Stranger Things

After the third season, it’s clear to me that this is awesome. Whether we're talking about the cast, the direction, the cinematography, the script, the costumes, the humor, or the soundtrack, it's basically perfect. I admire that the filmmakers aren't afraid to be a little evil at times and that you never know what's coming. I can't wait for the next season. (18/08/2019)

Just as Tarantino does not limit himself to mere quoting, but distils the essences of marginal genres and creates extreme pastiches, the Duffer brothers take an identical approach to eighties horror movies, teen flicks and children's adventures in order to mould a perfect fantastical story that allows viewers to feel the wonder of childhood, the anxieties of adolescence and the fears of parenthood, all at the same time. (08/01/2017)

A time machine for pure retro bliss. All sources of inspiration have been listed, all nostalgic tears have been shed. What in my eyes keeps the speedometer far beyond a hundred even in the second half, when the lively board game is in full swing and definitely shakes off all the air of mystery, is the child casting from the realm behind the mirror. Millie Bobby Brown acts with her eyes in a way that actresses a decade older get Oscars for. Eighteen years later, I got an adaptation of "Half-Life" without knowing it beforehand. And now I'm off to finish reading King's "It" so I can have a pop culture combo without compromise. (14/09/2016)

I remember an ancient New Year's Eve scene where a composer had to compose a hit on the spot. He began using fragments of well-known melodies from various genres, explaining that before the listener recognizes it, the creator must jump somewhere else. Stranger Things does not address this problem. On the contrary, it proudly embraces its origins in the form of audience-familiar genres of the 80s and an atmosphere filled with mystery and paranormal phenomena reminiscent of Spielberg's spectacles. And unsurprisingly, it works. Enthusiastic viewers exchange information about how many film and TV references they recognized in each episode. I have rarely been carried away by nostalgia, and honestly, the Spielberg 80s motifs like E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial no longer affect me today - when I attempted to watch the film years later, I choked on the over-sweetened and naive family spectacle and gave up halfway through. I consider Stranger Things as reasonably well-made popcorn viewing that mechanically adopts the 80s style and favorite motifs from sci-fi adventure spectacles rather than creatively working with them. It is undoubtedly a decent spectacle but clearly tailored for a child audience and those driven by nostalgia. Winona Ryder's character, who captures viewers' emotions, was just as annoying to me as the wife of Walter White in Breaking Bad was to fans of that show. Furthermore, as the series progressed, I felt that the plot was heading in a different direction than I had hoped for and appreciated. Personally, I would have liked the series to only work with hints and expectations and not explicitly show the monster from another dimension. I give it three stars because the rest of my family found the series much more likable, and the sense of belonging when everyone gathers around the TV from time to time is not to be underestimated. However, I would seriously not be able to watch the second season. Overall impression: 55%. (17/02/2018)

A chilling retro of the Spielberg-King school. Abrams has competition... An excellently graded horror drama actually written by Stephen King (and who can’t recognize echoes from It or Talisman?) and is still original in its approach. The serial form allows for sufficient character development and building up tension. The Upside Down and things connected with him is the terrifying place and, together with Eleven, perform some great things. Great effects, even though the flashing finale is unbearable for epileptics, it made the hair all over my body stand on end. Everybody is great in acting terms, just Winona overacts rather. I look forward to what the next season offers. Season Two: Typically, season two offers more of everything, everything is bigger and everything happens faster. Pairing up of characters sets of in unexpected directions, but the discovery of the world inside out still takes place only very gradually. Jane is put off onto the sidelines so that some sort of danger that wouldn’t matter could arise, but the whole storyline with searching for her sister just holds back the action. Otherwise again it’s a great watch in Stephen King style. (21/08/2016)