Netflix's New Hit Show 'The Waterfront' Has Viewers Seriously Divided—Here Is My Honest Review

Yahoo

01-07-2025

I've been on the hunt for a new Netflix series since knocking out the latest season of Ginny and Georgia, and luckily, it didn't take too long to find my replacement.
The Waterfront is the latest series to quickly enter into Netflix's top ten streaming list at the number one spot, and needless to say, it's already drawing a lot of chatter. Depending on who you ask, you might find someone who loves it or hates it (I guess a show about fishing isn't for everyone...). A thriller series set in the fictional town of Havenport, North Carolina, the show stars Holt McCallany, Maria Bello and Topher Grace, and centers around the Buckleys, a family of fishermen who are bedeviled by secrets, betrayal, greed and addiction. The show is a slow burn, as it starts off by introducing the key players and dynamics to set the scene.
For starters, you have Harlan Buckley (McCallany), the head of the table, willing to do anything and everything to protect his family. Harlan's past is a dangerous one that includes drug fronts, cartels and a host of other illegal activities. While Harlan has somewhat tried to reinvent his image over the years, the decline of opportunities for fishermen, plus some health issues, has driven him back into that lifestyle.
The character is loosely based on creator Kevin Williamson's own father, who encountered a similar situation in his career as a fisherman. "I come from a family of fishermen — not just my dad, but the entire family," Williamson told TIME in a recent interview. "Someone came along and said, 'If you do this one thing, you can make all this money.' And it was hard to say no," he continued, explaining that his father agreed to run drugs on his fishing trawler, for which he was later arrested. "He got caught, he served his time, he got out, and I graduated."
Then there is Belle Buckley (Bello), the straight-shooting matriarch who is also willing to defend her family at all costs. While Belle looks demure and innocent on the outside, she isn't afraid to get her hands dirty either, and is quite cunning, I might add.
Netflix
Originally, I planned on only watching the first episode of this series and saving the rest for later, but as so often happens, oops, I ended up binge-watching the whole season. Not even the drug-exchange-gone-bad or a major plot twist are enough to keep episode one from being overly predictable. (Take this with a grain of salt though as I obviously kept watching.)
This, by far, has been the biggest criticism of The Waterfront—that it takes entirely too long to get to the point. It also doesn't help that we've had similar shows in recent years (Yellowstone and Ozark, for example) to which this series is already comparisons.
Netflix
On the upside, I can assure you that things do pick up. Eventually, you'll realize that the slow start and character introductions are to lay the necessary groundwork for future events, and the show is incredibly well-written, providing a generous blend of suspense and drama. It's also well-acted, I might add, with Holt McCallany giving Harlan Buckley a complexity that blends his good and bad traits together beautifully. You'll end up loving Harlan so much that you hate him, and that's really all you can ask for in a show.
Another person that will irk your nerves is Topher Grace's character Grady, who is so painfully cocky at times you'll want to throw something at your television. Oh, and the family drama alone is worth seeing this show the entire way through. Make no mistake—the Buckleys hate each other, despite the perfect family image they have previously tried to project.
My final thoughts? I do think The Waterfront is a show I would have been more impressed with circa 2009, but it was also entertaining enough for me to binge in a single day, so that counts for something.
You can stream The Waterfront on Netflix now.
Want all the latest entertainment news sent right to your inbox? Click here.
I Just Realized Why 'Sirens' Star Glenn Howerton Looks So Familiar—and I Can't Believe I Didn't See it Sooner
PureWow's editors and writers have spent more than a decade shopping online, digging through sales and putting our home goods, beauty finds, wellness picks and more through the wringer—all to help you determine which are actually worth your hard-earned cash. From our PureWow100 series (where we rank items on a 100-point scale) to our painstakingly curated lists of fashion, beauty, cooking, home and family picks, you can trust that our recommendations have been thoroughly vetted for function, aesthetics and innovation. Whether you're looking for travel-size hair dryers you can take on-the-go or women's walking shoes that won't hurt your feet, we've got you covered.