New Netflix sci-fi show from Stranger Things creators lands 92% Rotten Tomatoes score

'Appears primed to be the streamer’s next big thing.'

The eight-part series centres around Sam (Alfred Molina, Spider-Man 2), a retired engineer and the newest resident at the picturesque retirement community that gives the show its title.

Located in the sun-drenched expanse of the New Mexico desert, The Boroughs promises its residents the time of their lives. Yet, for Sam, his new surroundings feel more like a prison.

"Everything changes when a terrifying nighttime encounter reveals that something monstrous is stalking the manicured cul-de-sacs," the plot synopsis from Netflix adds.

Watch the trailer for The Boroughs here:

"Dismissed by the powers that be as just another confused old man, Sam finds unlikely allies in a band of neighbourhood misfits: a sharp-witted former journalist (Alfre Woodard, Primal Fear), a spiritual seeker (Clarke Peters, The Wire), a cynical music manager (Geena Davis, The Long Kiss Goodnight), and a brilliant doctor running out of options (Denis O'Hare, American Horror Story).

"Overlooked and underestimated, these unlikely heroes must band together to unravel the dark truth at the heart of The Boroughs before their time runs out."

The Boroughs' cast also includes Alice Kremelberg (The Sinner), Bill Pullman (Independence Day), Dee Wallace (E.T.), Ed Begley Jr. (Young Sheldon), Jane Kaczmarek (Malcolm in the Middle), Jena Malone (Donnie Darko) and Rafael Casal (Loki).

Executive produced by The Duffer Brothers, the series was created by Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews (The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim).

Released today (Thursday, 21 May), the show is already earning praise for its cast, characters, humour and themes.

Several critics have even compared it to the work of both Stephen King and Steven Spielberg.

Holding a 92% Rotten Tomatoes score, you can read a sample of some of the glowing write-ups for The Boroughs below:

ComicBook.com: "A witty, charming ode to great 1990s sci-fi stories, with a big slice of Stephen King thrown in. In other words, if you're into genre storytelling, this is your jam."

The Daily Beast: "A consistently surprising new-by-way-of-old-school genre affair that appears primed to be the streamer’s next big thing.

Geek Vibes Nation: "If you took The Goonies and put it at the retirement community, you would get The Boroughs. A fun, quirky, easy-to-digest series that will have you laughing."

Heaven of Horror: "…A sci-fi mystery series that feels like the genre love child of Steven Spielberg and Stephen King... I absolutely loved it – all the way from the opening scene."

LeisureByte.com: "The Boroughs transforms a familiar monster mystery into an emotional story about ageing, grief, and invisibility, powered by strong performances from Alfred Molina, Geena Davis, and Alfre Woodard."

RIOTUS: "These eight episodes thrill, threaten, and pop with suspense, laughs, and emotional pull that I’m calling The Stranger Cocoon Files—if you know, you know."

All eight episodes of The Boroughs are streaming on Netflix now.

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