Stranger Things: Netflix Unlocks Your Nostalgia

You’ve heard the buzz. It’s been nearly impossible to avoid.

Stranger Things, the newest offering from Netflix, is a hit.

You won’t find any spoilers here from me, for those of you who’ve yet to watch this visual and nostalgic masterpiece. You will, however, find endless amounts of praise.

That’s all I can give to a show as fantastic as Stranger Things.

The series excels in ways that many other shows have tried to, but have always fallen just a bit short. (Sorry Supernatural, they’ve just got you beat.)

With a precise balance of science fiction, horror, and teenage love drama, the series manages to break new ground, all the while paying homage to the master storytellers that it was clearly inspired by, the likes of Stephen King, John Hughes, and Steven Spielberg.

Stranger Things also manages to stay PG-13, another nod to the innocent, coming of age storytelling of its predecessors.

The series surrounds the mysterious disappearance of Will Byers, a sweet kid who’s more content being the healer in his Dungeons and Dragons group than being a well-known beacon of popularity.

On his way home from a long D&D campaign with his best buds, Mike, Dustin, and Lucas, Will decides to take a shortcut through, what they call, the Mirkwood, a reference to The Hobbit.

Long story short, a monster follows him home, gets him cornered in a shed, the lights dim, and he (and the monster) disappear into thin air.

That’s everything that happens before we see the first credits sequence.

Will’s disappearance is the beginning of a mystery that gets more complex and convoluted with every episode viewers excitedly unwrap. I’d tell you more, but like I said, you won’t find any spoilers here.

The ensemble of mostly unknown actors is led by Winona Ryder, star of numerous ’80s classic films.

As Will’s harrowed mother, Joyce, she is stellar. Her performance is the standout of the series, as we watch her handle the disappearance of her son, clinging to the belief that she’ll see him again, despite every nay-saying arrow shot in her direction (and every sci-fi element slung at her, as well).

Truth be told, I could wax on about the performances of each and every actor in the series, from Ryder to Extra #7, just because of that great reaction they had in that one scene. (Okay, maybe not that last part, but you get the idea.)

The real magic of Stranger Things lies with the kids.

There’s a reason why we love E.T., The Goonies, and Stand By Me.

In the ’80s, the kids we saw on the big screen were underdogs, often surrounded by parents who were too grown up to have innocent belief. These underdog kids experienced real trials and tribulations in 120 minutes, ones which made them grow up and become the heroes that generations now look to, and hold in high regard.

That’s where the nostalgia kicks in.

There’s just something magical about the memories of riding your bike home in the dark after a long day of play, or of building a secret fort in the middle of the woods.

Heck, it’s even fun to remember getting pushed into a pool with all of your clothes on, with no fear that your phone would be permanently damaged in the process because, hey, we didn’t have cell phones in those days.

Stranger Things gets it. The Duffer Brothers, who created and directed the series, have tapped into a unique period of time, one filled with the innocent hopes and dreams of an entire generation on the cusp of the rise of technology.

Those innocent hopes and dreams shine through in every episode, despite the dark and ominous supernatural danger that lurks in every corner.

Should you watch Stranger Things? Yes. Absolutely.

Tickle your imagination with the kind of television that’s been long locked-away, hidden in the upside-down with the monsters. Unlock your memories of a simpler time.

Reminisce about your childhood friends, and those late nights in the streets when nothing else mattered but the bond you shared.

Just remember to beware of the shadows.

Stranger Things is now streaming on Netflix.