Devon (Meghann Fahy) needs help. She’s burned out from taking care of her ageing father on top of her own issues she’s refusing to deal with. So Devon reaches out to the only person she thinks she can trust: Her younger sister Simone (Milly Alcock). Simone has managed to escape her traumatic upbringing and make a good life for herself as the personal assistant to the enigmatic socialite Michaela Kell (Julianne Moore).
Living a lavish lifestyle built on wellness and community, Michaela draws people to her and keeps them close—perhaps a little too close for comfort. And Simone can’t help herself. When Devon arrives at their luxurious island compound, she immediately gets cult vibes and tries to warn Simone of how toxic the whole operation is. Her presence upsets a delicate balance on the island and causes relationships—and lives—to fracture and unravel in unexpected ways.
Sirens is an unnerving dark comedy; the island setting is beautiful and the series is captivating to watch, but there’s always an undercurrent of disquiet warning you that something is off. Devon and Simone are two sides of the same coin and their push and pull—in other words, their siren song—has ripple effects across the island. And in the center is Michaela, whose mythical allure makes those around her feel special just to be in her orbit. Moore is an excellent choice to play this role, lending her natural grace and poise to turn Michaela into something more ethereal than a wealthy woman hiding her insecurities behind money, class divides, and power.
Alcock brings a kind of eager and coy energy to Simone, using what others think of her as a shield while taking more agency than she lets on. Meanwhile, Fahy plays Devon with an intensity that’s at war with her casual approach to life. You’ll feel for them both—whether that’s anger, heartache, or sadness as their lives crash into one another.
While this show really is about the women, I have to shout out some of the other players: Kevin Bacon stars as Michaela’s long-suffering husband Peter, who uses their marriage like a weapon…or perhaps he is the one being used. And Jose (Felix Solis) is his faithful right-hand man, who gets the job done with a gentle but firm hand. Oh, and Michaela’s three close followers who emphasize and score her actions with great gusto form representations of the Greek Fates—although their insights aren’t quite so cutting.
What’s interesting about this series is that you never really know what the characters are really thinking. You may be able to see the plot twists and darkly funny scenes coming, but the blurred close-ups that hold just a fraction too long on the characters’ faces make you feel uneasy, like there’s something they’re not telling you.
Whether that underlying mystery ever really builds to a satisfying payoff is something else entirely; this series deals more in melodramatic reveals each episode that push the characters to greater heights of desperation. And that’s what keeps you coming back. Sirens is a short but gripping watch about the pain and power of women and the often monstrous ways they claim it.
