Stranger Things

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)

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)

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)

Nostalgic Things... Authentic 80s King style (children's level) Carpenter style (horror level) Spielberg movie (adult level) par excellence, in other words Super 8 done absolutely right. It can't be more retro. You will recognize (among countless others) for example Stand by Me, E.T., Poltergeist, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, The Cocoon, Nightmare from Elm Street, Peanuts, The Monster Squad (simply put, the production of Amblin at the time) and... And not surprisingly, even if everything in it (like really everything, a s mall town, an unbelieving self-grown sheriff, a high school, etc.) is purely overseas 80s, so it doesn't seem like a nostalgic copy, a parody of itself or in any way contrived (namely there are two allusions per every minute of the running time), on the contrary, it stand firmly on its feet. In other words, this one doesn’t pretend to be 80s. IT IS 80s in terms of visuals, Carpenter's-tangerinedream musical undertones, mood and generally by atmosphere. And by far the best part is that all of the above is just a foundation for a graduated, mysterious, captivatingly disturbing and deliberately insight into a intentionally second-rate cliché story, which is also enhanced by acting performances, including those of children (after all, you can see on their cast how much it is faithful at the time, none of the children is nice or cute), and everything is dependent on their performance (what such Millie Brown can play only using her eyes, her much experienced, awarded and older colleagues can only envy her, because in spite of everything it is mainly and above all a children's (but not childish) expedition for adventure. If the 80s shaped you, so using the words of Charlie Sheen... What's not to love? | S1: 5/5 | S2: 5/5 | S3: 5/5 | (15.07.2016)

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)

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)

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)

Stranger Things is undoubtedly a pleasant surprise and a random revelation in today's glut of TV series and miniseries. In my case, I can't speak of a certain nostalgic return to the 80s, as I didn’t experienced them and secondly I am not as familiar with the scifi-horror filmography of the time as others (however, I have seen The Thing and The Evil Dead, which are referenced more than once here, alongside numerous mentions of “Lord of the Rings” or “The Hobbit”, which I also enjoyed, even if I've never read the books). In the first place, I have to praise the idea and the story itself, as I was really tense from the first minutes about how everything was going to unfold, and the tension eased (though not completely) only at the end of the last episode. Another plus point is the believably built up atmosphere of the 80s, from the clothes, to the cars, to the music to the overall mood and "feel", which managed to bring me very well closer to this (unseen by me) era. The cast was generally well chosen – I personally didn't mind Winona Ryder's acting too much, I was more focused on the child actors who played their roles very well, and even managed to evoke emotions when the characters interacted – anger or indignation at the bullies, smiling at the boys' humorous discussions, or sadness at someone's death. At the moment, I can't think of anything else to highlight about the series, as I'd be repeating myself a lot with other reviews here (which I've already violated above, then). In short, a decently made genre series that grabs you in its clutches right at the beginning and doesn’t let go until the end, so definitely both thumbs up from me. (03.09.2016)

An intriguing show that made me think of Silent Hill, X-Files, Twin Peaks, It, The Thing, and E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial. It’s a great series with a retro vibe, with excellent David Harbour, and Winona Ryder who’s pushing a little too hard. As I’ve said before, I don't like kids in movies (with a few exceptions). They are usually there just to appeal to the viewer’s emotions. But this series, apart from its great theme, is mainly based on child actor performances that are admittedly awesome. Given that it’s such a well-crafted series, there are some annoying logic holes in the script, e.g. the "bad guys" go through a complicated process of trying to find out who is broadcasting or making phone calls and from where, they even shoot the man who gave food to Eleven, but the police chief who gets into the heart of the project is only taken home and gets a bug planted in his ceiling light – weird and perplexing. Despite these gripes, I think it's a great show and deserves 5 stars. (29.08.2016)

Stranger Things is an absolutely delightful experience, even for someone like me who doesn't exactly live and breathe mysterious stories. Perfect retro chilling atmosphere underscored by an excellent soundtrack, endless number of cultural references and a group of kids who are simply amazing. Especially the beginning of the season is as if from another world, owing to the absolutely awesome Millie Bobby Brown who can convey the almost impossible without even saying a word. A gem of a series that will get you completely hooked. S01: 10/10. In the second season, the authors follow the established trend from the second half of the first season. The story drops some of its mystery and logically builds up on the previous plot. And it does so incredibly well. In other words, everything I raved about in my review of the first season also applies to the second one. A great story with a brilliant atmosphere, an awesome soundtrack and the best bunch of central characters you will find in any current series. I would only like to highlight Gaten Matarazzo in the role of Dustin, who was actually the coolest kid of the whole group in the first season. Here he stands out even more strikingly, pulling off the role of a guy with the most one-liners I remember from any series I’ve seen. Things might not be as emotional in this season as in the first emotionally-charged one, but then again, it is much more action-packed, gripping and epic. The whole seemingly ordinary conclusion about the transition from childhood to early adolescence does have an emotional pull. I think we can all agree that Stranger Things has already become a cult classic. S02: 10/10. Even for the third time, it works to perfection. Mysticism, adolescence, Russian agents. Right up my alley again with an awesome soundtrack and visuals. I absolutely love this show. We can be heroes ... just for one day. S03: 10/10. (07.02.2017)