The ’Burbs is a new Peacock series that was released on Feb 8 this year. The show is a reimagining of the 1989 film originally starring Tom Hanks. I had never even heard of The ’Burbs until I saw the trailer a few weeks ago, and it honestly caught my attention right away. I love dark shows and Keke Palmer, so this felt completely up my alley.
The show follows Rob and Samira Fisher, a young couple who are new parents. They’ve recently moved into Rob’s childhood home in Ashfield’s Place, a quaint cul-de-sac in Hinkley Hills where your neighbors “act nice… until they are nice.” Across the street sits a creepy Victorian house that has been abandoned for over twenty years. The owners left but never sold it, and now it just exists as the center of neighborhood gossip, conspiracies, and way too much curiosity.
Going into this show, I didn’t really know what to expect. The trailer was good enough to pull you in without spoiling everything, which I appreciated. The series leans into dark comedy, but honestly, I think it would have been really cool if they pushed harder into horror. The overly perfect, slightly off vibe of the town feels like something a full horror story could’ve dominated. Since the original film was a comedy-horror, I’m curious why they shifted the tone.
One thing I really liked was how the show moved. It felt oddly paced in a way that worked – almost like a mix between a Dr. Seuss book, Schmigadoon, and A Series of Unfortunate Events. It’s weird, fast, and kind of hard to describe, but still enjoyable.
Since the original film was centered around a white male lead, having this series focus on a Black woman feels like an interesting and respectful shift. It opens the door to conversations about race, especially with Samira being a Black woman married to a white man in a predominantly white neighborhood. So far, the show seems to be handling those themes in a thoughtful way.
As someone who recently watched Get Out, I couldn’t help but feel the same energy creeping in. It keeps the pacing fast and adds to the uneasy feeling.
Overall, The ’Burbs is a really interesting and fun concept. It feels more like a mystery-comedy than a true dark comedy, and it’s not exactly scary or spooky, but it is entertaining. I really like the characters and the overall storyline so far. It’s not the best show I’ve ever seen, but it’s definitely not bad either. I’d give it a solid 7 out of 10, and I’ll definitely be continuing the series.
