Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram) Click here for short audio review
How far would you go to rescue your sibling from the clutches of a shady boss who might be an evil cult leader masquerading as a charming philanthropist?
Created by Molly Smith Metzler, the 2025 Netflix mini-series ‘Sirens’ stars Meghann Fahy as primary protagonist Devon, a bit of a train wreck from Buffalo, on a mission to drag her beloved baby sister Simone (Milly Alcock) back home from her posh job as assistant to billionaire socialite Michaela Kell (Julianne Moore) on a beautiful little island town. Devon sees Simone as a glorified servant in the grip of Michaela’s hypnotic personality, and she is convinced Mrs. Kell is a devious cult leader with terrifying skeletons in her closet. Simone, however, seems to truly love her job and the power that comes with it.
Spanning five episodes, ‘Sirens’ is a witty, satirical, (slightly) dark-comedy, which adds a dash of whimsy to the tale with background music that sometimes overemphasizes that “all is not what it seems.” Episode one starts off with Meghann Fahy’s Devon coming fresh out of jail and furious at a fruit basket from her sister at her door, all while Simone has been ignoring Devon’s SOS calls and messages to help with their aging dad. Their code-word for emergencies? “Sirens!”.
The two sisters are poles apart, hilariously established in the pilot episode, when a sweaty Devon arrives at Simone’s workplace looking like a drunk emo hipster, while Simone struts around as if she is on the sets of Stepford Wives or vintage Barbie. Clearly, the sisters inhabit two different worlds, and maybe Devon just cannot digest the fact that her sibling doesn’t need her anymore.
Julianne Moore is the most enigmatic character of Sirens, the mysterious, wealthy Michaela Kell, the sort to organize fancy galas and pose for Vogue magazine covers. Kevin Bacon plays her billionaire husband Peter Kell, in a criminally short role, despite ultimately emerging as a crucial player in the tale. As the episodes unfold, viewers learn of the creepy co-dependent relationship between Michaela and assistant Simone, which includes using each other’s used gum. Eww? Yeah.
So maybe Devon’s suspicions that Michaela is running a cult aren’t all that baseless? Well, Sirens keeps a fun mystery over her character motivations and origins, slowly revealing that the story really isn’t as twisted or complicated as Devon imagines it to be. The wild Devon tries to play Nancy Drew around the island, stirring up trouble for her sister and often landing herself in tight spots too. The core theme is about the characters running away from their problems. Devon leaves her dad at the mercy of her boss, while Michaela and Simone are lost in the glamorous façade of the billionaire lifestyle.
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Romance really isn’t a key ingredient in Sirens, although the messed-up romantic lives of the trio do take center stage in the last two episodes. While Michaela gets increasingly paranoid that Peter might be having an affair, Simone’s secret relationship with the much older Ethan (Glenn Howerton) brings much chaos. Devon, on the other hand, doesn’t believe in romance. She is an emotional train wreck whose coping mechanism includes having sex with the closest male available. Within 24 hours of arriving on the island, she already sleeps with two strangers. It was entertaining to see the female protagonist not attach any importance to who she beds. So, Meghann Fahy’s character is tangled up with three men, she has very little romantic chemistry with any of them, and that’s precisely the point.
Sirens thrives on the dramatic dynamics between its three lady leads, hilariously contrasted with Devon’s problem-child behavior. While Michaela and Simone are more like twin siblings, doing everything together (which of course is creepily comical), Devon is always drawing swords with the two women. The men are just accessories in their ascent and descent. But I am not going to complain about the token male representation in a series called Sirens. It’s a women’s world, and it’s pretty engaging. The climactic episode unfortunately feels too rushed, but delivers an strong, ironical ending, with no confusion over who the real ‘siren’ is.
Rating: 7.5 on 10. Watch ‘Sirens’ on Netflix.
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