, but it doesn't offer many surprises either. Viewers can guess the identity of the main villain almost immediately, and as the season wears on, the later revelations aren't as exciting as they probably should be. It's just as well that the show's casting choices are so strong, making this an easy series to keep streaming to the end.

Over his five-decade screen career, Alfred Molina has more than proved his worth, and this show offers a rare opportunity to see him in a true lead role. Gruff yet determined, Sam is incredibly easy to root for. Between Molina, Denis O'Hare, and Alfre Woodard, The Boroughs has more than enough wit and emotional depth to carry us through some more predictable plot points, foregrounding characters who do, for once, live up to the overused descriptor of unlikely heroes.

Premieres: Thursday, May 21 on Netflix
Who's in it: Alfred Molina, Geena Davis, Alfre Woodard, Clarke Peters, Denis O'Hare, Bill Pullman, Jena Malone, Seth Numrich
Who's behind it: Jeffrey Addiss & Will Matthews (writers and showrunners)
For fans of: The X-Files, Eureka, Stranger Things, The Twilight Zone
Episodes watched: 8 of 8