Netflix’s next great sci-fi show is set in a retirement community

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FollowSee All NetflixNetflix’s next great sci-fi show is set in a retirement communityThe Boroughs channels classic ’80s movies, but with a very different ragtag group at its core. The Boroughs channels classic ’80s movies, but with a very different ragtag group at its core. by Andrew Webster Andrew WebsterSenior entertainment editorPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.

Technical Details

FollowSee All by Andrew WebsterMay 21, 2026, 1:30 PM UTC Image: Netflix Andrew Webster Andrew WebsterPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. FollowSee All by Andrew Webster is an entertainment editor covering streaming, virtual worlds, and every single Pokémon video game. Andrew joined The Verge in 2012, writing over 4,000 stories.

Four decades on, ’80s-style science fiction adventures continue to exert their influence on modern film and TV. The idea of a group of kids teaming up to face an otherworldly threat has become a trope at this point, seen in everything from Super 8 to Stranger Things. So on one level, The Boroughs, a new sci-fi series on Netflix, does a lot that feels very familiar, with its tale of a mysterious alien terrorizing a small neighborhood and the team of plucky friends who band together to stop it.

But The Boroughs also does something different: Its neighborhood is a retirement community, and its group of friends are all in their 70s. That seemingly slight change makes a big difference, elevating The Boroughs above most of its Spielberg-imitating brethren. The Boroughs is the title of the show, but it’s also the name of the beautiful retirement community in the New Mexico desert where, almost immediately, it’s clear there’s something wrong.

Industry Implications

Things are just a little too perfect. Crotchety newcomer Sam (Alfred Molina) senses this early on, but it takes a while before he has an idea of just what’s going on. There are hints at it, like the resident who complains about owls in the walls, but things really kick off when Sam accidentally catches an alien creature that seems to be feeding on his neighbors while they sleep.

This discovery pulls him and his newly formed friend group into a larger conspiracy. RelatedYour guide to sci-fi streaming seasonThe Boroughs does a good job of teasing out its mystery, which steadily grows in scale over the course of its eight episodes.

This advance offers important signals about the future of the sector, and the tech world is watching closely.