The visual homages to those that came before it are vital in making the 80's-nostalgic “Stranger Things” a success. The shot-for-shot references to films like “E.T.”, “The Goonies”, “Jaws”, etc., are just easy enough to spot without taking away from the uniqueness of the Hawkins, Indiana storyline.
Stranger Things’ cinematography is something dreamy. Color palettes suggest the overall themes of each episodes, the framing is new and risky. These visuals work in tangent with dialogue to characterize the plot further. There is no denying that the visuals of Netflix’s hit TV show are absolutely stunning. But the cherry-on-top of the whole series is: sound design. The understated gem of Stranger Things is its bold mix of synth and bass and an addition of subtle yet emphatic sound effects.
The primary sound team, Craig Henighan and Brad North, were core members of the Stranger Things crew from the beginning. As were Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein, the composers of the original music. This allowed them to really get a feel for what the Duffer brothers wanted for the show, the mood and tones they were going for. The sound doesn’t take a backseat to the picture in Stranger Things.
Rather, both are married and work off each other to create a compelling story. The diegetic sounds are true to their 80's origin. We hear this in the phones ringing, the car engines, the bikes, and gunfire. The sound of the lights is the most fascinating of the diegetic variety, coming on with an electronic sound to mimic the invisible amounts of energy in them. The non-diegetic sounds are arguably even more diverse as they build the scene based off what we can’t always see. This is best exemplified in the Upside Down.
In order to portray a place so dark and minimal, the sound had to be simply eerie. This happens in the thin layer of water on the ‘floor’ of the darkness. El’s steps create soft disruption in the liquid and it breaks the resounding silence of the Upside Down. There is no music, the place is overwhelmingly quite, which creates an environment that just makes sense in a sensory deprivation tank.
And we have the Demogorgon, the thing that is just utterly horrifying. It’s a work of art in terms of CGI and we see it all over the place in season two, but the Demogorgon had limited screen time in the first season. Instead, the Duffer brothers wanted something in the likes of “Jaws”, limited screen time for our antagonist. This makes the "Thing" all the more terrifying. Withholding the image lets the audience’s mind wander. But what aids the viewer’s imagination? Much like the classic score of “Jaws”, the score of Stranger Things suggests our monster is posing as a danger now.
And even more so than that, the sounds of the monster itself are a feat. The reptilian roars of the Demogorgon are the only part of the monster we are introduced to in the very first scene in the series. The scientist tries to run from the monster in season one, episode one but it gets him (spoiler alert?). We see the POV shot of the scientist looking at the Demogorgon and then a loud bellow before he is killed.
This happens again later in the episode when Will confronts the monster in the shed. We see a POV shot, seeing Will look up at the monster. The music begins to crescendo, and right as Will is about to be taken, we cut to the light-bulb. It gets brighter as the music gets louder and then a shriek, the music reaches the climax and is abruptly cut short as the light bulb burns out. We are left in silence. A silence emphasizing a lack of a character on screen who was just there moments ago.
These are just a few small points and examples surrounding the discussion of the sound of Stranger Things. It goes to show, when sound is given its platform it can launch the show/film miles ahead of the competition. Stranger Things gives its music and sonic design room to breathe. The attention to detail makes sure nothing is left on the back-burner.
When the auditory elements of something are treated as equally characterizing, it can do wonders. I suggest going back and watching the first season before you binge the second. You’ll be able to hear the evolution. Or if you already binge-watched the second season like me, go back and watch an episode- any episode, and you’ll hear it. You’ll hear a whole new world, or should I say dimension. The Duffer Brothers made a damn good show with Stranger Things and they made sure you could hear that.
