By Bailey Hosfelt
“Stranger Things,” this summer’s stand out on Netflix, takes viewers on an emotional rollercoaster of eight action-packed episodes. The sci-fi series is the brainchild of Matt and Ross Duffer, two brothers who channeled their love of eerie entertainment from previous decades into their latest project.
Set in small-town Indiana in 1983, the show follows the mysterious disappearance of twelve-year-old Will Byers (Noah Schnapps) while his friends and family’s desperate search to find him and uncover the truth.
Although Will’s single mother, Joyce (Winona Ryder) is played by a familiar yet frantic face, a rag-tag team of youngsters comprise the majority of the cast. Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) and Dustin (Gaten
Matarazzo) star as Will’s three closest comrades who share an appreciation of playing Dungeons and Dragons for hours on end.
Nancy (Natalia Dyer) is Mike’s striking older sister who ditches her brooding boyfriend and teams up with Jonathan (Charlie Heaton) in search of Will. Meanwhile, Hawkins Police Chief Hopper (David Harbour) tackles the disheveled alcoholic turned hero trope as he investigates the boy’s whereabouts.
However, the most prominent character is Eleven, played by Millie Bobby Brown. Eleven is a mysterious young girl who sports a shaved head and serious stare. Silent for a most of the series, audience members rely on Brown’s facial expressions to provide emotional transparency where dialogue does not exist. With a peculiar past revealed in flashback sequences and an ever-powerful brain, she becomes the saving grace to the boys who, more times than not, count on her to come to the rescue.
Balancing horror with humor, supernatural with suspense and conspiracy with reality, this Netflix original is a smorgasbord of sensations. There is something for everyone. Nostalgic Generation X’ers and millennials alike will find themselves attracted to the throwback to simpler times of walkie talkies, banana bicycle seats and layered clothing. I cannot be the only one who is searching for a fleece-lined corduroy similar to the jacket Nancy wore while hunting for the monster in the woods.
In addition to choices in communication, transportation and fashion, there are various scenes that visually reference classic films like E.T., Alien, Close Encounters of the Third Kind and The Goonies. The series favors a dream-like score, but popular songs from the eighties such as “Should I Stay or Should I Go,” “I Melt With You,” “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out” and “Sunglasses At Night” make their way into the soundtrack too.
What makes “Stranger Things” so binge-able is its ability to pack so much into a short season. Where other shows favor quantity over quality, the Duffer Brothers divided the series into eight succinct “chapters,” each rich with substance. There is a clear beginning, middle and end.
The pacing is impeccable and the transitions are smart, and by the end, viewers are left still wondering. Yet, there is enough explanation to tide everyone over until season two, which was just confirmed to premiere in 2017.
Regardless of your taste in television, “Stranger Things” is a must see. So, it is about time to believe the hype and press play. This series is here to stay and sure to take over “Netflix and Chill” sessions nationwide.
