TV Review 036 Stranger Things Season One Review

Stranger Things
Season One
(Netflix) [2016->] 85%

Youth and Supernatural

It was a conscious effort to base this premise on the typical setup of young teenagers being involved with supernatural occurrences that was popularized in the 80's but the Duffer brothers were able to not only make a coherent storyline out of it but also a believable journey of a group of best friends in the face of something out of this world and how their eagerness for adventure keep them going strong. At the heart of it all, it was the characters that brought the story together and their natural chemistry together shone bright through from the start until the end and the ensemble of kid actors should be given the most credit for that achievement.

+ Highlights +

a fitting throwback to the 80's with all the right moves (soundtrack, setting, wardrobe, D&D, shooting style), the excellent performances by the kids actors especially Eleven with strong backing by other established actors

- Lowlights -

how anorexic the sister was and nobody was mentioning it!

A love letter to the 80's movies

Unapologetically taking direct inspirations from the movies of that particular era specifically Steven Spielberg's, the creators walked that fine line deftly between playing to the nostalgic feelings being conjured up by the setting and they were set up and making them as the basic foundation to build upon and make it their own. With the supernatural element being spearheaded by Eleven (played to perfection by Millie Bobby Brown), everything that happened could be tied to her abilities and how it affected the world here and 'below.'

+ Highlights +

the streamlined cohesive storyline between the episodes making it feel more like a movie than a tv show, the plethora winking and nods to the popular movies of yesteryears

- Lowlights -

an inconsistency because of the setting in 1983 but the soundtrack reached to almost 90's music

Responsibility

Behind the chaotic adventure the kids were going through, the adults in this story took a backseat except for Joyce and David who had to deal with the lost of her son firsthand while the other helped her in any way he could, the former was a ball of uncontrollable anxiety and panic while the latter was a calculative and calm mind of reason. Taking into consideration her state of mind and the sudden predicament she was put into at the start of the season, Winona's character could rub people the wrong way for being too unstable and over the top but necessary for her eventual development especially with the sheriff of the town.

+ Highlights +

props to Winona Ryder for giving her all in portraying a grief-stricken mother and David Harbour for being a solid foundation the others could lean on

- Lowlights -

the over the top nature of her performance could turn some people off

"Eleven!"

- 9.0 - 95%/95% - wiki - official -

- Synopsis - 

99 out of a hundred times, the missing kid is with a parent or relative. What about the other time?

A love letter to the supernatural classics of the 80’s, Stranger Things is the story of a young boy who vanishes into thin air. As friends, family and local police search for answers, they are drawn into an extraordinary mystery involving top-secret government experiments, terrifying supernatural forces and one very strange little girl.

Cast

Joyce Byers - Winona Ryder

Jim Hopper - David Harbour

Mike Wheeler - Finn Wolfhard
Eleven - Millie Bobby Brown

...

(Director & Writer Matt & Ross Duffer [Wayward Pines], 8 Episodes, Release 071516, Duration 47 mns, Rating TV-14, Genre - Drama, Horror, Mystery, Nostalgia, Supernatural)

Source: Collider & Collider Videos