Stranger Things (2016) Directed by The Duffer Brothers
Ok before you say anything, no this technically isn’t a movie, its more of a TV show, but I see it more as a mini series. It pays homage to 80s SciFi movies and does a great job of it at that. Stranger Things has really been popular as a Netflix exclusive series and for good reason, its compelling, thought provoking and well made. It came on my radar after a tweet by former ECW/WWF Wrestler The Blue Meanie. From there I added it to my list and just finished the series the other day.
The synopsis is a young boy goes missing in a small Indiana town. His mother and friends seek help to find the boy. Meanwhile a young girl with no real past shows up and they find she has powers beyond any human ability. The two stories mesh together slowly so well and at the end of each episode you wonder what the hell is going to happen next. The acting is very strong by a cast of almost all kids which is extremely hard to find. Usually with a cast of kids you get some pretty poor acting but each kid in this especially Eleven can act well. Winona Ryder has a strong showing making it known that she isn’t done yet. The dialogue is very authentic and doesn’t feel forced at all. The conversations the kids have in the basement and with each other feels natural. You really begin to connect with the characters and you feel for Eleven after all the tests and training she was forced through as a child.
The atmosphere is wonderful, both in Indiana and the “upside down.” The Duffer Brothers are obviously inspired by the greats of the genre such as Spielberg and John Carpenter. The soundtrack alone is very reminiscent of Carpenter films such as Halloween and The Thing. Most of the film is rather dreary, but that is in part to the time of year it is, Autumn and Winter. The chemistry of the characters is obvious, the boys gel so great it wouldn’t surprise me if they were friends off the camera. There are pieces of comedy mixed in with the heavy storyline as you would expect with a group of kids. They face everyday problems such as bullies and parents. Eleven is basically their friend and bodyguard through the majority of the show and one boy Mike begins to have feelings for her, whether he wants to admit it or not. It is the small things in this movie that really makes it special. The attention to the time period is great, everything looks authentic to the 1980s from the attire to the music while not being in your face the whole time like other films of its type.
If you are struggling to find a show to binge watch on Netflix, you definitely should check out Stranger Things. It mixes the SciFi genre with the coming of age genre quiet well. It has thrills and laughs to keep you wanting more. If you love 80s horror scifi films you will definitely love this, I personally can’t wait for Season 2 to come out. Its obvious, I give this an A. I was hooked from the first episode and plowed through the season rather quickly.
