Diksha Sundriyal
Netflix’s ‘The Boroughs’ follows the residents of a retirement home who discover something sinister haunting the place. The story begins with the arrival of Sam, who is grieving the loss of his wife and is now forced to live in a place that he was supposed to have shared with her. Initially, Sam is adamant about leaving the place, believing it is not for him. But then, not only does he find a community and a group of friends who help him, but he also finds a purpose to his life, which eventually helps him get closure for his grief. The retirement community remains at the center of the entire conflict, and the show’s creators made sure that it appears as realistic as possible. SPOILERS AHEAD.
The Fictional Boroughs Was Brought to Life by Intricate Set-building
The Boroughs is a fictional retirement community created in the service of the plot of the Netflix show. However, because it is critical to the storytelling, the production team went all in by creating an expansive set to present the different sides of the place. In the show, we discover that the place is located somewhere close to Albuquerque, New Mexico, and that is exactly where the production team pitched their tent to film the show. Production Designer Ruth Ammon and her team let their imagination run wild while bringing the place to life, based on how it was jotted down on paper by the writers.
Instead of looking for a real-life place that would resemble the retirement community, they decided to create their own, knowing how unique it would have to appear to be in sync with the mystery of the story. They built eight houses on the backlot, which serve as the homes of Sam and his friends who live in close proximity. They also built the downtown area, which includes the coffee shop, which was kept functionally realistic to the point that one could get a coffee there. In the same vein, the Manor was created to reflect the needs of the patients suffering from neurological disorders who are kept separately.
Art’s hiding place, where he grows mushrooms, and the cave system that holds a lot of answers to the main mystery, was also created with a very specific look in mind. This allowed the team to show the secret tunnels and the hidden places that are unveiled to the characters and the audience over the course of eight episodes. The production team did a wonderful job of bringing the Boroughs to life and making it so realistic that it appears as a real place, though with terrifying things lurking in the background.
Read More: Where is The Boroughs Filmed? All Shooting Locations
