1983. Hawkins, a quiet town in Indiana. That is, until the disappearing of a twelve years old boy, Will Meyers. His mother, Joyce and his brother Jonathan are doing everything they can to find him. Jim Hopper, the chief of police, leaves no stone unturned. Will’s friends, Mike, Dustin ans Lucas, are also investigating. The four of them used to play Dungeons & Dragons’ campaigns, and the boys lack neither creativity nor daring when it comes to exploring unexpected avenues. One night, they come across a girl their age who has just escaped from a laboratory that is supposed to produce electricity. The girl has no name, only a tattoo: eleven.
From this day forward, nothing will ever be the same. The supernatural enters the lives of the town’s residents, especially Will’s friends. Eleven, pursued by a scientist eager to manipulate her, Dr. Brenner, turns out to have impressive powers. She is even capable of opening a door between two worlds, letting terrifying monsters in. A strong bond forms between the children and a few allies they meet along the way. They combine their cunning and fighting spirit to help Eleven make the world a safer place once again.
A tribute to the 80s and a supernatural storyline that is truly original.
The series has some great strengths:
First and foremost, it is an unapologetic and emphatic tribute to films from the 1980s. It features lighting and colors characteristic of that period. Above all, it combines kitsch, horror, and humor (see Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” music video!).
But it’s also a scenario that offers a new approach to the supernatural. Here, the monsters come from another world, but not all of them, not the most fearsome ones… They live in symbiosis with each other, which is both their strength and their weakness at the same time.
Psychology plays a crucial role in the story. Of course, the characters reflect the concerns of all teenagers, but it doesn’t stop there. The role of traumatic experiences is explored at length.
Finally, the number of main characters (a good dozen) is what fuels the richness of the plot, but it may also confuse some viewers. Overall, Stranger Things brought something new that made it worthy of becoming a benchmark series.
5 seasons, 42 episodes (45 mn), 2016-2026, on Netflix
Created by the Duffer brothers, Ross and Matt, WITH:
- The children: Finn Wolfhard as Mike Wheeler, Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven / Jane Hopper, Gaten Matarazzo as Dustin Henderson, Caleb McLaughlin as Lucas Sinclair, Noah Schnapp as Will Byers, Sadie Sink as Max Mayfield, Priah Ferguson as Erica Sinclair, Nell Fisher (season 5) as Holly Wheeler
- Siblings and friends: Joe Keery as Steve Harrington, Natalia Dyer as Nancy Wheeler, Charlie Heaton as Jonathan Byers, Maya Hawke as Robin Buckley
- Parents and step-: Winona Ryder as Joyce Byers, David Harbour as Jim Hopper, Cara Buono as Karen Wheeler, Dacre Montgomery as Billy Hargrove, Sean Astin as Bob Newby, Brett Gelman as Murray Bauman
- Vecna: Jamie Campbell Bower as Henry Creel
- Army or scientists: Matthew Modine as Dr. Martin Brenner, Paul Reiser (Reboot) as Dr. Sam Owens, Linda Hamilton as Dr. Kay