Netflix recently dropped its latest limited series on the streaming platform: Sirens. Based on Molly Smith Metzler's 2011 play, Elemeno Pea, it follows Devon, a troubled woman from Buffalo, New York, who travels to a lavish coastal town to reconnect with her estranged sister, Simone.
Upon her arrival, she finds Simone working as an assistant for Michaela (Kiki) Kell, an enigmatic billionaire who draws people in and has them worshipping at her feet. Aka, the definition of a siren. Concerned that Simone and Michaela's relationship is unhealthy (she catches them sharing a bed, and questions why her younger sibling has removed her tattoos and become a clone of Michaela's inner circle), Devon spends the weekend trying to 'rescue' her. All while engaging in destructive behaviour of her own, from casual sex to smoking pot with Michaela's husband, Peter.
But while Netflix has categorised Sirens as a dark comedy, describing it as an "incisive, sexy, and darkly funny exploration of women, power and class," fans have been left confused by its genre. With its rich-people-behaving-badly subplot, garnering comparisons to The White Lotus and The Perfect Couple, discussions of where trauma leads us, and unconventional cinematography techniques (especially the bath scene, where Michaela seems to hypnotise Devon), many have questioned whether the show is satire.
On Reddit, one viewer said they liked the fact that you "cannot label it 100%," asking: "Is it a Satire?! A Thriller?! It's slowly evolving, it seems." Another zoomed in on the Greek mythology element, suggesting: "Kept expecting the whole show to shift into the sci-fi twist where Kiki was actually their mom and they were all actually sirens."
Over on X, Sirens is being hailed as a cult drama, and an "endlessly entertaining study in class and family." Others have labelled it a soap drama, where viewers get a glimpse into the glossy world of the untrustworthy rich and famous.
Ultimately, it seems Sirens can't fit into just one box. All through a female gaze lens, the series combines many genres, from wealth, class and social satire, mystery elements, and genuinely hilarious performances, especially from Meghann Fahy. Sirens dives into the complexities of female relationships and power dynamics, betrayal and morality. And, in Simone's case, fabrication vs authenticity, and how the two can be blurred, depending on how someone wants to present themself to the world.
Sirens is now streaming on Netflix.
