Have you ever started watching a series just to see what it feels like and bam 2 hours later you are totally engrossed in it! And a week later, that’s all you could talk about?! That’s Stranger Things for you. For those who haven’t watched it (sigh!), it’s a gripping series about strange things happening in a small town, Hawkins in Indiana, USA. By strange things, we are talking about man-eating monsters, mind flayers looking like a hurricane, labs conducting hazardous experiments on kids, and whatnot!
Even with lengthy episodes, Stranger Things is famous among all age groups for its eerie theme, dry humor, and well-played actors with extraordinary character arcs. The nostalgia hits so hard as the series deals with the 80s theme, music, and costumes. You will not find even one episode of Stranger Things boring as the makers juxtaposed stories happening in different places but at the same timelines so cleverly. With the 5th season being a work in progress, we have more reasons and time to binge watch the show once or once again.
Why should you watch Stranger Things?
Just hoping to convince you with my favorite line from Max, “You just try things on. Until you find something that feels like you.”
Nostalgia factor
Stranger Things fans connect its popularity to its accurately depicted 80s theme. Ironically enough, even gen z audiences love Stranger Things as they could look back into the evolution of pop and western culture. Despite being shot and released in 2016, the show looks and feels like it’s from the 80s, props to the realistic placement of elements – be it songs, products, or games. For example, Season 4 of Stranger Things shows a character listening to a song ‘Running up the hill’, an album by Katie Bush released in 1985, or the strangest concert ever in the upside down world featuring the song Metallica Master of Puppets, released in 1986. These songs became a treat to the millennial and Gen Z audience.
Another factual evidence to show how nostalgia made Stranger Things a hit is the boom of waffle brand, Eggos. The character Eleven from ST is a big fan of eggos and devours it often, which made Americans run to stores and hoard the product they had forgotten long ago.
How can we ignore the cult fashion of Stranger Things, sporty, sunny, yet casual outfits of teenagers living busy lives at schools while fighting demon battles. To name a few, El’s multicolored jumpsuit from Season 3, Argyle’s Surfer Boys pizza t-shirt, Scoop’s Ahoy ice cream uniform of Steve and Robin, or the infamous yellow shirt of Mike from Season 4. All these outfits scream vintage while each character is styled to suit their character, cleverly by the designer Amy Parris. Perhaps, this blended yet realistic nostalgia factor along with a gripping storyline makes Stranger Things more addictive and rewatchable.
Monsters thirsty for blood
Stranger Things, inspired by movies like Jurassic Park, has plenty of creepy and dangerous monsters in all seasons. The first season has demogorgons, looking like a disgusting man with a face that opens like a flower, except that it oozes slimy liquid and engulfs people in one go.
We must give it to demogorgons for making Stranger Things more thrilling owing to the nail-biting chases it made happen. Another ugly yet the most powerful monster of Stranger Things is the main villain Vecna/Number one/Henry Creel.
It might be less ominous-looking than the former, yet 10x times mighty and evil. And, let’s not forget the mind flayers, a dark misty creature, which helps the main villain gain real conscience and power. More villains arrive in the form of Russian malfeasants who work against America in a secret lab under a mall in Hawkins.
What makes Stranger Things an interesting watch is the fact that a group of teenagers and a girl with special power fights putting up a hard fight against super powerful villains and outworldly monstrous creatures.
Also read: DIY Stranger Things party planning guide
Character development
Stranger Things isn’t only about monster hunts. It shows some incredible characters with unbelievable (yet believable) character development across seasons. There is a guy, Steve, who comes across as an absolute narc (classic rich guy and snobby boyfriend character) yet transforms into a brave hero with empathy, respect, and a great sense of humor.
In four seasons, Steve became the most loveable and repeat character of Stranger Things let alone the babysitter of the young kids. Not just him, there is Eleven, a girl who was brought up in a lab, learns to live in the outside world and gains caring friends and family.
In season 4, you will see a selfish and drug-selling school guy, Eddie, becoming a hero by sacrificing his life for his friends and town’s safety. Often bored with teen characters who are standoffish, mean, and cold, it’s nice to see movies with teens where the leads learn from their actions and grow into tolerable human beings.
For someone who has watched and admired character arcs in movies like The Hobbit/LOTR, Forrest Gump, The Godfather, and the like, Stranger Things was an absolute treat.
