Why we all love Netflix's 'Stranger Things'
This time last year I wrote a review of Stranger Things for absolutely no one, because I didn't have the balls to make a blog. Here it is now, marking the three month countdown to everyone's favourite Netflix show ...
Up until about a month ago, the most binge-watched show on Netflix was 'House of Cards' due to it's cut-throat depiction of the American political system, rich with characters you just love to hate. However, in it's first week of being on the website, 'Stranger Things' smashed all the statistics. On average, 'House of Cards' viewers watched 4 episodes a day, meaning that 'Stranger Things' fans must have watched at least five. And when a series is only 8 episodes long you may as well finish the season once you've watched that many in a day. And I would not be surprised if many people. like myself, did exactly that.
'Stranger Things' has been described as a wide variety of film combinations: ET meets Silent Hill (which is just a ridiculous comparison seeing as Silent Hill is an insult to the horror genre) or The Breakfast Club combined with Nightmare on Elm Street. But what really underlies this series isn't which 80s rom-com and classic horror it combines, but the inspiration it takes from the king of nostalgia, Stephen King. King wrote the greatest, in my opinion, coming of age story of all time- Stand By Me. He also spawned the inspiration for the most terrifying horror of all time - The Shining. 'Stranger Things' takes inspiration from King's genius and combines what every movie / Netflix lover could possibly want through these two genres, thus creating a show that has literally spread like wild fire and persuaded people I know to consider the possibility of horror being something more than whoever has sex first dies.
First of all the film's ambience relies on its setting era. The music, the gawdy clothes and the awkward hairstyles (my favourite of which is displayed above) gesture back to a time only our parents experienced but we wish we all had. This is also the era in which horror flourished, however it was for the tough and +18 year olds only. Stranger Things makes horror an adventure, both disturbing and inspiring how a supernatural nether can be a community and generations together.
Now everyone's unanimous favourite about the show is the kids, of course. So, I would like to give a shout out to the adults. Winona Ryder and David Harbour flag the lead adult roles as the deranged mother and the key component cop. Whereas King often deals with adults driven mad by the possibility of the supernatural, Netflix turns this on its head and shows how these adults can be inspired by their younger generation to open their minds. Although this is a cliche story line that we're more likely to see in Disney, Netflix put it in the horror setting and make it a new kind of cliche.
I'm not a fan of spoilers so don't wish to say anymore than that, but what I hope to convey is that Stranger Things is a truly popular show because it appeals to the populace. Whether you're a hipster in desire of past generations or a die hard fan of horror this show has something for you. And it doesn't lose any quality because of that fact, it just gets better with every facet it adds.
Up until about a month ago, the most binge-watched show on Netflix was 'House of Cards' due to it's cut-throat depiction of the American political system, rich with characters you just love to hate. However, in it's first week of being on the website, 'Stranger Things' smashed all the statistics. On average, 'House of Cards' viewers watched 4 episodes a day, meaning that 'Stranger Things' fans must have watched at least five. And when a series is only 8 episodes long you may as well finish the season once you've watched that many in a day. And I would not be surprised if many people. like myself, did exactly that.
'Stranger Things' has been described as a wide variety of film combinations: ET meets Silent Hill (which is just a ridiculous comparison seeing as Silent Hill is an insult to the horror genre) or The Breakfast Club combined with Nightmare on Elm Street. But what really underlies this series isn't which 80s rom-com and classic horror it combines, but the inspiration it takes from the king of nostalgia, Stephen King. King wrote the greatest, in my opinion, coming of age story of all time- Stand By Me. He also spawned the inspiration for the most terrifying horror of all time - The Shining. 'Stranger Things' takes inspiration from King's genius and combines what every movie / Netflix lover could possibly want through these two genres, thus creating a show that has literally spread like wild fire and persuaded people I know to consider the possibility of horror being something more than whoever has sex first dies.
First of all the film's ambience relies on its setting era. The music, the gawdy clothes and the awkward hairstyles (my favourite of which is displayed above) gesture back to a time only our parents experienced but we wish we all had. This is also the era in which horror flourished, however it was for the tough and +18 year olds only. Stranger Things makes horror an adventure, both disturbing and inspiring how a supernatural nether can be a community and generations together.
Now everyone's unanimous favourite about the show is the kids, of course. So, I would like to give a shout out to the adults. Winona Ryder and David Harbour flag the lead adult roles as the deranged mother and the key component cop. Whereas King often deals with adults driven mad by the possibility of the supernatural, Netflix turns this on its head and shows how these adults can be inspired by their younger generation to open their minds. Although this is a cliche story line that we're more likely to see in Disney, Netflix put it in the horror setting and make it a new kind of cliche.
I'm not a fan of spoilers so don't wish to say anymore than that, but what I hope to convey is that Stranger Things is a truly popular show because it appeals to the populace. Whether you're a hipster in desire of past generations or a die hard fan of horror this show has something for you. And it doesn't lose any quality because of that fact, it just gets better with every facet it adds.
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