The Duffer Brothers’ Stranger Things Replacement Officially Debuts With Higher Rotten Tomatoes Score

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Although Stranger Things will conclude in 2025, the Duffer Brothers, who created the show, have committed to developing other projects for Netflix before moving to Paramount. They are already working on a new series.

Created by the Duffer Brothers and based on a story by Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews, the new series is being hailed as the strongest work yet from the team behind Stranger Things. It premiered on May 21st and has quickly gained popularity. The Boroughs actually launched with an even more impressive 92% audience approval rating, surpassing Stranger Things‘ already high 90%.

Although the sci-fi series has many more reviews overall, and The Boroughs is based on just 13, the newer show is getting positive attention right from the beginning.

What Happens in The Boroughs?

The basic idea behind The Boroughs is similar to Stranger Things. While Stranger Things centered on kids finding another dimension and a secret government plot, The Boroughs takes that concept even further.

This show features a group of seniors instead of children, and they’re the ones investigating the strange happenings. It still takes place in a small town with paranormal activity, but the location has changed from the made-up town of Hawkins, Indiana, to the deserts of New Mexico.

The story unfolds in a seemingly perfect retirement community, a place where residents are promised an idyllic life. However, for Sam Cooper, a recent widower, it feels more like a trap. His world is turned upside down when a frightening nighttime event reveals a monstrous presence lurking within the community’s peaceful streets.

Everyone in authority brushed Sam aside as a senile old man, but he found help from an unexpected group: a clever ex-reporter, someone searching for meaning, a jaded music manager, and a gifted doctor desperate for answers. These underestimated individuals must join forces to expose the hidden darkness within The Boroughs before it’s too late.

The film boasts a talented cast including Alfred Molina, known for his roles in Spider-Man: No Way Home and Three Pines, as Sam; Geena Davis, famous for Thelma & Louise and 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.

What Are Critics Saying About The Boroughs?

Early reviews of the new sci-fi series have been positive, though Chase Hutchinson of the Seattle Times was critical, stating that The Boroughs resembles many other modern streaming shows – bringing together talented actors without giving them much to do.

Critics are praising the new sci-fi show as both a thrilling adventure and a touching story about loss and getting older. Belen Edwards of Mashable described it as a ‘meaningful tale about aging and grieving, all wrapped up in an irresistible adventure,’ while Jordan Williams from ScreenRant found it to be an ‘entertaining, easy-to-watch mystery.’ Karina Adelgaard of Heaven of Horror likened the series to a blend of the styles of Steven Spielberg and Stephen King, calling it a ‘Sci-Fi Mystery series’ with that unique feel.

The review particularly praised the characters in The Boroughs, noting that their relationships felt genuine and reminiscent of childhood adventures. The reviewer also highlighted a powerful performance by Molina, which helped to make even familiar scenes feel fresh and engaging.

The Boroughs is streaming on Netflix.

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2026-05-21 20:51