I watch too much television. I love everything about it. I love watching it, thinking about it, and talking about it. For a person like me, its a pretty great time to be alive. Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime put more great shows in front of me that I know what to do with, so it takes a lot for a show to stand out. That said, I can't get Netflix's newest show "Stranger Things" out of my head.
I'm only a few episodes in so I cant really spoil anything if I wanted to, but the story revolves around the disappearance of a young boy named Will and the mystery surrounding strange girl who stumbles out of the woods the next day. The girl joins Will's friends as they set out on their bike to try and find him, and things only get stranger and stranger. Set in small town in Indiana during the 1980s, the show is a perfect combination of nostalgia, Stephen King, and Steven Spielberg. Its creepy, funny, well paced, and incredibly stylish. Matt and Ross Duffer, the shows creators, do an excellent job contrasting the relatively boring life of the small town with the completely bizarre, supernatural, occasionally terrifying occurrences. Many of these shots are haunting and beautiful in their simplicity. Take for example a woman alone in a room surrounded by Christmas lights. The room is plain, and seems like one you could have walked through a million times without giving it a second thought. However, while the room is completely normal, the woman attempts to contact someone or something living in an alternate dimension. The music is great, as are the various nods and winks to '80s culture.
All of the performances are great, especially those of the child actors. Finn Wolfard, Millie Bobby Brown, Caleb McLaughlin, and Gaten Matarazzo are all excellent. Their chemistry is great, and their dialogue is believable. After just a few minutes, you'll want to hop on your bike and go off with them to find Will. Winona Ryder, Will's panicked but determined mother, and David Harbour plays the town's skeptical sherif. Again, both actors are terrific.
Its kind of hard to describe "Stranger Things" because its so unique, in that theres nothing else like it right now, but it also seems so familiar. It feels like "The Goonies," "Super 8," and "E.T." had a baby. More than anything else though, "Stranger Things" is pure fun.
