Stranger Things

It's rare that a second season has the exact same ratings as the first, and at 91%, that's saying a hell of a lot. It's good to see all the likeable child characters together again, and this time around, young redhead Max rounds out the bunch and undoubtedly deserves a spot here. The new characters (the new girl who has supernatural powers, Max's brother who was a real asshole, and Bob's new friend Joyce) are definitely nice, but what I wasn't too happy about Eleven, who is sidelined for more than half of the season, and that's a mistake, as she is the driving force of the show, but the last two episodes thankfully make up for it. The series is more action and horror this time around, the Lovecraftian shadow monsters, little "lizards" and a lot of Will's outbursts are mysterious. Once again the series runs like water, there are scenes that give you goosebumps and the retro atmosphere is again impeccable. I enjoyed the adventure with the kids again, but it didn't hit me emotionally like it did a year ago. 85% (02/11/2017)

This year, the popular horror series Stranger Things is back, and in Season 3 we get a look at what summer is like in Hawkins. The series once again maintains a very high quality and it seems to me that there is now a bigger budget as the central monster is reminiscent of the best of The Thing. Eleven continues to be the biggest draw, all the scenes with her are some of the best and I really enjoyed Dustin doing something unexpected. There are multiple storylines at once that tie in nicely at the end, the retro vibe is once again amazing and the details are great (the poster of Romero's Night of the Living Dead outside the cinema was cool) and the addition of the Russians makes the third season both more action packed and more suspenseful, even if the horror side can seem to go slightly sideways. The finale is very emotional and definitely unexpected. The first season remains the best, but the third certainly doesn't do it any disgrace and I'm looking forward to the fourth! 80% (25/07/2019)

The biggest phenomenon of Netflix and these days, which is experiencing a similar hype as Game of Thrones or Squid Game. Once again it is a great retro horror spectacle that is hard to fault. The Duffer brothers are smart, and Stranger Things is already one of the highest rated horror series ever. Season 4 brings an interesting villain, Vecna – I praise the unpleasant appearance and the original way of killing (breaking bones in the air was awesome), and I liked his background and plan. Of the new characters the most interesting are Eddie, who will please Metal fans, and Jason the teen bully. I was impressed by the splitting of the story into several lines (similar to GOT) where some are less interesting (Winona Ryder didn't amuse me much and both Will and Mike, except for the emotional scene in the car, also had weaker arcs), but the line with El is again perfect, and she finally gets her powers back (that bothered me about the previous season). The best is without a doubt the line with Hooper with Kamchatka, Alaska and demogorgons. There were dialogues, action, a immersive atmosphere, everything in abundance. What I love about Stranger Things is the big budget and the many references to older horror films; the fact that the series is in the vein of A Nightmare on Elm Street is a prime example of this, not to mention the touch of Lovecraft. We'll see how the creators handle the final 5th season, but everything is in good hands and I believe we'll get a worthy ending to another great era. 8.5/10. (08/07/2022)