The Duffer Brothers- Matt Duffer and his twin Ross Duffer: How has Stranger Things influenced us?
Matt Duffer, one of the Duffer Brothers, and his brother Ross Duffer are famous for producing Stranger Things, the hit series. On February 15, 1984, he and his brother were born in the suburbs of Durham, North Carolina. As children, Matt and his brother shared the same dream of working together in the film industry. From a young age, Matt and Ross Duffer have had a passion for films and TV shows. They were given a Hi9 camcorder for Christmas in third grade, which sparked their passion to not only watch but also create films. Through their passion and hard work of this unique duo, the twins have become masters of comics and sci-fi. Since then, Matt has always worked together with Ross and has never gone solo.
A number of shows have been proposed to production companies by the brothers without success. However, thanks to a deal with Netflix in 2017, things changed for them. Both Matt and Ross studied Film in college at Chapman University of Film and Arts in California, where they graduated in 2007. They have mastered the art of script writing and directing and have now written and produced many shows and films together. Their work is all inspired by legendary filmmakers Steven Spielberg and author Stephen King. Although the Duffer brothers aren’t the most popular filmmakers in Hollywood yet, the films they have worked on extend further to huge numbers. The brothers are known for films such as We All Fall Down that won the Best Short Film award in Dallas while still in college, Eater, Wayward Pines, Vessel, Hidden, and the popular series Stranger Things, which now has a major fan base.
Stranger Things has influenced our lives from the way we dress to the way we act that is including me. You might wonder how is Stranger Things so powerful to influence people. It is all thanks to the way Matt and his brother Ross wrote and produced this show.
#1: The 80s Nostalgia
Stranger Things is well-known for its 80s aesthetic and nostalgia as it takes place in the 1980s. It’s easy to find references to The Terminator, Ghostbusters, and others that are reminiscent of 80s films. Also featured are 80s stars, including Sean Astin and Winona Ryder. This also influences the way we dress from volumized curls and mullets as hair to the 80s-themed styling and clothing. It has changed our music taste to listening to more 80s music. It also resulted in 80s-themed rooms with LED and fairy lights, the vintage vibes. It has definitely changed my sense of style and taste in music as I am leaning more towards to 80s aesthetic amidst the modernization. Using Tiktok to promote “Stranger Things summer”, in which we use radios, cycle for transportation, and avoid screens, they have demonstrated a small-town, slow-paced lifestyle. This trend is a refreshing reminder that we have to slow down in our fast-paced, electronic world.
#2: Multi-genre Storytelling and Character Development
The series never relies heavily on one specific genre, instead pulls elements from various genres to create an engaging story and reach a wider range of audiences that influences inclusivity and variety in films. This includes the mixture of genres from horror series, coming-of-age stories, conspiracy thrillers, and adventure tales all blended together. It has also shown character development where a character that was once hated is now the most loved as the seasons go by (Steve Harrington played by Joe Keery). This influenced younger audiences to be better versions of themselves.
#3: Use of symbolism, foreshadowing, parallel realms, and cliffhangers:
The antagonists in Stranger Things are symbolized by the characters found in a game called Dungeons and Dragons. Matt and Ross are known to use many elements including foreshadowing which resulted in the fan base having many theories about the future happenings in the show; discussed on social media, especially Tiktok. Cliffhangers also make the audience anticipate what’s going to happen next. The series is made as detailed as possible; Parallels too: the real world of Hawkins and the parallel universe of Hawkins called the Upside Down. This makes the show more interesting and attracts a large audience. This influences more films to have these elements.
#4: The meme culture
Many inside jokes that only Stranger Things fans would understand have influenced unity among people all around the globe. The humor that we Stranger Things fans share.
Stranger Things is known to non-fans because of this TikTok trend:
Now it has many versions.
#5: The impeccable chemistry and group dynamic on and off set
The chemistry between the actors, whom the audience adores, makes the show ten times better than it already is. Matt and Ross made the ideal casting decision for the crews. It also showed how the casts have grown up over the years which makes audiences hold this show in a special place in their hearts. This influences the film industry to cast each and every member correctly.
See the cast's interaction on the Duffers Brothers’ Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/dufferbrothres/?hl=en
