‘The Survivors’ (2025) Netflix Series Review - Dark Secrets, Plenty Of Grief

Netflix Australia has come a long way since its first Original debut, Tidelands (what happened to that show? Is it officially canceled?). Many Netflix Original shows from that region have unfortunately turned out to be quite underwhelming. However, we recently observed some potential in Territory, and Apple Cider Vinegar proved to be incredibly impressive. The Survivors further elevates the image of Netflix Australia thanks to an excellent cast and a decent story. As a murder mystery, the series, created by Tony Ayres, is very intriguing, and it only loses steam during a disappointing final reveal where the main culprit just blabbers on and on about what he did. This climax feels lazy and unsatisfying - in terms of execution, not story. The Survivors might not appeal to those who like to play detective because the "detective work" in the series is scant, simple, and uninteresting. The police take DNA samples, conduct interviews with suspects, and make arrests based on evidence that comes to light. It's all pretty straightforward and "real." This is one of those shows where crucial information is hidden from us till the right moment; the clues are not scattered around like breadcrumbs. 

Then again, The Survivors is more of a family drama and less of a detective thriller. At one point, Kieran (Charlie Vickers) complains to Verity (Robyn Malcolm), his mother, that the small community of Evelyn Bay has this bad habit of turning on each other during difficult times (Kieran himself does the same thing later in the series when he learns about a phone and how it can potentially help Brian [Damien Garvey] to get out of prison). You can see this small, intimate community where everybody knows everybody as one big family. And the "m" in "family" stands for messy. When Kieran - with his girlfriend Mia (Yerin Ha) and their baby - returns to Evelyn Bay from Sydney, we immediately sense that this family reunion won't be peachy (at least, for some time). Rarely does a character go to his hometown all excited and happy. There are always dark secrets and traumas involved in the mix. Kieran's past is not entirely concealed from the audience. As a teenager, he ventured into a forbidden cave, got trapped there due to the bad weather, and called two people to rescue him. Those two individuals - one of them was Kieran's brother - died, and Kieran survived. As if this incident wasn't terrible enough for him, he received more pain from Verity's bitter comments, as she screamed at him and called him stupid - and other things. 

Isn't family supposed to protect you from hate, trouble, and unfair criticism? What happens when this very institution does its job badly? According to The Survivors, the cracks in the household don't only appear due to the atmosphere of anger and loathing. Too much love can also promote the growth of something ugly. What's more, the deeds committed in the name of intimacy and companionship can also demand recognition, revealing that the doer may be acting selfishly. A character who helped Verity care for Brian resents Kieran for not thanking him. The Survivors is directed by Cherie Nowlan and Ben C. Lucas. What both of them do is that they maintain a tense, splenetic mood throughout the series. The feelings of friendliness and discomfort coexist in the scene where Kieran and Mia visit the local bar for the first time. There are also traces of what appears to be sexual tension, but the show dismisses the notion (at least in one case) explicitly. It replaces carnality with grief, but I don't think I fully bought what The Survivors was selling, simply because a scene where two characters were sitting close to one another and touching one another was stitched with a moment in the past where the same two characters, as teenagers, were about to kiss. We are led to believe that romance will reignite between these two individuals. But then the show hits you with a profound explanation, which, well, didn't feel very convincing.

What all this means is that The Survivors exhibits all the signs of a chintzy Netflix Original that derives its juice from violence and nudity. The Survivors, however, also tries to distance itself from such productions by not submitting to these easy pleasures. Its main task is to remind us of the importance of being a good friend and a good parent. Without them, you cannot become a good citizen. Men, especially, pivot towards all kinds of ugly, creepy things to maintain the image of "masculinity." I think I am enjoying this ongoing trend where TV shows are pointing their fingers at children, parents, and the toxic society (it could become a cliché in the future). Almost everybody everywhere is evolving backward. Regressive thoughts and traditional viewpoints are being embraced confidently. I don't think The Survivors is a terrific series. It could have benefited from more details, more depth. Given Brian's condition, shouldn't he be taking some medicines? There is no conversation about or with doctors and, by extension, no discussion of medical bills. What kind of jobs do Mia and Kieran have that allow them to extend their vacation at will? One character behaves arrogantly with a police officer who requests CCTV footage from him. But why? Of course, we suspect him; however, nothing substantial comes out of this point. The Survivors doesn't tell us anything we don't already know about the world we live in. It doesn't even use Evelyn Bay and its residents to expose the rot and the vulnerabilities in our relationships and society in a new light. Yet, The Survivors is entertaining in its own way, and the six episodes keep the momentum brisk and tight. It does its job competently.

Final Score- [7/10]
Reviewed by - Vikas Yadav
Follow @vikasonorous on Twitter
Publisher at Midgard Times