SIRENS – Limited Series (2025)

There have been so many send-ups and critiques of high society and the ultra-wealthy, especially since economic disparity came into sharp focus during the COVID-19 pandemic, that it’s become hard to keep track of them all. Indeed, poking fun at high society and knocking the ultra-wealthy off their high horses have become pastimes for the entertainment industry (which is ironic, considering the bank accounts of the showrunners and producers funding these projects). Sometimes these critiques and parodies work, as they did in the first Knives Out (2019) film. Sometimes, they fall flat, as they did in Death of a Unicorn (2025) and the second film in the Knives Out series, Glass Onion (2023). Netflix’s Sirens does and doesn’t belong in the upper-class parody category, and when it does, it falls firmly into the successful pile. This is a monster film without monsters but filled to the brim with humanity.

Worried that her sister, Simone (Milly Alcock), has become too enmeshed in the life of her enigmatic boss, Michaela Kell (Julianne Moore), Devon (Meghann Fahy) travels from her train-wreck life in Buffalo to a luxurious island off the east coast to stage an intervention and bring her sister home. What follows is a sometimes poignant, often funny and usually thought-provoking manners play that takes place over the course of one intense Labour Day weekend.

Sirens’ creator, Molly Smith Meltzer, who also wrote the 2011 play Elemeno Pea on which the series was based, cleverly makes use of the double meaning of Sirens — both as singing mermaids who lured sailors on the sea and as a symbol of emergency. The sisters use the code word “sirens” to indicate when one of them is in trouble. Devon’s trip to the island was precipitated by her continually texting the word “sirens” to Simone, only to be ignored.

The main reason for the title, though, comes from the mythology surrounding sirens. From the very beginning, the image of the opulent “cliff house” by the sea, set to ethereal music, beckons the eye. The lifestyle of the ultra-rich beckons characters to different fates. Some succumb to the summons and some do not. But everyone hears the call.

The acting from all three leading ladies is better than good and they are held up by a strong supporting cast. Julianne Moore, who was cast for her ethereal presence, is both relatable and otherworldly at the same time without either quality ever being overdone. She is both a kind boss and a harsh taskmistress in one stroke. In terms of acting, this is a difficult balancing act that would have fallen entirely flat in the hands of a less skilful actress than Moore.

Alcock’s Simone is, likewise, uptight, demanding and vulnerable in equal measure. Though there is an uncertainty about her performance, that adds to the character and charm of a girl trying desperately to outrun her past, never quite able to do it. Megan Fahy is expertly cast as Devon who is troubled but strong, funny but impulsive and often embarrassing. She’s not the most likeable leading lady and she’s certainly not meant to be. Her determination to hold on to the little sister she raised leads to a lot of the cringe comedy that usually induces me to turn the TV off. However, the embarrassing moments seem so natural for Devon and her attitude towards them is so non-chalant that I couldn’t help but be impressed rather than embarrassed for her and everyone around her.

The three ladies are supported by a stellar supporting cast. Of course, Kevin Bacon (Footloose) is as likeable as ever as Peter Kell, Michaela’s seemingly put-upon husband. He’s one of those actors who is so charming and likeable that he would win your heart in any role he played. Even more impressive is a believable and moving performance by Bill Camp as the girls’ gruff, very imperfect but loving father, Bruce, who has been diagnosed with early-onset dementia.

Having loved someone who passed away from Alzheimer’s, I was surprised by how accurately Camp was able to take on this role. The moments of confusion, questioning and even anger brought back stark memories of my family member and made me feel both for him and for the daughters who had to care for him. This, combined with a beautifully written and performed scene where Devon relays the difficulties in caring for a parent with dementia, made me glad that this series decided to tackle the issue.

With all that is good about Sirens, it’s not without its issues and tired clichés. Of course, we have yet another heroine who is a sex addict. This has become a staple in prestige television less so that writers and directors can deal with the true impact of addiction and more so that the producers can show a lot of attractive actor skin to get ratings.

Now, to be entirely fair to Sirens, Devon does have moments where her predilection for jumping into bed or coming on to random men has unexpected consequences. That said, most of those consequences are played for laughs rather than treated seriously. True to form in fantasy TV, there are no STDs to worry about or pregnancy scares. The closest they get to unravelling the pathology behind Devon’s addiction is when she makes an indecent proposal to Jose (Felix Solis), the groundskeeper/chauffeur and estate puppet master simply because he showed her kindness. She’s genuinely surprised when he rebuffs her advances and admits that she doesn’t know how to relate to men in any other way. After that almost telling exchange, we go back to laughing at love triangles and quadrangles and showing beautiful people kissing and groping one another.

Since this is, in part, an upper-class parody, we also can’t avoid the cliché of the Stepford Wives. This comes in the form of a trio of women who, true to form, speak in sequence, spend money freely and are only concerned with living for the now. These characters are meant to be shallow stand-ins for society women but, after the umpteenth version of the same joke, it’s starting to get old. This was the first time I wondered why high society men are not parodied in the same way. We almost never get three men whose only differentiating feature are different coloured sweaters worn about their necks all with different variations on the name Theodore. That’s equally funny but, somehow, it only ever occurs to showrunners to parody women this way and not men.

Despite these few tired clichés, Sirens, for the most part, offers a refreshing look not at the upper class but at humanity. In the end, the ultra-rich are not monsters, merely people. While I usually don’t like the idea of “realistic” media showing horrible people doing horrible things to one another, I was pleasantly surprised to find that Sirens is much more than that. There are moral centres in the piece (one being Jose, who often acts as the conscience and voice of reason). And, without spoiling the ending, it can be said that the show takes a firm stance against the self-obsessed ‘do what makes you happy’ mentality, instead favouring family, duty, and a simpler life lived on good terms with those around you. In this culture where me-time is valued and self-preservation is put on a pedestal, these are values worth watching five episodes for.

USA | 2025 | 5 EPISODES | 16:9 HD | COLOUR | ENGLISH

Cast & Crew

writers: Molly Smith Metzler, Bekah Brunstetter & Colin McKenna (based on the play ‘Elemeno Pea’ by Molly Smith Metzler).
directors: Nicole Kassell, Quyen Tran & Lila Neugebauer.
starring: Meghann Fahy, Milly Alcock, Glenn Howerton, Bill Camp, Felix Solis, Kevin Bacon & Julianne Moore.