Friends (who) don’t lie
Everyone loves Stranger Things for its pure portrayal of friendships, that’s relatable on so many levels. It starts with a school friends gang named ‘The party’ with four guys that expands into a large group of monster hunters and city savers.
For example, one of the guys Will move to California which leads to a fall-out with his closest friend in the gang, Mike. Their conversations as reconcile and patch up things between them appears touching and personal. Yet, it’s not always emotional, some dialogues are downright witty and savage, making us reminisce about our friends from school and college.
Some key friendship moments that stood out in Stranger Things are:
- Season 3 Max and El from as they begin their kinship with girly moments like shopping, sleepovers,
- Season 2 – the beginning of the bromance between Steve and Dustin, despite their different backgrounds, as Steve lets out his secret behind the best hair.
- Season 3 – the coming out conversation between Robin and Steve in the mall bathroom. They share a platonic vibe, yet the friendship and acceptance shines bright here..
- Friends saving Max from a near-death situation in the most iconic scene from season 4.
- Season 2 snowball day, Nancy being there for her brother’s friend Dustin by dancing with him.
Soundtrack
Stranger Things has the spookiest title sequence and background scores and features songs from various artists of the 80s. Many fans find the theme unskippable, which was twice nominated for Emmy and was composed by Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein. If you have a good pair of speakers, you could almost feel the throb, thanks to the synthesizers used.
You will also notice brilliant song placements, which aren’t just there to remind us of the timeline. There is a rock song used in season 2 which shows two brothers’ bonding over good music.
Some popular 80s soundtrack used in Stranger Things:
| Soundtrack | Season used | Composer/Band | Spotify/YouTube link |
| Should I stay or should I go? | First and second season | The Clash | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtBApWspdqE |
| Running up that hill | 4th season | Katie Bush | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bV0RAcuG2Ao |
| Every breath you take | 2nd season (during snow ball) | The Police | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbn-D5j-xeU&t=21s |
| Material girl | 3rd season (when Max takes El for shopping and introduces her to the girlie world.) | Madonna | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSD8EuXX2kc |
| Never-ending story | 3rd season (a heartwarming moment shared by Dustin and Suzie as they sing this together while everyone listens helplessly). | Soundtrack from the movie – Neverending story | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5HQ1sZseKg |
| Time after Time | Season 2 (when Nancy and Dustin dances together) | Cyndi Lauper | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dao4JMGYFPc |
| We will meet again | Season 3 (A gripping scene involving Billy and the people he turned into monsters with Mind Flayer’s help) | Vera Lynn | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrp5uROqAc8 |
Special mention to this Netflix rendition by Ilayaraja for Stranger Things
Unique story
Stranger Things boast a unique story that branches into many side stories, all connected to the crux element. It’s all set in a quaint town, Hawkins where nothing noticeable ever happens. Yet, something is brewing secretively in the outskirts—hazardous and could turn their world upside down (quite literally).
A worrying mom, a stoic cop, and a group of friends, fighting the unknown evil. There are new characters walking in every season, yet everyone has something to add to the story. And, every season ends with a gut-wrenching death of a person we rooted for. Isn’t that enough to get addicted to a show?
Many ask if Stranger Things is based on a true story, which partially is. The creators, ‘Duffer brothers have drawn inspiration from real events that happened at Montauk in New York, where there was a secret lab conducting experiments like time traveling. Also, the town name Hawkins mentioned in Stranger Things is a fictional place, and most of the scenes are shot near Atlanta, Georgia.
Humor
A story about monsters fighting still can have funny scenes and dialogues. So as Stranger Things. The simple and plain humor, even when the whole city is about to be annihilated, will have you in splits (might be the reason why the show is famous among dark humor lovers).
There’s Max’s sarcasm, Erica’s sassy and snarky remarks, Dustin’s quirkiness, and Steve’s humorous one-liners, and so much else to look forward to. The well-written dialogues do play a role too. Some iconic yet humorous line from Stranger Things:
- Friends don’t lie & I dump your a*s – Eleven
- ‘She will not be able to resist these pearls.’ – Dustin
- ‘You can’t spell America without Erica’. – Erica
The humor part put the balance the show required to make it amusing amid gruesome deaths. That brings us to the question, is Stranger Things PG 13? It could be a suitable movie for teens and up, not advisable for kids owing to violence, horror, and killings.
All 4 seasons and 34 episodes are streaming on Netflix and the fifth season’s teaser has just dropped, while there is no official release date from the producers yet.