What Is Netflix’s ‘Sirens’ Based On? The Play That Inspired New Julianne Moore & Meghann Fahy Series

Get ready, because Sirens on Netflix is about to be your newest obsession! As if the names of the leading ladies (Julianne Moore, Meghann Fahy, and Milly Alcock) weren’t enough to sway you, the premise sure will be.

All five episodes of the black comedy limited series will drop on May 22. Scroll down to learn more about the plot and find out more about the play that the series is based on.

What is Sirens based on?

Sirens was created by Molly Smith Metzler, who wrote the play that inspired it. Sirens is based on Metzler’s play Elemeno Pea, which came out in 2011. A synopsis for Elemeno Pea reveals that it is the story of “worlds [colliding] and sisters [squaring] off” in a “keenly observed comedy about ambition, regret, and the choices that shape who we become.”

The play premiered in Louisville, Kentucky, and is about the relationship between sisters Simone and Devon. Simone is working as the assistant to Michaela Kell, a billionaire’s wife, when Devon, a “social worker from blue-collar Buffalo,” comes to visit, leading their very different lifestyles to intersect. While Simone has managed to escape the middle class life she grew up in, Devon is still stuck in it, which sets the scene for a show with commentary on class and social hierarchy.

Macall Polay/Netflix

Metzler wrote the play based on her own experiences as a waitress at a yacht club in Martha’s Vineyard.

“Class is something that I write about consistently because I think it’s fascinating, but I also think it is a bit of a performance,” Metzler explained. “One of the things that shocked me is that the richest woman at the yacht club, who had the highest net worth, was also the biggest piece of white trash. Class has nothing to do with income. It has nothing to do with net worth. It’s kind of this imposed structure, and it’s a mask that we all put on and wear.”

What is Sirens about?

In Sirens, Fahy plays Devon and Alcock plays Simone, while Moore is the mysterious Michaela. Devon decides to pay her sister a visit after struggling to care for their ailing father alone, and quickly grows concerned with the seemingly unhealthy relationship Simone has developed with her boss.

Macall Polay/Netflix

“This Michaela b**ch has her talons so deep in your brain that you can’t even tell you’re in trouble,” Devon tells Simone in the trailer.

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What Is Netflix's New Show 'Sirens'? Everything to Know

The official logline states: “Devon thinks her sister Simone has a really creepy relationship with her new boss, the enigmatic socialite Michaela Kell. Michaela’s cult-ish life of luxury is like a drug to Simone, and Devon has decided it’s time for an intervention, but she has no idea what a formidable opponent Michaela will be. Told over the course of one explosive weekend at The Kells’ lavish island estate, Sirens is an incisive, sexy, and darkly funny exploration of women, power, and class.

Sirens, All Episodes, Thursday, May 22, Netflix