Series features outdated technology and fashion
Netflix’s Stranger Things has captivated audiences and introduced compelling young talents. However, focused storytelling and performances can only get you so far; Stranger Things has a serious problem and it’s rooted in its visual aesthetic.
Stranger Things has somehow managed to create a visual style that is instantly dated, leaving the viewer to ask, “What were they thinking?” Everything from the set design to the props and choice of vehicles feels dated — as though it is a relic of some bygone era.Though other films and television series have suffered a similar fate, few feel so dated from the get-go.
Take, for example, a film like Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. The prequel’s dated CGI has started to show its age, cementing the film as a visual relic, but when it first came out it at least enjoyed a brief period at the cutting edge. Why then does a series with the production budget of Stranger Things somehow manage to seem immediately out of date?Simple changes could have made a huge difference. For example, instead of using cassette players, characters could have streamed their favorite ’80s jams over Apple Music. Instead of taking on the monster with a slingshot, our heroes could have used their fidget spinners like ninja stars.
The only thing we can hope for now is, in the tradition of Star Wars, a re-release using CGI to fix these painfully obvious issues. Until such a day comes, however, Stranger Things just doesn’t get what life in 2017 is like.
Photo courtesy of YouTube