Bringing back the best of synth and Spielberg
Netflix has completely changed the way that television fans can watch their favourite shows. Gone are the days when you had to wait for that special hour to watch your favourite show each week. Now, all it takes is a subscription to one of the multitude of online streaming services to sit down and catch up on your current binge-worthy program.
While there are still a considerable amount of must-see shows being aired on traditional networks, services like Netflix and Amazon Prime have put significant effort into their own original programming. Netflix, in particular has had great success with series like House of Cards, Orange is the New Black, and their entire catalogue of shows that tie into the Marvel Superhero movies that have been dominating box offices around the world.
“…Stranger Things is a love letter to ’80s pop culture…”
The latest Netflix original to take the world by storm is Stranger Things. Already a massive success after its first season, Stranger Things is a love letter to ’80s pop culture—my favourite decade that I never had the chance to live through—and is full of conspiracy, intrigue, and all the sci-fi goodness that any Spielberg or Lucas fan could want.
Created by the Duffer Brothers and superbly acted by a cast of relatively unknown actors—especially Millie Bobby Brown who knocks it out of the park as Eleven—Stranger Things captivates audiences without having to rely on a big-name director or cast. While this description may have already sold you on the show, there hasn’t been any indication given on what the show is about. That’s because, frankly, I didn’t actually know when I started watching the series, and that’s probably the best way to go into it.
Stranger Things debuted on July 15, 2016. Its summertime release meant that it flew under my radar until the beginning of this semester. In an effort to experience this show in a way that Netflix originals are meant to be watched, by bingeing as many episodes as quickly as possible, I sat down this September and made my way through Stranger Things.
“The show is able to lean into the cheesy science fiction and horror tropes of the time without becoming a cliché itself.”
About halfway through the first episode, I definitely felt some Goonies or Monster Squad vibes from the show, with a group of kids pursuing a goal separate from adult intervention. If the synth music didn’t seal the deal for me, then the burgeoning mystery solidified Stranger Things as a show that I was going to have to finish. Even after finishing the pilot, which I won’t spoil for anyone, I had a feeling that Stranger Things would be more than just a clever nod to its ’80s influences.
The show is able to lean into the cheesy science fiction and horror tropes of the time without becoming a cliché itself. To talk about Stranger Things without giving away any of the plot is difficult, but one of its main selling points is the tone. Stranger Things walks the fine line between a light-hearted kid-centric adventure, and strange despair-filled science fiction piece, like The Thing or Poltergeist. Combining these two very ’80s styles, Stranger Things appeals to both audiences, without isolating either one.
Stranger Things does a phenomenal job in stringing the viewer along, giving them just enough information to keep them interested, but leaving enough ambiguous so that viewers can’t guess what’s going to happen next.
From Fuller House to Lethal Weapon and McGyver, networks are trying to bring new life into older TV series. While the longevity of these shows is still up in the air, with two premiering this fall and Fuller House just concluding its first season, studios are banking on viewers’ nostalgia to bring success to these revived classics. Stranger Things is both a heartfelt homage to this jean-jacket-wearing decade, while still bringing a new and original voice to television. I can’t wait to see what they have in store for season two.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWxyRG_tckY
Photo courtesy of 21 Laps Entertainment.