Stranger Things

Can't believe I never reviewed this yet, I was convinced I had. The premiere in 2016 hooked me and never let me go. The show that arguably launched streaming into the mainstream.

Stranger Things is pure nostalgia magic. But saying it just does undersells pretty much every other aspect of the show. Exceptionally solid actors and characters, excellent writing, incredible score, the list goes on.

As far as seasons go, season one is essentially perfect, enough mystery to want more but simple enough to be loved and enjoyed. Captured the magic of the 80s, even if you haven't lived those years. The childlike fun, it takes you right back. Season 2 and 3 try to repeat this but mostly miss out on some of the elements that made season 1, and now season 4 as well.. Horror. They both contain much more mystery and horror and that is one of the big pulls imo of this show, get you on your toes once in a while. S2-3 where focused more on fun, and went a bit too far with the whole Russian mall plot in S3.

I can't overstate how good Season 4 is and feels like a comeback, back to form and for that I cannot wait to see the next season. Stranger Things has a unique hold on 80s nostalgia, a combination of fun and horror. Season 4 manages to really expand on Eleven's story and gives a ton of meaningful depth on her character. We got lot's of time with Papa and everything surrounding it. The villain was good, though his form/the way he took shape didn't impress me as much, I wished it to be more disturbing/scary looking. But it's backstory is what gives the villain strength here. Also the underlying themes of mental health are well executed and never blatantly explained or anything, maybe I'm even reading into it too much but it's definitely the vibe I got. In general season 4 showcases a more diverse set of struggles which some characters have to deal with, sexuality, communication, rejection. Just a very diverse selection with a pretty big cast by now.

Eddie Munson was a fantastic addition to season 4, he grew to be one of the most likable characters in a very short while even whilst they put us on the wrong foot. The stoner friend was alright but never a comedic relief I cared too much about.

Directing has been rock solid the whole series so far, every shot looks beautiful and it just hooks you in. Just fantastic and never slacks. Set design as well, it so much 80s, it's perfectly done.

Combined with the directing and editing the Music is just the finishing touch to making a perfect series like this. The songs are expertly chosen and this show does not shy away from using music as much as they can. Honestly, if they'd use less the show would feel completely different. But that synth is everywhere and you will always know you are watching something in 80s. This could also get old, but hasn't for me as of yet. Music plays a huge part in this show and it just elevates so many scenes, expertly chosen.

Characters, what can I say, wat is there not to like? The writing is just so good for most of them, though sometimes it leans a bit too hard into comedy/cheese but it's alright. They toned it down a lot in S4, S3 being the worst offender of poor(er) writing.

S4 story wise was some of the best, the three different storylines blending into one towards the end. But also the diversity of those storylines was what kept it all so interesting and great to watch. In particular here, even though it was the worst story in S3, the Soviet storyline in S4 was my favorite of the bunch. Harbour gives another excellent performance but Gellman and Ryder also give their best. Djuricko (Yuri) and Wlaschiha (Dimitri) also very great, well written and very enjoyable.

The finale of S4 was great, did it need to be a single episode with a length of two and half hours? Not really, it could've been split up in my opinion. But still it was great, though the stakes were lower in the end than I had hoped (even though that would've hurt). Though whereas other seasons didn't end on as heavy of a cliffhanger, this one did. And we know exactly what were are in for with Season 5. The final season. Regarding music, notably they used the ''When It's Cold I Like to Die.'' and my god, that's one heavy song that slapped me in the face, I've heard it before so I knew what was coming after those first few piano notes. Great choice but a gut puncher.

I would have a lot more to say if I edited this review season by season but I never did until now, too late. I'm sure this series will go down as one of the big ones. Maybe it already is but it still needs to stick the landing. And I can't wait for that. But I will be sad that a show like this will be hard to replicate again. You really do get jealous of people who lived the 80s, though of course, it's romanticized here by a lot.

"Stranger things" is definitely one of the best TV series in its genre!

High-quality cast, a lot of nostalgic and not only references, atmospheric and beautifully furnished locations, and of course an interesting idea that we were able to implement in all respects. The characters change and can give a new impression of themselves in each season.

In the first season, they will only spin the intrigue and introduce the extermination characters. However, this is the most atmospheric and best season for me!

In the second season, there will already be more scale and thriller, which is logical. And it still looks great. The story does not stand still - and this is the main thing for the series The third season is the brightest and most glamorous among all four. There is a special atmosphere in it, different from the original one. And, perhaps, this is my least favorite season, but nevertheless it cannot be denied that it is addictive and interesting. Some people may like the innovations, while others may not. There's nothing can do about it And the last season 4, the darkest of all, which can be called the beginning of the finale. The season itself is a direct reference to the horrors of the 80s-90s. The most important events for the plot will take place. And in general, the season could have been the best in the show - however, it was prevented by a lot of unnecessary scenes that could have been dispensed with.

