Recently, I have been watching and catching up with a lot of films and TV series. Being employed on a job on its vacation period, I had a lot of time to kill. I needed to do something to quench my thirst for movie and series watching. Within the past few months, I have finished watching How I Met Your Mother, and Breaking Bad. I am also following Game of Thrones and Big Bang Theory, and Outlander, all of which are ongoing and I am just waiting for the next seasons to be out. Imagine the agony!
I started watching Better Call Saul, a spin-off and sequel of Breaking Bad series, but then I noticed my Facebook newsfeed slowly filled with posters, GIFs of the lights on the alphabet wall, and reactions from friends on Stranger Things. Curiosity hit me, and the next thing I knew, I finished season 1 in one sitting.
I am going to list here a few things I love about Stranger Things and why I recommend it. I will try my best not to spoil anything!
1. Stranger Things is simply ART.
I have long since noticed this about Communication Arts and Media students/graduates. One cannot watch something without acknowledging the production. Stranger Things tells a story without sacrificing the aesthetics of the 1980’s. From the set, props, soundtracks, to the casting of actors. It is truly a work of art.
2. Stranger Things is extremely nostalgic.
Now, I am not an 80’s kid. I was born in the 90’s, but Stranger Things has elements that will bring you back to the past. I can only imagine how nostalgic this must be for the 80’s kids.
Again, thanks to the production, the look and feel of the entire series is a time machine, so to speak. Especially if you love conspiracies like Area 51, this series will be your ultimate series-gasm.
3. Stranger Things makes you question reality.
I have been questioning reality ever since I finished reading Michael Scott’s Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel (which I really recommend). But Stranger Things takes reality-questioning on a whole new level. Not only reality, you may also question what more the government is hiding from you.
4. Stranger Things is a wonderful mix of genres.
Science fictions have been becoming mainstream, and sci-fi movies had always been hits with the younger audience. The premise of Stranger Things is not entirely unique – alien monster from another dimension, telekinetic kid, etc.- but the way it incorporates each genre to another is seamless. It is not your ordinary sci-fi horror series, it’s your strange sci-fi horror series. See what I did there?
5. Stranger Things Season 1 has like a billion of plot opportunities.
The finale for the first season leaves a lot of question and mind boggling theories. There are a lot of areas to explore, a lot of characters to dig into, and a lot more worlds to enter. I could list them here, but I don’t want to spoil! You know a series is good when you can come up with thousands of theories. I cannot wait for the following seasons.
Kudos to the Duffer brothers for the wonderfully made series, and hopefully, the next seasons, if not as good, are better than the first!
Karla Maye 