TV
‘Stranger Things’ — review
Netflix really hit us with the feels of ’80s nostalgia in their 2016 breakthrough series.
“With all of its tribute to its creative heroes wrapped in each episode, there is that raw quality to the style, making the series look like the greatest fan-film ever made. And yet they pull it off brilliantly.” ★★★★☆ — By John Paul B. Garrido / Janin B. Volante
Step aside Game of Thrones, there’s a new stranger ready to play your game.
Netflix really hit us with the feels of ‘80s nostalgia in their 2016 breakthrough series, Stranger Things. The cast is made up of veterans like Winona Ryder, Matthew Modine and David Harbour alongside newcomers like Millie Bobby Brown and Finn Wolfhard, establishing relatable characters who discover themselves tangled in a very unlikely horror story.
The series is a throwback to eighties pop culture as you will find all forms of tributes and references to prominent pop culture icons like Stephen King, John Carpenter, James Cameron, the X-Men, Dungeons & Dragons, and even some scenes reminiscent to movies like IT, E.T., Aliens and The Goonies.
The whole plot is centered around the disappearance of a young boy named Will Byers (Noah Schnapp), who goes missing one evening after a Dungeons and Dragons session with his equally nerdy, Goonies-inspired buddies (Finn Wolfhard, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin). In the pre-credit sequence of the first episode, we see a scientist at Hawkins Laboratories being attacked by an unseen, strange thing, later called as the Demogorgon and we can only assume the poor kid has also fallen victim to the monster. His distraught mother (Ryder) becomes increasingly frantic and has befriended the town’s alcoholic sheriff (Harbour) as they become convinced that her son is alive but trapped in a parallel dimension called the Upside Down. Meanwhile, Will’s friends arrive at the same conclusion when they discover Eleven (Brown), a little girl with a shaved head and Jean Grey/Phoenix-like destructive telepathic and telekinetic powers. The rest of the episodes revolve around their independent missions to find Will.
This supernatural mystery provides all sort of entertainment for its audience. Behind all the mystery and monstrosity brought to us by the show is a very solid and well-executed storyline. With all of its tribute to its creative heroes wrapped in each episode, there is that raw quality to the style, making the series look like the greatest fan-film ever made. And yet they pull it off brilliantly.
What’s refreshing about the series is that despite being patterned on familiar archetypes, it doesn’t fall into the usual cliches. The writers subvert the jock stereotype when they give Steve Harrington’s characterization a twist. Those you might think would end up together don’t, and those you don’t do.
The only bit where Stranger Things lacks is where it doesn’t adequately explain the cause and origin of the supernatural happenings in Hawkins. The plot is neatly tied up, but there is still that question hanging over the heads of the audience. However, that doesn’t take away too many points from how brilliant the series is. Besides, that may be a question for later seasons.
Despite being set in the eighties, the show feels fresh and authentic. The overall creepy feel of this eight-episode series is one that will draw you in from its Stephen King-ish title card to its mystery-filled conclusion. ■ AH Online / The Culture Review
Stranger Things is currently streaming in Netflix. You can also watch the trailer here:
Let us know what you think about the show in the comments below!
