Stranger Things, the summer’s hottest sci-fi Netflix series, earns its widespread praise with a stellar cast, a gripping plot, and charming 1980s production design details in every frame.
Set in Indiana in 1983, the story focuses on a group of three young boys who take it upon themselves to search for “Will,” one of their friends who goes missing. The story centers on their search as they meet “Eleven,” a young and mysterious girl who doesn’t say much, but has some incredible powers.
Created by Matt and Ross Duffer, better known as the Duffer Brothers, the show serves as a tribute to 80’s pop culture within the already gripping mystery plotline. The powerhouse cast comprised of mostly young child actors makes the show even more impressive.
Winona Ryder’s performance as “Joyce Byers,” the mother of the missing boy, will leave audiences heartbroken and hopeful all at once. Millie Bobby Brown, only 12 years old, who stars as Eleven, demonstrates her incredible subtlety and talent in every moment on screen.
Brown, alongside Caleb McLaughlin, Gaten Matarazzo and Finn Wolfhard, form a scrappy band of neighborhood kids who have moments of pure heroism and terror mixed in with plenty of laughs.
The series perfectly balances the young ambitious characters with the realism of their adult counterparts while making an incredibly compelling and human story all within a clearly science-fiction plot.
Any viewer who is uninterested in the science-fiction elements of the series, can quickly find the show compelling as the lovable cast of children create both camaraderie and high-stakes intensity in every scene.
The quality of the show has not gone unrecognized. After 5 weeks of streaming, Netflix announced Aug. 30 that Stranger Things has been renewed for a second season, which will premiere in 2017. Stranger Things has set the bar high for Netflix drama series with something in it for everyone, science-fiction and romance fans alike.
Hopefully season two is able to bring just as many laughs with a fresh new plotline as exciting as the first.
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