I had heard a lot about the Stranger Things series on Netflix and so I decided to check it out. I must confess that the historical setting was part of the attraction. It is set in 1983, a year in which I was 15 at the time and so the series brought back a lot of memories. I can say that they were quite accurate in the portrayal of the 1980s.
One of the things that I liked was the good use of music. The 1980s are sometimes made of fun of when it comes to music, but Stranger Things does not take the easy way out by focusing on the cheesy. Great to see the music of the Clash play such an important role.
The premise of the series concerns the disappearance of a boy, the appearance of a girl and a mysterious government lab. As I watched it, I sensed echoes of ET, Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Poltergeist.
The acting was well done, especially by the children. I really believed I was watching something from the 1980s. The girl who played Eleven did an exceptional job.
The story kept me interested and there were plenty of twists and turns. I have heard this series described as “horror.” It is and it isn’t. It isn’t in that it does not take the modern route of shocking with gore. Rather it is horror in the best sense, relying on tension and expectation. I was stressed out a lot watching this show.
I thoroughly enjoyed Stranger Things, both for the 1980s nostalgia and the quality of the story and the acting. If you have not seen Stranger Things yet, I encourage you to check it out. I’m looking forward to a second season.
