Is Sirens Based on a True Story? Are Peter and Michaela Kell Based on Real People?

Netflix’s ‘Sirens’ presents an eccentric story about a pair of sisters whose lives devolve in unexpected ways over the course of one weekend spent on an addictive, lavish island. The dark comedy show, created by Molly Smith Metzler, follows Devon DeWitt, who marches out to her younger sister’s place of employment, the scenic Cliff House, to confront her about her flaky behavior. However, once there, she witnesses Simone’s absurdly close relationship with her boss, Michaela Kell, who seems to possess an inescapable magnetism. As a result, Devon becomes convinced that her sister needs to be rescued from the Kells’ alluring, cultish life.

As the story unravels, the narrative takes a deeper dive into the central characters and the various nuances that make up their unique circumstances. Thus, themes of class, socio-economic power, and their intersection with the female experience remain the crucial cornerstone of the show. Naturally, the possible real-life basis of the DeWitt sisters and the Kell couple, who inform the structure of these narrative threads, remains a point of intrigue.

Molly Smith Metzler’s 2011 Play Served as a Basis for Sirens

Despite its initially menacing fantastical undercurrent, ‘Sirens’ charts a relatively realistic story that centers around three women and their distinct yet kindred relationships with power and class. Creator Molly Smith Metzler is known for scrutinizing these themes in her work, as evidenced in some of her previous projects, including ‘Maid’ and ‘Shameless.’ However, even before any of these shows, Metzler penned a play, ‘Elemeno Pea,’ in 2011 during her Juilliard years, that dealt with the same topic. Years later, she ended up adapting this same play into ‘Sirens.’

The Netflix show retains many of the same elements as its theatrical source material. The latter revolved around the same premise of Devon visiting her significantly better-off sister, Simone, at a luxurious Martha’s Vineyard estate. The story takes off when the latter’s boss, Michaela Kell, unexpectedly returns early from a trip, leading to unforeseen chaos. The show functions within the same parameters but expands its reach by bringing new storylines, characters, and narrative themes into the mix. Yet, even when things get a bit outlandish, it holds onto a sense of realism that it shares with ‘Elemeno Pea,’ which was in part inspired by Metzler’s own experiences.

In the summer of 2000, Metzler lived in Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. During this time, she juggled different gigs like babysitting at lavish houses and waiting tables at exclusive yacht clubs. Consequently, she witnessed the luxurious lifestyles of the upper echelons of society in close proximity through an outsider’s lens. She met and crossed paths with all kinds of people who were governed in a way by the class-driven lines drawn around them, be it the distance of the working class, the prestige of “Old Money” folks, or the divide of “New Money.” Thus, Metzler crafted her play, and down the road, her show, with inspiration from this same real-life experience.

Sirens Explores the Upper Class in a Unique Light

In the current media landscape, ‘Sirens’ is surrounded by like-minded stories, particularly those that seem to belong to the “Rich People Behaving Badly” genre. ‘The White Lotus,’ ‘The Perfect Couple,’ and ‘Palm Royale‘ are some shows spearheading this contemporary niche. However, in developing her 2011 play, ‘Elemeno Pea,’ to a series in 2025, Molly Smith Metzler was very intentional about carving out a specific identity for her story. She wasn’t eager to rely on the conventions of the genre to deliver something derivative or even notably familiar to her audience.

“‘Sirens’ is not what you expect,” Metzler told Variety. “It might look like one of these Nantucket shows, which, by the way, I love. But you have not seen this show before. Nobody knows how to talk about the show. No one knows what to compare it to in terms of tone. It is really its own thing.” For the most part, the show’s exploration of its central theme of class remains the key to this distinction. It centers around Michaela Kell, a ridiculously wealthy woman who has all the cliches of her status that one would expect. On the other hand, the narrative also has Simone, who is desperate to chase a departure from her previous lower-middle-class upbringing, and Devon, who tries to be as separated from this status-chasing lifestyle as possible.

As these three distinct characters and various other elements of their lives clash, it brings about a highly nuanced and thought-provoking conversation about the reality of class in society. As a result, the narrative gets to ask questions about the core existential nature of class and one’s ability to adapt around it. “Class is something that I write about consistently because I think it’s fascinating, but I also think it is a bit of a performance,” Metzler said in a conversation with WBUR. “One of the things that shocked me is that the richest woman at the yacht club, who had the highest net worth, was also the biggest piece of white trash. Class has nothing to do with income. It has nothing to do with net worth. It’s kind of this imposed structure, and it’s a mask that we all put on and wear.”

Peter and Michaela’s Dynamic Highlights the Female-Centric Themes of Sirens

Peter and Michaela Kell are at the top of the narrative pyramid in ‘Sirens’ in terms of control and power. Even though they’re equally as fictitious as the world around them, their characterizations integrate a notable sense of realism into the tale. As the owners of the estate for whom almost every other inhabitant of the Cliff House works, the Kells are the topmost elite duo. Yet, an intimate power dynamic exists between these two characters. This distinct structure of their marriage is something ‘Sirens’ carries over from Molly Smith Metzler’s ‘Elemeno Pea.’ In the play, Michaela remains a central force to be reckoned with, while Peter, an entirely off-stage character, lords over the narrative as an unseen all-powerful figure.

Julianne Moore and Kevin Bacon’s on-screen characters retain the same nucleus as their theatrical counterparts, while bringing newfound nuances to their story. Through the dynamics of their marriage, the story explores women’s place in a heteronormative, patriarchal society where their unique female experiences become a catalyst in the trajectory of their lives. In a discussion with the American Repertory Theater about the 2011 stage play and its intricate connection to the theme of choice, Metzler said, “(And) How could I talk about how unbelievably hard but important the choices we make are, and how those choices can literally make or break who we are, if my characters weren’t female?”

Metzler further added, “Men don’t have the ability to bear children, and I don’t think men are often plucked from the chorus to become Trophy Husbands to millionaires. So these women faced specifically female challenges. As my play examines, the consequences of women wanting more—more status, money, love, opportunity—can have a very high price tag.” Thus, blending the play’s narrative nucleus with the show’s distinct association to Greek mythology’s Sirens and their instant villanization by the culture allows the story to depict a uniquely female socio-economic experience. Ultimately, though fictitious, Michaela and Peter’s delicately designed marriage plays a crucial role in portraying the same.