Youve seenstranger thingsbefore in different forms under different titles.
The 80s-set chiller is a monster mash of Reagan-era pop culture.
The young heroesbike-riding AV-club misfitsare very Steven Spielberg.
Credit: Curtis Baker/Netflix
The synthesizer score is pure John Carpenter.
The title font looks swiped from a Stephen King cover.
At every turn, the show calls out inspirations.
This show is triggering for nerds of a certain age.
But it struggles to transcend nostalgia or produce consistently compelling entertainment.
The setting, a hardscrabble Indiana small town, feels extrapolated from a John Cougar Mellencamp song.
The characters are familiar archetypes, though they are well cast and terrifically acted.
Winona Ryder is a ragged single mom.
David Harbour is a grizzled, haunted sheriff.
Matthew Modine is a sinister scientist.
The kids harbor and hide this proverbial Firestarter in Mikes basement like their own little E.T.
Even as 80s pastiche, theres little unique aboutStranger Thingsthe plot and novelty are stretched thin at eight hours.
But it gathers momentum in episode 4 and generates pleasure in the convergence of various story lines.
The themes of friendship, mortality, and collective responsibility are stirring if superficial.
What moved me most was Elevens poignant heroism and metaphor for degrading exploitation and wish-fulfillment fantasy.
For now, it seems content to just geek out on it.B
