The Duffer Brothers spent the better part of a decade turning ‘Stranger Things‘ into one of the most recognizable sci-fi brands on the planet, and the creative appetite that fuelled that phenomenon has not slowed down. Through their Upside Down Pictures banner, Matt and Ross Duffer have channelled their producer instincts into ‘The Boroughs’, a new Netflix sci-fi series created by Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews, the duo best known for their work on ‘The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance’.
Set in a seemingly perfect retirement community, the series follows a crew of unlikely heroes who must stop an otherworldly threat from stealing the one thing they do not have: time. The story unfolds in an idyllic desert community where Alfred Molina plays Sam, a man who only moved in because he and his late wife had already paid for a spot, and who soon finds himself pulled into something far stranger than he bargained for. All eight episodes arrived on the streaming service on May 21, 2026.
The show’s most unexpected stamp of approval came from a name that carries enormous weight in the world of horror and genre fiction. In a post on Threads, Stephen King voiced his reaction after watching the series, calling it an absolute delight and adding that its all-at-once release on Netflix made it genuinely worth a full binge session. The endorsement sent the show rocketing up conversation feeds almost immediately. Co-creator Jeffrey Addiss responded to King’s praise by acknowledging the author’s influence on the series, writing that King’s work had been a major reference point throughout the creative process.
The ensemble cast is one of the series’ most celebrated elements, bringing together Geena Davis, Alfre Woodard, Bill Pullman, and Denis O’Hare alongside Molina in a group of cul-de-sac neighbours who are hiding more than anyone would initially suspect. The result is described by critics as heartbreaking, funny, and endlessly fascinating, a show that examines loss, pain, time, and the trials of life during the golden years.
Critics have embraced the series with near-universal enthusiasm, awarding it a 95% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with reviewers praising the cast’s strong performances, the show’s intriguing sci-fi mysteries, and its exploration of older adult characters well beyond the usual stereotypes. Critic Sherin Nicole captured the general mood by dubbing it a series that thrills, threatens, and pops with suspense, laughs, and emotional pull, describing it as a kind of genre hybrid that draws from ‘Stranger Things’ and the 1985 Spielberg-produced classic ‘Cocoon’ in equal measure.
The comparisons to ‘Stranger Things’ have been hard to miss, though showrunners Addiss and Matthews have embraced the conversation rather than shied away from it. Speaking to Inverse, Addiss explained, “We both wanted to tell coming-of-age stories. We just picked a different age, but it’s all still unlikely heroes.” The creators have also been open about having a three-season plan mapped out, though Netflix has not yet made an official decision on the show’s future.
In its opening week, ‘The Boroughs’ registered 5.6 million views globally with 35.3 million hours viewed, debuting in second place on the Netflix charts behind ‘Nemesis’. With King’s endorsement now amplifying its profile and critics calling it one of Netflix’s strongest releases of the year, the numbers seem likely to climb.
Whether you think the Duffer Brothers’ new chapter fills the void left by ‘Stranger Things’ or carves out something entirely its own, share your take after watching.