Created by The Duffer Brothers
Starring Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown, Caleb McLaughlin, Gaten Matarazzo, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Matthew Modine, Joe Keery, Cara Buono, Noah Schnapp, Shannon Purser
The Plot: The disappearance of a young boy named Will (Noah Schnapp) leads his 3 friends on this search to eventually cross paths with a young girl named Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) who has telekinetic powers and also a connection to where young Will transported off to in his days of absence.
Disclaimer: This will be a SPOILER-FREE review, but after I give my grade there are a few spoilers I want to get into. Here we go.
So Stranger Things was one of the shows that I heard whispers about and saw a promotional image of, maybe a month before it's release? I don't exactly remember. It was close to when it was releasing and it wasn't like I wasn't interested in watching the first season because, really, I just didn't know anything about it. However, once the show released some close friends of mine were raving about it and telling me, "If you love movies, you HAVE to see Stranger Things! You're crazy for not watching it already!" So eventually I was able to set aside time, the hype surrounding it was big, and after watching it I could totally get behind the excitement because this is one of my favorite seasons in all of television. This was made by film fans for film fans because it really does encapsulate that movie magic from my favorite films that released in this time era, which would be the '80s.
Of course, since it takes place in the early 1980s, the show does a really great job of putting viewers in that time era. The atmosphere, the costuming, the props, the use of color, and the musical score really made this era feel so alive and not completely fake. All the aesthetics in-camera were all well utilized and felt natural and, to me, wasn't all in your face to the point where it felt distracting. The environment of the 1980s felt necessary for the context of the story, but the story and characters are presented so well that I was still able to be brought into the narrative of this overall season.
Since this show is heavily inspired by films of the 80s like E.T. and The Goonies and even with the response of the show being that it's a Steven Spielberg and Stephen King love child, it's brilliant that I can still love this show for being its own thing. I don't just love it for homaging certain scenes of E.T. or because the group of friends is similar to the ensemble of kids in The Goonies, even though it's really awesome to see the show's own spin on such elements. There was only focus for the show's creators to tell its own story from beginning to end and give these characters very intriguing arcs and backstories. Even though the feel of the show is similar to the films I loved, it still felt fresh because of the originality that was involved, the great characters introduced, and the amazing creativity involving the show's sci-fi element.
Speaking of characters and especially after revisiting this season for this review I can't tell you how much I loved every single character in this show and how important they were to carry this story along. Winona Ryder does a fantastic job of playing Joyce Byers, a broken mother trying to find her son Will. She does a really great job capturing that aspect of her character and I know some people found her to be over the top. I didn't think so at all because keep in mind a mother searching for her child wouldn't be very subtle. There would be strong emotions involved and to me I thought she nailed that aspect. David Harbour as Chief Hopper also has amazing layers to him and all I'll say is that the more you find out about his character, tears. So many tears.
Finn Wolfhard, Caleb McLaughlin, and Gaten Matarazzo playing Mike, Lucas, and Dustin respectively all do a phenomenal job capturing that friendship bond and they added a great amount of of humor to the show while also balancing really great drama that I found to be quite gripping. Dustin especially is my favorite because he's very lovable, he had some of the funniest lines, and they really couldn't have casted a better actor to play him. It looked like he was plucked right out of the 1980s. It's crazy!
As up and coming child actors I thought each and every one of them delivered. Charlie Heaton as Will's older brother Jonathan is also really good as we see the effects it has on him to have his brother missing. Natalia Dyer as Mike's older sister Nancy does a great job capturing the struggles of a high school student that might come off as cliché, but it's a very strong arc and to see how she eventually bands with Jonathan was just incredible. It was a great added layer to see the relationship between these two build.
And of course, the cream of the crop of this entire series is Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven and she gives one of the single greatest performances by a child actor in the history of entertainment. I loved the different nuances she brought to the character, the parts of her where she was an experiment, like an alien from another world, and when she's brought more to her human side. She does an excellent job balancing those elements and bringing so much great emotion to her character that really make you care for her and all she's been through. Every nomination and award given to her for her performance was entirely worth it because she is just that good in the role with how she portrays this broken character.
I really couldn't have been more impressed by the writing on this show and the direction these episodes took to really give me that strong emotional pull, which, for me, proves that it's more than just an entertaining show with a nice throwback. There's originality, creativity, and emotion encapsulated in one of the best sci-fi shows ever produced in my opinion. Not to mention, the filmmaking involved is spectacular. I was surprised a second time around how beautifully shot this entire show was and how the use of color stood out well, but not to the point where it was really vibrant. There were great colors to look at, but they looked slightly faded, which probably aided the more cinematic look of this show.
This season was like a really long 7-8 hour 80s movie I just didn't want to end. It's one of the best 80s movies to not come out of the 1980s and it's my favorite movie released in the summer of 2016 that's not even a movie. It crazy to not call it a movie because that's really what the experience feels like when putting all these episodes together. I couldn't tell you how excited I was to revisit this season because it was like rewatching one of my favorite films. Stranger Things is some of the most fun I've ever had watching a TV series, but it also had a great blend of emotion and heart with its characters and inventive story that made it more than just mindless entertainment.
Verdict: A+
Now onto a some spoilers. If you haven't seen the show yet, treat yourself, click off of here, and then come back because it'll make your life a whole lot better (trust me).
I left out a few characters because I wanted to talk about them more in full with one being Steve played excellently by Joe Keery. He's the cool guy that you were supposed to hate, but where they took his redemption arc of being more selfless was handled very well and maybe I did want Jonathan, the underdog, to end up with Nancy, but in the end the character proved himself and I'm fine with where they took him.
Barbara, also greatly portrayed by Shannon Purser, was also intriguing to some people, but I found the social media campaign to bring her back was a little much. She was a wise, loyal, and innocent character that was painful to see go so soon, but for the context of the story, the fate of the character was fitting in the grand scheme of things.
Also, I wasn't sure if mentioning the alternate world was a spoiler, but the design and visual effects done to create the Upside Down was so brilliant and felt fresh because I've never really seen science fiction films or shows of this sort showcase a crazy universe like that. I'm so used to seeing movies and shows involving outer space, but the ideas introduced about an alternate dimension was incredible! Also the Demogorgon creature had a really memorable and creepy design that didn't make the conflict feel cheesy, but added a lot to it in the best possible way.
So, there you have it. Those are my thoughts about Season 1 of Stranger Things and stay tuned next weekend where I'll discuss my thoughts on Season 2 or Stranger Things 2 as it's titled because I do want to talk more in-depth with spoilers included after viewers had a chance to see it. Check that out very soon.
Also, be sure to lookout Sunday for my next Star Wars review in my series of reviews leading up to The Last Jedi, which will be Episode III Revenge of the Sith.
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Thank you for taking the time to read this review. I greatly appreciate it! Keep watching great entertainment!
Take care. :-)
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