Sirens Complete Series Review
review
✦
review ✦
The new Netflix series Sirens is making waves with its blend of mystery, comedy, and even elements of drama. However, while the limited run has far more strengths than flaws, it doesn’t completely live up to its full potential. Here’s why.
Sirens (2025) | Netflix
A Promising Premise With Personality
Netflix’s Sirens, created by Molly Smith Metzler and based on her play Elemeno Pea, unfolds over a single explosive weekend at a lavish beach estate. The series centers on Devon DeWitt (Meghann Fahy), who becomes increasingly concerned about her sister Simone’s (Milly Alcock) unsettling relationship with her enigmatic boss, Michaela Kell (Julianne Moore). As Devon intervenes, she uncovers a web of secrets, privilege, and manipulation within this elite coastal community.
What immediately sets Sirens apart is its quirky confidence. It knows it’s a character-driven story and lets its stars shine. The performances from the central trio—Fahy, Alcock, and Moore—are the series’ anchor. Their chemistry and character depth turn even mundane conversations into watchable drama. The setting, a slow-moving coastal community, is beautifully shot and provides a sense of intimacy that enhances the show’s themes: closeness, secrecy, and, to some extent, survival.
Strong Cast, Strong Start
The heart of Sirens lies with its three lead women, whose performances elevate the often uneven narrative. Whether navigating personal betrayals or criminal consequences, they bring nuance and fire to every scene. There’s a real sense that each character is both capable and unraveling—a balance the actors nail with subtlety and emotion.
The opening episodes strike a great balance of mood and pace. The dialogue crackles with just enough dry wit to keep things entertaining, even as stakes rise. There’s an air of Big Little Lies and Revenge here—the same cocktail of polished drama, unresolved tension, and an undercurrent of dark humor.
The writing also plays well with genre expectations. It doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel, but it rearranges familiar tropes (a missing person, a shady bachelor, a complicated past) in a way that feels fresh—at least for a while.
When Twists Overwhelm the Tension
The downside? Sirens loses its grip just when it should tighten. The final episode—which should serve as a cathartic payoff—instead rushes through a storm of last-minute revelations and character pivots. While the themes come full circle in a satisfying conceptual way (especially around the illusion of wealth and the cost of ambition), the execution is chaotic.
Major character arcs that were carefully constructed over four episodes abruptly veer off course. Moore’s character, who had been positioned as a quietly commanding presence, exits with barely a scene—a decision that feels oddly dismissive, if not downright confusing. Several other side characters are left with rushed or unresolved conclusions that make it seem like the writers either ran out of time or suddenly shifted focus in the eleventh hour.
For a limited series with only five episodes, Sirens suffers from a finale that feels like it belongs to a much longer show—one that had the space to earn its turns. That being said, we do appreciate that the final took a daring swing.
Pacing & Predictable Pitfalls
Another issue that emerges midway through the series is a reliance on dramatic misunderstandings. By episode three, sharp viewers will likely start piecing together the central confusion before the characters do. This wouldn’t be a problem if the payoff came quickly—but Sirens drags out its reveals, banking on tension that dissipates once the audience is ahead of the game.
This isn’t a show built on action or spectacle. Its suspense comes from emotional uncertainty and moral ambiguity, so when the tension plateaus, it becomes noticeable. And while the show’s short run is a strength in some ways, it also limits how much slack it has—which makes the lag in episode three and the finale’s breakneck pace feel like a mismatch.
A Mostly Stylish Series With Identity
Still, Sirens deserves credit for ambition and originality. It’s not just another crime drama, nor is it a soap in disguise. It has something to say about identity, greed, and the fragility of trust—and it says it in a voice that’s distinct. The show’s aesthetic choices—moody lighting, quiet coastal backdrops, and intimate camera work—complement its tone beautifully.
It’s a shame, then, that the show doesn’t trust its own rhythm more. There’s a version of Sirens that lets scenes breathe longer, that saves its final twist for a more earned moment, and that gives its standout supporting cast the exits they deserve. But the version we got feels caught between wanting to be prestige TV and needing to rush to a finish line.
Score: 6.5/10
Sirens has a lot going for it—a talented main cast, a unique blend of drama and humor, and a setting that feels as alive as the characters. But a rushed finale, pacing issues, and some unearned twists ultimately drag down what could’ve been a standout limited series. It’s worth watching for the performances and atmosphere, but don’t expect all of its narrative threads to tie up as cleanly as you’d hope.
