Is this Netflixs new Virgin River? The Waterfront is this weeks most-watched TV show that everyones talking about

Date:
Mon, 23 Jun 2025 17:00:00 +0000

Description:
The Waterfront is making a splash with Netflix subscribers but the critics aren't convinced.

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There's a new show at the top of the Netflix streaming charts, and whether you'll love it or not depends very much on whether you like shows such as Virgin River, Yellowstone or Dawson's Creek .

The Waterfront Kevin Williamson's ( Scream ) new family crime drama is according to The Guardian " Dawson's Creek for grown-ups". The Hollywood Reporter has described it as " Ozark meets Bloodline (with a bit of Virgin River )", while The Daily Beast says that "perhaps Yellowstone fans will be excited to watch that shows vibe CW-ified and ported over to Netflix.
Everyone else can just keep fishing for something better".

So we're clearly in love it or hate it territory it's 64% score from the critics and 71% rating (at the time of writing) from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes confirms that. But for those who love it, The Waterfron t is lots of fun. What are the critics saying about The Waterfront?

The show centers the Buckley family Holt McCallany and Maria Bello who've built a fishing empire in their home town, only to have it taken away from them piece by piece as patriarch Harlan (McCallany) recovers from two heart attacks.

According to TIME : "its a slow-burn Southern gothic tale rich with betrayal and moral ambiguity, but beneath the genre trappings lies a deeper current of meaning... the series stands as a meditation on loyalty, legacy, and the weight of unfinished business."

The aforementioned Guardian review begs to differ, saying happily that: "It
is escapist summer nonsense with God, I hope no pretensions to being otherwise. Dive into the adult creek and wallow in nostalgia as the waves of absurdity sweep towards shore."

Variety agrees it's "the Netflix equivalent of a beach read, but its highly entertaining" and The San Jose Mercury News reckons that the show "is a keeper because of the outrageous behavior of its morally compromised characters." Meanwhile, New York magazine says "theres nothing quite like sensational, just-this-side-of-campy organized crime to buoy you through the sticky, grimy days of summer."

So, it's big daft summer fun? Not so fast! The haters are here and they've
got some hating to do about why it's not one of the best Netflix shows , starting with IndieWire who says that "Netflix's sludgy family crime drama is a shallow reflection of better shows".

The grade here is a grudging D+ because, IndieWire's Ben Travers says, "it's all vibes and no soul... Nothing thats heard has to mean anything, it just
has to sound like it does. Nothing that happens has to evoke any real emotions, it just has to remind you of shows that did. Even if you havent
seen Ozark or Yellowstone heck, even if The Waterfront is the first series youve ever seen theres no mistaking a sinking ship."

The Independent wasn't exactly raving either. "It is hard to imagine that anyone at Netflix thinks The Waterfront is going to be a classic, or even a particular hit. Instead, it is television played about as safe as it comes."

It's "unconvincing", says The Hollywood Reporter . "This isnt necessarily a good show, but its a serviceable attempt to reproduce the sort of accessible, young-skewing soap opera The CW and The WB used to make, with a solidly above-average cast."

The Waterfront is streaming now on Netflix. You may also like Netflixs wild new crime documentary is like a spinoff of Narcos heres what people are saying Netflixs best thriller of 2025? This new show has 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and is a nail-biter This Gerard Butler popcorn thriller movie has become a high flyer on Netflixs most-watched list, and its a great action flick



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/streaming/netflix/is-this-netflixs-new-virgin-river- the-waterfront-is-this-weeks-most-watched-tv-show-that-everyones-talking-about


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