Set in the mid-1980s, Stranger Things follows the mystery of Will Byers, a boy who mysteriously goes missing, leaving his friends and family to deal with grief, strange supernatural happenings, a monster, and the lingering question of if Will is truly still alive. I would explain more, but to do this would be a disservice to this fantastically made show. If you're not at least a little interested by the end of this review, chances are it isn't for you.
The newest sensation on Netflix is a curiously familiar beast of a show, yet is completely original. In large part, this familiarity is due to the setting of the show itself. For people in my age bracket (I refuse to be labelled as a 'millenial'), it evokes feelings of the pre-internet age in a way that no show has done before. Some cynics might say that this is simply a cash-in for the VHS-hipster crowd, but I am firmly on the opposite side of that argument. While the show makes references liberally, nothing about it ever feels artificial. Series creators the Duffer Brothers have paid very close attention to the details of production design on Stranger Things, and it proves that they have the same feelings of nostalgia we do as viewers. In an increasingly digital world, Stranger Things helps to recall comforts we'd long forgotten. Even the title sequence is packed full of details that instantly trigger buried memories of the past. The intermittent fuzz of VHS grain reminds us of a time of video stores and recording shows from television. The title font itself carries its own presence, perhaps reminding us of old Dungeons and Dragons manuals, or the teen horror novels of Christopher Pike and R.L. Stine.
The casting is phenomenal, and has some of the best kid actors (played by Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown, Gaten Matazarro, and Caleb McLaughlin) I've seen since J.J Abrams' Super 8. They play well against each other, and, more importantly, they look and act as you'd expect real 12 year olds to. It's a very refreshing thing to see when many other programs have token kid actors who simply seem to read a script and look good on screen. Stranger Things isn't afraid to have kids who don't look like they've stepped straight out of the Sears catalogue, and this is a huge part of the show's success. These kids reminds me of kids I grew up with, and it makes me care for each one of them as if I knew them personally.
The adult cast is equally talented. David Harbour is very good as the down-and out police chief Jim Hopper, but I was especially impressed with the performance of Winona Ryder as Joyce Byers, Will's grieving mother. I normally don't care much for Winona Ryder, but I found her completely believable playing the slowly unravelling mother of a missing child.
The tone of the show varies by episode, but there is a current of nostalgia running throughout. The show uses hints of various iconic TV shows and movies, all the while keeping an original and engaging story. There are heavy references to John Carpenter's The Thing, The X-Files, Twin Peaks, and E.T., among others. This mix of elements ensures that there's an even balance of nostalgia and terror. This deliberate design for the show carries over to effects as well. Where possible, the producers have used high quality physical creature effects over CGI, which lends a chillingly visceral feel to the horror elements of the show. As well, in the tradition of the best horror films, these effects are used minimally. You only ever get brief glimpses of things, leaving your imagination to craft the most horrific parts.
I'm hesitant to give away any details of the storyline, but suffice to say it contains realistic family drama, surprises upon surprises, and a deep reaching conspiracy. As of this writing, I am roughly halfway through the eight episode run of the first season. I have a few theories about what's truly going on, and I am looking forward to discovering what I got right and what I didn't know.
The beauty of Stranger Things is that it's made up of so many different parts, many people can watch and like it for completely different reasons, all of which are valid. It also reminds us of a simpler time, and this enhances the horror when we're shocked out of our own nostalgia. It's a fantastic show, and I hope it continues for years to come. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll be in my blanket fort watching the late-night monster movie marathon.
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