I was raised on ‘80s coming-of-age films. The barf-o-rama at the pie eating contest in “Stand by Me” is perhaps my father’s favorite moment in cinema, and it could very well be mine too. The Reese’s Pieces product placement in “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” got me hooked on the peanut buttery candy. And Sloth’s requests for Baby Ruth in “The Goonies”? I will laugh at that with my kids one day just as I laughed with my mother.
There is something about these kinds of movies that is magical. And it’s not just the literal magical elements; it goes deeper than that. These are stories of young men and women setting out on adventures, going through hell and back, and returning a little more mature. There is danger, there may be things that are beyond explanation, but at the core, these are indeed coming-of-age stories that happen to deal with some really crazy topics. I was sure films like these had gone extinct, but then I watched “Stranger Things.”
An eight-episode Netflix original, ”Stranger Things” pays homage to the 80s movies I love so much. The show opens in 1983 with the abduction of middle schooler Will Byers by a strange monster in rural Hawkins, Indiana, and from there things only get juicier. Secret government experiments. A mysterious girl with special powers. Widespread cover-ups. With the search on for young Byers, the truth slowly comes to light.
It’s captivating, right? I know just that little synopsis gets you a bit excited. There is an atmosphere to this show straight out of the 80s—from the product placement to the nuclear family to the bad guys in hazmat suits—and it sucks you in within the first ten minutes. Maybe it’s only because I’ve been waiting for something like this for years and I just finished it yesterday, but I would now consider “Stranger Things” my favorite show of all-time.
“Stranger Things,” while dreadfully suspenseful and immensely entertaining, is first and foremost character-driven story. I wanted to give the doleful, pill-popping Police Chief Jim Hopper, portrayed flawlessly by David Harbour, a big ole hug the first time he was introduced, and that feeling persisted for much of the show. Winona Ryder played Joyce Byers, Will’s mother, and her desperate, relentless efforts to find her son was nothing short of hauntingly realistic. Her character was sobering—I realized in episode four that there are mothers and fathers out there whose children really are missing, and Joyce’s helplessness is something that they experience in reality. And there is Eleven, a telekinetic girl who is found by Will’s friends and aids them on the hunt for Will. She is a girl of few words yet carries so much pain; portraying Eleven, Millie Bobby Brown delivers perhaps the most powerful performance of the entire show.
The score brings “Stranger Things” to another level. Immersive and tone-setting, the score felt like something you would hear in old “Tron" movies. It could not have fit any better with the story being told; it made the tribute to those beloved ‘80s movies complete.
With incredible cinematography and an atmosphere that pulls you back in time to 1983, “Stranger Things” is a blast from the past that perfectly incorporates elements from modern and past film. This a balance that is difficult to get right and disastrous when done wrong, yet the Duffer Brothers pull it off beautifully. “Stranger Things” adds a new chapter to the epics of Steven Spielberg, John Carpenter, and Stephen King. If you’re looking for a bit of nostalgia, or if you just want to binge on your next show, look no further than “Stranger Things.”
