Olympics summers have their own unique flavour, but alongside my joyful weeping for Uzbek gymnasts, I have allowed myself to be spooked and charmed by something else. I’m talking about a nostalgic love letter to the 1980s, when kids were allowed to roam with minimal adult supervision, and when monsters lived in the suburbs. I’m utterly enchanted by TV series Stranger Things.
Created by Matt and Ross Duffer, the Netflix show follows a group of young Dungeons & Dragons-playing boys whose friend goes missing in their little Indiana town. They attempt to solve the mystery, and along the way encounter a strange, waffle-loving child with a limited vocabulary, a sinister white-haired government suit, and somewhat lackadaisical Reagan-era parenting.
The result is an effective mishmash of fan-pleasing references and influences. “Did I see that in ET?” you might ask yourself. “Or was it Stand By Me?” The truth is, it doesn’t matter. It’s derivative, yes, but done with skill and panache: the child actors are excellent, with the bulk of my love going to Caleb McLaughlin, who plays sceptical Lucas (the adult actors, including Winona Ryder, are great, too); the music is spare and synth-heavy; and the pacing is slow but engaging. It’s creepy, yes, but the creepiness never tips into all-out scary horror. The corduroy and landlines are a clear marker of the period, but what Stranger Things captures best is that intangible 80s feeling, where the existence of alternate dimensions seemed just as likely as nuclear war.
It’s now been renewed for a second season. See you in the Upside-Down!
