Plot: Follows a young couple who have reluctantly relocated to the husband’s childhood home. Their world is upended when a new neighbor moves in across the street, bringing old secrets of the cul-de-sac to light, and new deadly threats shatter the illusion of their quiet little neighborhood.
Review: Of the countless movies I loved growing up, The ‘Burbs holds a special place in my heart. Starring Tom Hanks, Carrie Fisher, and Bruce Dern, The ‘Burbs is an incredibly quotable blend of comedy and horror directed by genre legend Joe Dante. Released in 1989, the film has been a cult classic for decades and remains one of the most hilarious and memorable examples of why movies from the Eighties are still better than a lot of the stuff we get today. When I first learned they were remaking The ‘Burbs as a streaming series, it felt as sacrilegious as rebooting Citizen Kane or Casablanca. Expanding from a feature film into an eight-episode binge, this new take on The ‘Burbs is not a remake in the traditional sense but draws inspiration from the original movie to craft a whodunit set in the idyllic cul-de-sacs of suburbia. Led by Keke Palmer and Jack Whitehall, I am happy to say that The ‘Burbs is a very different project from the beloved 1989 film, and other than the title and general plot, this version shares little in common with the movie. The result is a fun little comedy that has some creative twists and turns, working as its own thing without besmirching the original.
This new iteration of The ‘Burbs is set in the quaint community of Hinckley Hills, where new parents Samira (Keke Palmer) and Rob Fisher (Jack Whitehall) have moved into Rob’s childhood home, a gift from his recently retired parents. Used to living in the city, Samira and Rob are adjusting to life on a cul-de-sac where every neighbor is up in everyone else’s business. An attorney, Samira, cannot help but struggle with not working while Rob heads to work as a book editor each day. With infant son Miles in tow, Samira befriends the widowed Lynn (Julia Duffy), former Marine Dana (Paula Pell), and the quiet and idiosyncratic Tod (Mark Proksch). The quartet is all curious when the abandoned Victorian house across the street is suddenly sold after sitting vacant for decades, following the disappearance and suspected murder of a young woman named Allison Grant. Samira is immediately suspicious of the new owner, Gary (Justin Kirk), and begins her own makeshift investigation with Lynn, Dana, and Tod. This leads to misunderstandings and dangerous situations as the new friends begin to uncover evidence of past crimes and potential new ones.
Across the eight-episode first season, The ‘Burbs pays homage to the 1989 film through some clever visual easter eggs and surprises I will not spoil here. Each episode is titled after a quote from the movie, with some of the quotes directly factoring into the plot, including the goddamn brownies and sardines. The horror bent that director Joe Dante used to great effect is replaced with a more whodunit, true-crime angle that emulates Only Murders in the Building, delivering off-kilter black comedy wrapped in a healthy dose of mystery. This also means the series is heavy on red herrings, with the misdirections coming rapid-fire from the first episode’s cliffhanger, all the way through the season finale. Because The ‘Burbs is structured as an ongoing series rather than a limited project, the story answers many questions while leaving others open-ended in the hopes of a sophomore run. With the majority of the references to the movie used up over this season, I wonder what the show will use to differentiate itself should it come back for more. One thing is for certain: the cast is more than up to the challenge.
Keke Palmer has already proven to be a dynamic lead in both films and television shows, and The ‘Burbs offers her the opportunity to stretch her comedy and dramatic skills at the same time. Paired with the hilarious Jack Whitehall, the duo make for a believable couple. Their circle of friends and foes is also solid, with Julia Duffy and Paula Pell having a great time as the slightly older Lynn and Dana, both of whom bring relationship drama and distance to the story. Mark Proksch plays Tod as almost a carbon copy of Colin Robinson from What We Do In The Shadows, and it is still incredibly funny in this series. Kapil Talwalker plays Rob’s childhood best friend, Naveen, a very charming character who adds another layer to the ensemble’s comedic chops. Justin Kirk portrays Gary as the menacing new neighbor, but he does not carry the same level of creepiness as any of the Kopeks from the 1989 film. Danielle Kennedy plays HOA president Agnes as a fun antagonist, while JoBlo.com favorite Chad Lindberg is a nice addition as the oddball garbage man, Walters.
Created by Celeste Hughey (Palm Royale, No Good Deed), The ‘Burbs boasts original film writer Dana Gould as an executive producer alongside Seth MacFarlane, although the Family Guy creator does not have any direct participation in the creative elements of the series. Directing duties fell to Rachel Goldberg, Yana Gorskaya, and Nzingha Stewart, who all make great use of the intricately designed sets of the cul-de-sac and surrounding neighborhood. Because the series streams on Peacock, there is no shyness about profanity or a bit of gore, which adds to the show’s intensity. Most of the episodes clock in at over forty minutes, giving this take on The ‘Burbs a lot more space to develop than the 1989 film did in under two hours. Celeste Hughey and writers Zora Bikangaga, Madie Dhaliwal, Rachel Shukert, Neil Reynolds, Amy Aniobi, William Yu, and Hakim Hill do a solid job of incorporating callbacks to the original The ‘Burbs while also aiming to make this series its own thing. Overall, the comedy elements balance with the mystery, even if, looking back, it feels like a lot of tangents and misdirections to get to where the series finally ends up.
I wanted to write this review to decry the foul, horrible abomination of remaking one of my favorite movies and a cult classic. I was pleasantly surprised by the fun this series brings while keeping the audience guessing about who the villains really are, all the way through to the finale. While only eight episodes, I came away from The ‘Burbs feeling like I spent a lot longer getting to know the residents of Hinckley Hills. Should The ‘Burbs get renewed for a second season, I hope the writers are able to keep the mystery engaging and full of humor like this first season without diminishing returns. There is potential to explore Mark Proksch’s character and delve further into Dana, Todd, and Naveen, but you may wonder whether there is enough material to sustain another full run of episodes. Thanks to Keke Palmer and Jack Whitehall’s chemistry and presence, The ‘Burbs is nowhere near the disaster I anticipated and is actually a decent binge.
The ‘Burbs premieres all eight episodes on February 8th on Peacock.
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Source:
JoBlo.com