The final fifth season has not yet been released, but according to known information, we can expect it before 2025. Well, we hope that he will not disappoint, but only please.

There were two dominating forces in the eighties that had a lasting effect on my cinematic taste for ever after and also resulted in my undying love for fantasy, sci-fi and horror stories: Steven Spielberg and Stephen King. I guess it isn't an overstatement to say "The Two Steves" probably influenced and shaped the imagination - the dreams AND the nightmares - of an entire generation.

The main factor why I loved their movies and books was that kids roughly my own age figured so prominently in many of them. King wrote 'Firestarter', 'It' and 'Stand By Me', and Spielberg either directed or produced (via his company Amblin) 'E.T.', 'The Goonies' and 'Gremlins'. Those were stories where the young protagonists encountered aliens and monsters or where they themselves had supernatural powers - or where they just went on an adventure (to find a body or a long lost treasure) with grown-ups largely out of the picture. Now if you've seen 'Stranger Things', that should sound pretty familiar, right?

Of course it does: because 'Stranger Things' deliberately pays homage to all those stories - and it does it very, very well. And it's not a rip-off, it's a love letter. The show emulates the themes and a certain style from those eighties treasures, and while it is a (for me) very welcome callback to some of the favorite stories from my youth, it's also very much its own thing. I won't give away the plot here (I guess you get a pretty good picture what it's about from what I wrote above), but I would like to mention that it's beautifully shot, the effects and generally the production values are top-notch, and the period-inspired music is fantastic. The biggest shout-out, however, has to go to the ensemble of actors, especially the kids who play the protagonists: their charming performances are the key to why the show works as well as it does.

To sum it all up: If you're an eighties kid like me, this show is a must. For everyone else, it might depend a bit more on whether you're a genre fan or not, but if you do like supernatural stories, 'Stranger Things' is a treat. I'd rate it eight stars out of ten, but with an extra star for nostalgia, that's a 9.

Favorite TV-Shows reviewed: imdb.com/list/ls075552387/

Favorite films: IMDb.com/list/mkjOKvqlSBs/

Lesser-Known Masterpieces: imdb.com/list/ls070242495/

Favorite Low-Budget and B-Movies: imdb.com/list/ls054808375/

Stranger Things is absolutely as good as everyone says it is. When a show is as talked about about as much as this one has been it's hard to live up to expectations. Stranger Things has not only met those expectations but has surpassed them in every way. This is the show that our Netflix on the map as far as original shows go as this was not only one of their first but their biggest. As much as I love this show it's probably time for it for end and it is. This upcoming season is going to be the last. We have literally watched this cast grow up, they were children when this show first started and now they're all in their 20's. I can't wait for this last season and going to miss it when it's gone!

I guess plenty of people have said a lot of things about all the movie and TV references this series has and how it recreates the eighties in all their faults and splendor. I will not add to that.

With the release of the second season I'd simply like to advise that both seasons are very different animals. Think of it as the difference between the original Alien movie and the Aliens sequel: Whereas the first season was more about an unknown and unseen horror and the mystery behind the backstory, the second has more in-your-face action and horror laced with character development arcs which feel nice but sometimes sidetrack the series a bit.

Consequently, a fan of the show should probably watch the second season as a separate work of fiction rather than a true continuation of the first season in tone and spirit. The writers move the story forward and we get a very good piece of entertainment but the new season has to be judged on its own merits.

EDIT: Season 3 turned out to be a huge change in tone for the series. Maybe it's really hard keeping up the mystery if much of the "world" of Stranger Things already yielded many of its secrets but the overall "feel" of the series went into a different direction. Maybe the writers simply ran out of 80' templates to rip off. Season 1 was very much inspired by supernatural horror as in "Poltergeist". Season 2 took many cues from "Creature Features" like "Gremlins" or "Aliens". Season 3 now uses elements of 80' zombie flicks and low budget gore horror with a little bit of spy comedy mixed in (and fight scenes which feel straight out of "Die Hard"). All those genres didn't really mix well in the 80' and this strange cocktail sure doesn't work today. That doesn't mean that Season 3 is bad. It simply relies on characters who were established in previous seasons which used very different 80' story elements and tropes. It's almost like seeing Darth Vader in an Indiana Jones movie. Both work on their own but not together.

Basically, Season 3 is an all too transparent attempt to plough a fresh nostalgia field but it doesn't work in the context of previous seasons.