A family’s legacy built on water is now drowning in secrets in “The Waterfront,” a new Netflix drama inspired by harrowing true events. The series plunges into the struggles of the flawed Buckley family, whose once-celebrated North Carolina fishing empire is facing a bitter decline. As their maritime heritage and livelihood are threatened, the family spirals into a world of dangerous choices to protect what’s left of their name. “The Waterfront” is a tense, emotional crime saga that masterfully blends Southern grit with high-stakes family conflict. It adopts a “slow-burn Southern noir” style, favoring character-driven suspense over soap opera melodrama. What sets the series apart is its dark, elegant, and emotionally raw presentation, embracing a “Southern Gothic” aesthetic that makes it a must-watch. This rich, complex narrative masterfully intertwines character, setting, and plot, offering a gripping exploration of moral decay.
The Buckley Family’s Endangered Legacy in Havenport
Set in the fictional coastal town of Havenport, North Carolina, the series follows the Buckleys, a family long revered for their fishing empire and bustling waterfront restaurant. Their world cracks when patriarch Harlan Buckley (Holt McCallany) suffers two heart attacks, forcing his shrewd, iron-willed wife, Belle (Maria Bello), and their impetuous son, Cane (Jake Weary), into survival mode. As Harlan’s health fails, Belle seizes the reins of the business. Facing imminent ruin, the family makes a fateful decision: they agree to smuggle $10 million in drugs, a choice that drags them into a treacherous underworld of rival gangs, shifting alliances, and a tightening federal investigation. The series powerfully emphasizes that the Buckleys are not hardened criminals, but an ordinary family crumbling under the immense weight of desperation. Harlan clings to his last vestiges of power, Belle navigates grief and betrayal in a role she never wanted, and Cane finds his conscience at war with his responsibilities. Meanwhile, daughter Bree (Melissa Benoist), fresh from rehab and fighting to regain custody of her son, Diller (Brady Hepner), returns home only to be pulled back into the escalating chaos. The story powerfully links the family’s turn to crime with the real-world decline of their legitimate fishing business, framing their moral compromise not as inherent villainy, but as a tragic consequence of systemic pressures on traditional American industries.
A Cast of Deeply Complex Characters
“The Waterfront” is anchored by its compelling characters, each grappling with internal and external pressures. Holt McCallany delivers a commanding performance as Harlan Buckley, the proud patriarch clinging to control. His character is notably inspired by creator Kevin Williamson’s own father. Maria Bello shines as Belle, the family’s fierce and cunning matriarch, forced to steer her family through a storm of grief and danger. Jake Weary portrays Cane, the conflicted and reluctant heir to the empire, torn between duty and morality. The cast is rounded out by Melissa Benoist as Bree, the family’s troubled black sheep fighting for sobriety and a second chance. Supporting players add further layers of intrigue, including Rafael L. Silva as a mysterious new waiter, Humberly González as a journalist and Cane’s old flame, Michael Gaston as the local sheriff, and Gerardo Celasco as a determined DEA agent. Topher Grace and Dave Annable also feature in the ensemble.
Intergenerational Conflict and a Poisoned Legacy
The series excels in its exploration of intergenerational conflict and the crushing weight of a troubled legacy. The tense dynamics between Harlan, his children, and his grandson reveal a profound clash of values. Harlan’s refusal to relinquish control, Cane’s tormented struggle with his inheritance, and Bree’s desperate fight for redemption create a powerful family portrait. This dynamic is made even more complex by Bree’s son, Diller, who idolizes his grandfather while rejecting his mother, starkly illustrating how the family’s destructive choices ripple through generations. “The Waterfront” masterfully explores how a family’s “empire” can become a gilded cage, trapping its members in a suffocating cycle of desperation and moral compromise.
From the Creator of Scream and Dawson’s Creek
“The Waterfront” is created by Kevin Williamson, the celebrated writer behind iconic titles like Scream, Dawson’s Creek, and The Vampire Diaries. Here, Williamson shifts from supernatural thrills to a grounded, emotionally charged crime story that is his most personal work yet. The series is directly inspired by his father, a fisherman who turned to drug trafficking in the 1980s to keep his family afloat and was ultimately imprisoned. Williamson has touched on this history before, notably in Dawson’s Creek and I Know What You Did Last Summer, but “The Waterfront” confronts it head-on. While rooted in truth, Williamson stresses the series is “all fiction,” having raised the dramatic stakes by changing the smuggled drugs from marijuana to cocaine and opioids.
The Haunting North Carolina Backdrop
Filmed on location in Wilmington and Southport, North Carolina, the series’ coastal setting is as much a character as the Buckleys themselves. Its “haunting beauty belies the darkness lurking beneath,” contributing to the potent “Southern Gothic” atmosphere. The visually rich environment underscores the themes of decay, secrets, and the raw struggle for survival. The setting is no mere backdrop; it’s an active force shaping the characters’ moral choices. The contrast between the region’s serene beauty and its hidden corruption mirrors the Buckley family’s own internal rot, making their downfall feel like an organic consequence of their environment, where the landscape itself embodies a decaying legacy.
A Tragic Dirge for the American Dream
“The Waterfront” is a gripping exploration of the thin line between right and wrong, love and survival. It’s a story about a family driven not by greed, but by desperation. The series serves as a “dirge for the American Dream,” dissecting America’s obsession with legacy at any cost against a backdrop of financial ruin and the collapse of traditional industries. As the Buckleys make “shark-sized deals” to save their empire, the narrative examines the crushing psychological toll of their choices. Beyond desperation, the series delves into themes of moral struggle, corruption, loyalty, and faith, ultimately asking if redemption is possible when you’ve sacrificed your soul to survive.
How to Watch
“The Waterfront” consists of eight episodes, each approximately one hour long. The complete series is now available to stream on Netflix.
