(L to R) Holt McCallany as Harlan Buckley, Maria Bello as Belle Buckley in episode 104 of ‘The Waterfront.’ Photo: Dana Hawley/Netflix © 2025.
‘The Waterfront receives 5.5 out of 10 stars.
Released on Netflix in one batch on June 19th, ‘The Waterfront’ is the latest TV product to roll off the prolific production line of ‘Dawson’s Creek’ and ‘The Vampire Diaries’Kevin Williamson.
The cast for the new crime drama includes Holt McCallany (‘Mindhunter’), Maria Bello (‘A History of Violence’), Melissa Benoist (‘Supergirl’), Jake Weary (‘It Follows’) and Rafael L. Silva (‘9-1-1: Lone Star’).
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Initial Thoughts
Maria Bello as Belle Buckley in episode 101 of ‘The Waterfront.’ Photo: Dana Hawley/Netflix © 2025.
Kevin Williamson knows how to create compelling TV shows. He has, after all, been doing it for years, stretching back to the days of ‘Wasteland’ and ‘Glory Days,’ scoring the chance to make series off the back of the success of his scripts for the early ‘Scream’ movies.
Now Netflix has opened its wallet to snap up his skills, and the result is a show that feels very much like a number of the crime dramas that the streaming service has looked to launch before and particularly since the success of Taylor Sheridan’s ‘Yellowstone’.
Yet something in this genre, which boasts so many tropes and traps, needs careful guidance, and ‘The Waterfront’ doesn’t exhibit much of that.
Script and Direction
(L to R) Melissa Benoist as Bree Buckley, Rafael Silva as Shawn West in episode 102 of ‘The Waterfront.’ Photo: Courtesy of Netflix © 2025.
The writing on ‘The Waterfront’ is perhaps its biggest issue. Given the sheer number of TV shows (and some movies) about families who have built their reputations with the appearance of respectability and power, only for criminal motives to lurk under the surface, there isn’t much new lurking here.
How many times must we watch a manly patriarch struggle to step from the shadow of his own father, confront enemies who are looking to take down his business or harm his family? Is there really a fresh way to tackle a troubled eldest son whose spirit doesn’t always seem to be in the actions that are necessary to keep the empire afloat, and who takes out his frustrations by cheating in his marriage?
And not forgetting –– if you’re keeping a bingo card handy –– the former addict daughter who has lost custody of her child and harbors deep resentments against those who turned her in?
A lot of what Williamson and his writers bring to the screen feels less like a fresh script and more like a mixed bag of expected concepts and well-trodden paths. But despite the odd tweak and here, nothing really works all that well.
Directorially, things are pretty straightforward, verging on bland too –– there are some beautiful backdrops and directors Erica Dunton, Liz Friedlander and Marcos Siega so at least have a talented cast to work with.
Cast and Performances
Holt McCallany as Harlan Buckley in episode 102 of ‘The Waterfront.’ Photo: Dana Hawley/Netflix © 2025.
As fishing boat magnate/occasional drug runner Harlan Buckley, Holt McCallany can do this sort of role in his sleep, and given the script, you do sometimes wonder if he did. Yet he’s still got rugged charisma in the role, able to handle squaring off against opponents or dealing with his wayward family.
Maria Bello doesn’t always get as much to do as McCallany, but playing steel-spined matriarch Mae Buckley, she’s a good scene partner for him and also decent in one of her other storylines, where she discovers an unexpected addition to the family (oh yes, that old chestnut is rolled out yet again here).
As their daughter Bree, Melissa Benoist does what she can with the equally seen-it-before role of the struggling young woman dealing with her addiction demons and throwing herself into problematic relationships. She’s always good, but the Bree role just isn’t all that satisfying.
(L to R) Maria Bello as Belle Buckley, Danielle Campbell as Peyton, Jake Weary as Cane Buckley in episode 102 of ‘The Waterfront.’ Photo: Dana Hawley/Netflix © 2025.
Jake Weary is distinctly average as Cane Buckley, the eldest son with his own issues. It’s not entirely the actor’s fault –– the role itself is slim and less than satisfying.
Around them there are the odd roles that pop: Topher Grace is having more fun than anyone else on screen as drug kingpin Grady, a man with an easy laugh and a yen for punishing those who try to cross him with a truck-mounted machine gun. He’s not in many episodes, but the show is better for his presence.
Final Thoughts
(L to R) Holt McCallany as Harlan Buckley, Topher Grace as Grady in episode 104 of ‘The Waterfront.’ Photo: Dana Hawley/Netflix © 2025.
‘The Waterfront’ seems likely to sink beneath the sheer number of other, better output from Netflix and elsewhere (not least of which are the many ‘Yellowstone’ spin-offs), since it offers little in the way that makes it stand out.
If you’re a fan of the cast or the genre, it might be worth a look, but otherwise it’s mostly unremarkable.
“In this town, loyalty comes with a price.”
What’s the plot of ‘The Waterfront’?
For decades, the Buckley family has ruled Havenport, North Carolina, dominating everything from the local fishing industry to the town’s restaurant scene. But their fishing empire has started to crumble as patriarch Harlan Buckley (Holt McCallany) recovers from two heart attacks, and his wife Belle (Maria Bello) and son Cane (Jake Weary) venture into the deep end to keep the family businesses afloat.
As their attempts spiral out of control and into treacherous waters, Harlan steps back in to take command. Facing her own demons, Buckley daughter Bree (Melissa Benoist) — an addict in recovery who’s lost custody of her son Diller (Brady Hepner) — finds herself entangled in a complicated relationship that could threaten the family’s future forever.
Who stars in ‘The Waterfront?
- Holt McCallany
- Maria Bello
- Melissa Benoist
- Jake Weary
- Brady Hepner
- Rafael L. Silva
- Danielle Campbell
- Topher Grace
- Michael Gaston
(L to R) Holt McCallany as Harlan Buckley, Maria Bello as Belle Buckley in episode 104 of ‘The Waterfront.’ Photo: Dana Hawley/Netflix © 2025.
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