Netflix Users Are Binging This Star-Studded Limited Series With Julianne Moore

Every few weeks another hit show or movie releases on Netflix and becomes a whole big thing, and this time around that show is "Sirens." It's a dark comedy about a woman named Devon (played by Meghann Fahy) who's concerned about her sister's close relationship with her new boss Michaela, played by Julianne Moore. In the middle of the animosity between Devon and Michaela is the sister, Simone (Milly Alcock), who is pulled perhaps a little too strongly into Michaela's life of power and luxury.

"Sirens" is currently the #1 show on Netflix (per FlixPatrol), and it's easy to see why. The show captures a lot of the same appeal as hits like "The White Lotus," which skewered the wealthy while also letting the audience vicariously enjoy the comfortable life of the 1%. It doesn't hurt that the show is star-studded; Meghann Fahy, Julianne Moore, and Milly Alcock are all famous from at least one major project. Then of course there's Glenn Howerton playing Simone's sleazy love interest Ethan. "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" fans love watching Howerton play more serious roles, getting to put that Julliard education of his to good use. There's no weak link in this cast, a boast few other shows can make. 

Another major appeal of "Sirens" is how fast the show flies by. At only five episodes, a lot of fan reviews online have specified the lack of filler and the complete ending as major draws for the show. It's a show with a lot of complicated things to say about wealth and gender, but which never beats around the bush with any of it. Would this show have gotten even more buzz if it'd been released weekly, like "The White Lotus" or "Succession" did? Maybe, but part of its appeal is that you can finish the whole thing in a single seating. 

For the show's creator, Molly Smith Metzler, part of the appeal of "Sirens' is that it can't be confined to one specific genre. As she explained in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter:

"One of the things I loved about 'Sirens' was that it doesn't check a box of a similar show. It looks like it might be a Nantucket show or a murder show or a cult show. I almost want the audience to feel like maybe it's that, but then it is its own tone. No one knows what to compare the show to and I love that. It's a great compliment. ... But I like to describe [the show] as a darkly comedic, emotional thriller."

"Sirens" isn't Metzler's first hit series to be released on Netflix either. In 2021 her miniseries "Maid" came out, starring the always-lovely Margaret Qualley as a young mother struggling through intense poverty and escaping an abusive relationship. "Maid" became Netflix's fourth most-watched show of the year, staying on the platform's Top 10 show list for thirteen weeks straight. It's only been a few days since "Sirens" dropped, but there's a decent chance it might beat that "Maid" record.