--- description: Julianne Moore, Meghann Fahy, and Milly Alcock lead a fun, star-studded vacation thriller that falls short of its lofty ambitions title: Netflix's 'Sirens' Is This Summer's 'The Perfect Couple' image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2edfa58becafad00/6998c6ca66d4e35505cbc7e9/Sirens_n_S1_E1_00_30_21_12R.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Entertainment](/section/entertainment/) ## Entertainment Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Television](/tag/television/) ## Television Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Netflix's _Sirens_ Is This Summer's _The Perfect Couple_—Even If It's Trying to Be Something Better  by [Judy Berman](/author/judy-berman/)  ## Judy Berman Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close TV Critic May 22, 2025 7:01 AM CUT  Milly Alcock, left, and Julianne Moore in Sirens Milly Alcock, left, and Julianne Moore in SirensNetflix  by [Judy Berman](/author/judy-berman/)  ## Judy Berman Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close TV Critic May 22, 2025 7:01 AM CUT Meghann Fahy doesn’t have the best luck with vacations. [_The White Lotus_ took her to Sicily](https://time.com/6223583/the-white-lotus-season-2-review/ "undefined"), where her character’s marriage was tested and [many people got killed](https://time.com/6240351/white-lotus-season-2-finale-explained/ "undefined"). In [_The Perfect Couple_](https://time.com/7018623/the-perfect-couple-ending-explained-netflix/ "undefined"), her character _was_ the murder victim, whose death derailed a Nantucket society wedding. Fahy’s latest bad trip, _Sirens_, feels a lot like this year’s _Perfect Couple_. Both are Netflix shows that cast big-name actors as rich people summering on exclusive New England islands. Each pits a young heroine of humble means against the formidable, possibly sinister lady of the estate; this time, that [quintessential Nicole Kidman role](https://time.com/7018235/perfect-couple-netflix-nicole-kidman/ "undefined") is played by a serenely terrifying [Julianne Moore](https://time.com/5547452/gloria-bell-julianne-moore/ "undefined"). And while _Sirens_ shows flickers of ambition to transcend the typical A-list crime soap, its admittedly addictive pleasures are chiefly of the sudsy variety. Based on a play by creator Molly Smith Metzler ([_Maid_](https://time.com/6101999/maid-review-netflix/ "undefined")) and backed by a team of executive producers that also includes [Margot Robbie](https://time.com/6293686/margot-robbie-barbie-inspired-press-tour-looks/ "undefined"), the miniseries introduces Fahy’s Devon as a Central Casting burnout, exiting a police station in all black, combat boots, and smudgy eyeliner. Never mind, for now, what she was doing there. Devon has been stuck in Buffalo caring for a dad with dementia (Bill Camp). Now, she’s hit a breaking point and needs help from her semi-estranged sister, Simone ([_House of the Dragon_](https://time.com/6207254/house-of-the-dragon-review/ "undefined")breakout Milly Alcock).  Meghann Fahy in Sirens Macall Polay—Netflix The trouble is, Simone loves her job as the live-in assistant and creepily close confidant of Michaela (Moore), the charismatic but exacting wife of a billionaire (Kevin Bacon), whose philanthropic foundation seems kind of like a cult. Devon’s raccoon-eyed arrival on an island that might as well be sponsored by Lilly Pulitzer, at the beginning of an event-packed Labor Day weekend set to culminate in Michaela’s big annual gala, throws the household into chaos. _Sirens_ has been promoted as a dark comedy with a “[Greek mythology vibe](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/sirens-series "undefined")” befitting its title; flourishes such as a trio of fawning Michaela followers who speak in unison do occasionally conjure a surreal, satirical mood. The finale implies a desire to comment on the misogyny and wealth worship underlying stories like _The Perfect Couple_ rather than reproduce it. Yet Metzler too often stops short of true wit and strangeness. This makes for an inconsistent tone, from which we’re happily distracted by a dazzling backdrop, a twisty plot, and diva-worthy performances—all elements that make _Sirens_ just as fun to watch as the shows it means to critique, but not much more insightful. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/7287013/sirens-review-netflix/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/7287013/sirens-review-netflix/"},"headline":"Netflix's Sirens Is This Summer's The Perfect Couple—Even If It's Trying to Be Something Better","datePublished":"2025-05-22T07:01:00.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T04:51:11.944Z","description":"Julianne Moore, Meghann Fahy, and Milly Alcock lead a fun, star-studded Netflix thriller that falls short of its lofty ambitions","url":"https://time.com/7287013/sirens-review-netflix/","keywords":["Television","review","Magazine","culturepod"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2edfa58becafad00/6998c6ca66d4e35505cbc7e9/Sirens_n_S1_E1_00_30_21_12R.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Judy Berman","jobTitle":"TV Critic","url":"https://time.com/author/judy-berman/"}],"articleSection":"Entertainment","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2edfa58becafad00/6998c6ca66d4e35505cbc7e9/Sirens_n_S1_E1_00_30_21_12R.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Sirens_n_S1_E1_00_30_21_12R","caption":"Sirens. (L to R) Milly Alcock as Simone, Julianne Moore as Michaela in episode 101 of Sirens. Cr. 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