There are fears that plague us all, both the self-inflicted kind and woes that are thrust upon us by the world in which we exist. For some, it's the fear of not getting that job. Some, the fear of growing old. For others, it's the monsters under their beds. Fear. It's something we all toil with, a pain that can't always be explained through simple words. Sometimes, it takes a dire circumstance or a push of desperation to find our way through these dark places we find ourselves in to come out the other side shining. Sometimes, we need a light to guide the way. And then sometimes, we just need a song by The Clash.
The 1980s were an interesting period for the sole reason that they always bring to mind a colorful palette of wonders and new possibilities, all glazed over with an unmistakable film of cheesiness and a dash of the kitsche. This element of cheese and kitsche is what creates such a strong contrast in our contemporary minds when we compare that world to the realm of 2016 we exist in today. The '80s are an iconic frame of reference for Saturday morning cartoons, the ideals of a nuclear family and classic horror film hyperboles. And it's that last point that brings me to "Stranger Things," Netflix's most recent original offering in the form of an eight episode series that rests smack dab in the middle of the golden decade of "He-Man" and David Bowie.
Don't worry, no spoilers ahead. For those of you who haven't yet watched this series (written by Matt and Ross Duffer), "Stranger Things" is the story of a young boy named Will who suddenly goes missing and the eerie strings of events that connect to his disappearance as a number of individuals from the town of Hawkins, Indiana attempt to find out what's happened to him. There have been a handful of articles written already about the show's writing, pacing, character development and mood (all of which I can attest to being incredibly well done despite the show's self-admitted lower budget), but the thing that really sank in for me on a personal level was the ability the show had to communicate the ideals of the people that were growing up — and had already grown up — in that era of the 80's.
The story opens on a group of middle school-aged boys playing "Dungeons & Dragons" together on a school night, attempting to stop a dreadful tabletop monster known as the "Demogorgon." If that isn't the 1980s summed up in one scene, I don't know what is. Without going into detail about what specifically happens, Will (the token wizard of the group's D&D party) goes missing on his way home from his fantasy campaign. As the story progresses, we get a glimpse of the lifestylings of the era: Mothers anxiously calling on phones bigger than their own heads wondering why their children didn't come home last night, boy-crazy older sisters, and enough biking kids to fill the roster of a Spielberg flick.
The show joyously basks in its setting, despite its dark storytelling and narrative elements. This contrast, however, is what makes the world of "Stranger Things" so compelling to me — this is a world on the border of what we now call the Information Age. With technology starting to become more and more of a commodity, there's a sense of well-intended frustration. In the show and the period, an obstacle such as being able to communicate with somebody over the phone was not as easy as reaching into your pocket and texting someone, not in this world — we're still a good handful of years away from that innovation. There's a larger sense of weight to the situations at hand when these characters (especially a group of young boys) don't have the same level of agency we have today. And that's where the theme of reaching places we were never meant to reach comes into play so heavily, both on a physical and figurative level (watch the show and you'll get what I mean).
These characters are all written well in the sense that they aren't perfect. They all have their flaws and individual sets of goals, some more complicated than others. Despite the show's shorter-than-average eight episode offering, there's a wealth of progression that is made with almost every single one of these characters. The paths they take and the lengths they go to defy their tragically 80s stereotypes, transcending as worthwhile individuals that we actually want to care about, are subtle in definition, but incredibly well executed; I struggle to think of a character shown on screen that didn't earn my attention in one way or another.
So what happens in a world that's defined by goofy hallmark staples like "Knight Rider" and"Magnum, P.I." while the encroaching hand of the unknown and the supernatural starts to cast a shadow?
Tension. Tension to the Nth degree.
Why do you think so many of these infamous horror film franchises got their start during this time period? Dark and brooding figures were unwelcome entities in a time where The A-Team always got the bad guy, so seeing these types of stories unfold gleefully instilled a sense of fear in the minds of viewers everywhere. It was a time where people were just asking to be chopped into pieces by the fictional nightmares of those 80s slasher flicks we know so well today.
This is why "Stranger Things" has managed to perform a deliciously perfect swan-dive: it asks something of its setting and characters that they are not prepared to give, but does it in a way that not only feels nostalgic (as much as I hate to throw that word around) but also defies the parameters of its set pieces. The show wears the skin of an 80s period piece, but creates drama and emotion in a way that contemporary works are expected to (but more than often fall flat by comparison).
There are a number of reasons other than the ones I've listed to watch this short yet delightfully crafted show's freshman effort (I didn't get a chance to discuss the soundtrack, which is worthy of its own review), but I leave the rest of those reasons for you to discover on your own.
There's little more I can say about the topic at hand without going into specific story details that I wouldn't dare rob from you, so do yourself a favor — sit down and watch "Stranger Things." Missing out on it is certainly something to be afraid of, if nothing else.
