Stranger Things Season 1 Review

Article by Gabe Zia

Lazy Film Critic Movie Reviews

Stranger Things

Stranger Things is the latest in a long string of fantastic Netflix Original series, much like House of Cards, Jessica Jones, and Narcos. This series follows a sci-fi mystery in Hawkins, a small and quiet town in Indiana, where a kid suddenly vanishes leading to an investigation that goes a lot deeper than expected. And for the sake of spoilers, that's all I'm telling you.

Now the most compelling thing about this show and the part I have no doubt you've already heard all about is the throwbacks. While Stranger Things is a good show in it's own right, the thing that sets it apart is that its all a big throwback to the 80s, 80s sci-fi, and particularly Steven Spielberg. This show is a love letter to 80s sci-fi in every sense of the word, everything from the cinematography, to the set design, to the music, it all harkens back to what is arguably the best decade for sci-fi fans. And while I personally was a fan of Super 8, Stranger Things is essentially a significantly better version of what Super 8 was initially going for. 

One of the things that makes Stranger Things great is the fantastic cast. The kid actors in this show were all very impressive, the actress who played Eleven absolutely stealing the show and being the most intense and borderline scary kid that wasn't in a horror movie. It's fantastic to see Winona Ryder in a lead role again, she's still as talented as ever, and hopefully this show makes some changes in her career. Speaking of career changes, David Harbour in a lead role is an amazing sight. This guy is usually always stuck with very minor roles, and for a while was one of those "oh hey it's that guy from that thing" actors, so it's great to see him in a lead role for once.

Another great quality of Stranger Things is the engaging and intense writing of it all, Stranger Things has an amazing and truly captivating mystery to it. It keeps you on the edge of your seat and keeps you interested where the story is going, and kudos to this show because I genuinely had no idea where the plot was going to go until the last few episodes. That's the first time in a long time I've had that kind of experience with a story like this.

Final Rating
Stranger Things is brilliant, it's captivating, and it's cathartic. I loved every second of season 1, and I eagerly await season 2. The acting is amazing, the throwbacks to the 80s are perfect, and it's a fascinating mystery to watch unfold. If you have a Netflix account and haven't watched Stranger Things yet, get on that!