Stranger Things

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)

In the first four episodes, total engrossment and enthusiasm. In the second half, (only) satisfaction with the gradual revelation of what’s going on, but the initial fascination waned. All those comparisons to the 1980s, Spielberg, Carpenter, King and others are totally fitting. The characters and the casting are great, and I’m looking forward to going back to that world in the second season. 2nd season: In terms of plot, more of the same. But the charm of a small town in the 1980s, the cute interactions among likeable characters and the fear of the unknown are gone and replaced by fooling around with a herd of digital monsters. At times I had the impression I was watching some fucking animation instead of a horror series. (24/07/2016)

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)

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)

At home, we have basically devoured this show in one go. Stranger Things has the best of what I liked about old action/adventure/horror movies from the 1980s that I used to watch in the 1990s. A certain mysticism, fear, child heroes and an amazing contemporary synthwave music. If anyone holds classic movie adventures of times past close to their heart, don’t hesitate! This will definitely grab your attention. Stranger Things has an amazing style and I personally hope that it won’t end at the first season. (27/08/2016)