'Stranger Things' Review

The Netflix original, 'Stranger Things' is a supernatural, horror and science fiction series created and mostly directed by the Duffer Brothers, it was executive-produced by Shawn Levy - who has directed many successful films prior to Stranger Things, he also directed two of the episodes.

The show is set in the 1980's and could have been inspired by many popular 80's films. This can be said as the four young male characters who star in the series show resemblance to the main characters from both 'The Goonies' and 'Stand By Me'. Alongside this, many films from the time are referenced all throughout the series, which contributes to the authenticity of the program being set in the time.
Each episode was filmed on a modern camera but a overlay was placed on the lens to create the retro look to the picture. Paired with the amazing acting of the children (in particular, Millie Bobby Brown who plays Eleven) this adds to the belief of the show genuinely being filmed in the 80's.

With the help of a young telekinetic girl, the plot follows the three boys (Mike, Dustin and Lucas) search for their missing friend - Will. Meanwhile, the boys brother, mother and the local police department all conduct their own investigations. During their investigation, the boys teach the other-worldly girl - Eleven - the meaning of friendship and loyalty while the police chief becomes to realize the government corruption taking place in the town. During their investigation, Will's brother, mother and Mike's sister (Nancy) come into contact with 'the monster' who is possibly responsible for the disappearance of both Will and Nancy's friend. The monster seems so believable thanks to animatronics, prosthetics, CG and performance. The town experiences many strange things during the disappearance of both of the children, lights flicker and telephones break.
The arrival of Eleven seems rather peculiar and is never fully explained, even though we see flashbacks from her obviously troubled past. However, it could be in direct relation to the disappearances as even though we are unaware of any other characters having supernatural powers, the two children that went missing seemed intelligent and their characters were never fully developed, so it isn't a completely bazaar idea and would make sense.

It could be said that the show follows the theme of the popular game during the 80's 'Dungeons and Dragons', the pilot episode opens with the four boys playing the game, their 10 hours of play ends with Will being caught by the Demogorgon. Throughout the series, the game helps the boys make sense of what is happening around them and understand how to save their friend. In a later episode, Eleven uses the game board to explain 'the upside-down' to the boys.

Overall, stranger things is a brilliant show that is suitable for a variety of audiences, whether they are young and just enjoy the story line or grew up in the 80's and feel nostalgia when watching the show. The cinematography, special effects and acting skills place the show as one of mine, and many others, favorite shows. I believe the overall quality of the show to be one of the best I have seen for a long time, it seems believable that it is produced in the 80's without loosing the updated quality of content and cinematography. The show certainly pays homage to the iconic 80's films without ripping them off or loosing what made them so spectacular. Hopefully, all of the questions this season created will be answered in the upcoming season of the show which will include the same characters and possibly develop the current plot line.