A working-class woman becomes alarmed at the bizarre relationship between her sister and her billionaire boss in cutting dark comedy Sirens
As billionaires continue to grow ever richer at the expense of everyone else, television viewers are becoming fascinated by the wealth gap between the haves and the have-lesses. That’s been apparent in the popularity of shows shining a spotlight on the one per cent, including the likes of The White Lotus, Succession and others.
That economic divide is at the heart of Netflix’s new series Sirens, starring Julianne Moore and Kevin Bacon as Michaela and Peter Kell, an obscenely affluent couple that leads a perfectly curated lifestyle on a luxurious holiday destination island. Told from the perspective of an unexpected outsider, the twisted comedy explores themes related to the American class system, sisterhood, the drive to succeed and female empowerment, among other things.
Based on the play Elemeno Pea by series writer and showrunner Molly Smith Metzler (Maid), Sirens follows protective older sister Devon DeWitt (Meghann Fahy of The White Lotus), who, despite her own mental health spiral, is determined to get to the bottom of her little sister’s strange attachment to her boss. When Devon shows up unexpectedly at the private estate of the Kells, she is overwhelmed by their perfectly manicured gardens, carefully curated buildings and the absurdly polished exterior of the staff, each of whom is directed and overseen by her sister, Simone (Milly Alcock, House of the Dragon).
Worse yet are the Kells themselves. Bacon’s Peter Kell is described by Netflix as having “come from old money and is the most important person in every room he enters.” His ego follows him from galas to family functions, even accompanying him on his many athletic endeavours. In fact, according to his press-provided character description, the only time Peter is relaxed is when he decides to partake in some casual marijuana use — which he tends to do frequently.
Moore’s Michaela Kell, on the other hand, is the main reason Devon has come to town looking for her sister. Sophisticated and aloof, Michaela is Simone’s calm and cultish boss, whom Netflix describes as a “philanthropist and animal activist who runs island high society.” While generally distant from her various staff, Michaela appears to have taken an unnatural shine to her new personal assistant, Simone, who is overjoyed to be held in such esteem by a wealthy and well-respected woman.
But when Devon arrives and immediately begins to spot big changes in her sister’s appearance and personality, Simone becomes annoyed and frustrated. Across the show’s “five explosive episodes,” family drama plays out as Devon and Simone rehash their shared personal traumas amid plenty of bizarre encounters with the Kells and their entourage of indulgent billionaires.
“This story has a lot of teeth,” Smith Metzler told Netflix’s Tudum ahead of the series’ release. “There are real moments of drama, and it’s going to make people uncomfortable. Operatic is a word I like to use to describe it. It’s a true dark comedy — and it’s got a Greek mythology vibe.”
It is important to note, however, that despite the ethereal, dreamy quality Sirens achieves, the story is still somehow grounded in real and relatable moments.
“Sirens is really a show about relationships and the way people desperately try to outrun their past,” Fahy shared with Tudum. “We watch Simone run desperately away from who she is . . . Devon becomes embarrassed. Simone starts calling out all of Devon’s bad habits, bad relationships and the way that she mistreats herself.”
Echoing her character from the trailer, Fahy adds, “No one knows you like a sister.”
Joining Fahy, Alcock, Moore and Bacon on screen are It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia alum Glenn Howerton as billionaire bachelor Ethan Corbin II, a neighbour of the Kells who has a very close relationship with Simone. Also in the cast are: Trevor Salter (She-Hulk: Attorney at Law) as Jordan, Ethan’s young and attractive yacht captain; Josh Segarra (Abbott Elementary) as Raymond, a proud restaurant manager in Buffalo, New York, and Devon’s on-again, off-again boyfriend; Felix Solis (The Rookie: Feds) as Jose, who plays the role of humble gardener but is also the head of security and the Kells’ righthand man; Lauren Weedman (Hacks) as Patrice, the Kells’ longtime chef; Britne Oldford (The Umbrella Academy) as housekeeper Missy; and Jenn Lyon (Claws), Erin Neufer (Julia) and Emily Borromeo (Blue Bloods) as Cloe, Lisa and Astrid, the socialite trio known collectively as “the Fates.”
Bill Camp (Zero Day) also appears as Bruce DeWitt, Simone and Devon’s father, whose health has recently taken a turn for the worse due to an unexpected diagnosis of early onset dementia. As a father and a “gruff and proud” veteran of the U.S. Navy, Bruce hopes against all odds that this new medical hurdle doesn’t turn him into a burden for his daughters.
The series premiere of Sirens begins streaming on Thursday, May 22 on Netflix