STRANGE DAYS INDEED
Strange things were happening in the summer of 2016. The Brexit vote had divided the UK, and in the US the unfathomable rise of Trump was doing the same.
Into this chaos crashed Stranger Things . On the surface it’s a coming-of-age tale set in the Eighties, following a group of young friends who go on an unlikely adventure when one of their number goes missing from small-town Hawkins, Indiana. But much more lies beneath.
The foundations of the show are built on a split world. Beyond our reality is the Upside Down, a parallel dimension that’s the source of supernatural power, paranormal menaces and puberty metaphors; the cause of child kidnappings, flickering lights and nosebleeds.
Stranger Things was created by unknown brothers Matt and Ross Duffer, featuring a cast of first-timers. The only genuine star was Winona Ryder, playing the missing boy’s mother Joyce, and whose casting seemed little more than another Eighties reference.
Expectations were non-existent but the show’s mix of mystery and monster horror made it an overnight global sensation, smashing all Netflix viewing records.
The ingredients are irresistible. There’s an effortlessly cool aesthetic, trendsetting style, synthy soundtrack. Viewers can wallow in a never-ending catalogue of pop culture references, creating a comfort blanket of nostalgia.
The characters are likeable and relatable, and turned the actors into instant superstars –
