‘Stranger Things’: The Duffer Brothers Capture A Generation With Exquisite Clarity
Warning: Possible spoilers ahead!
As the creators of Netflix’ newest hit series, Stranger Things, Ross and Matthew Duffer have hit the proverbial jackpot. The sci-fi series has been the topic of conversation since first airing on July 15. Stranger Things has received positive reviews from well-known critic website Rotten Tomatoes for its characterization, writing, and the excellent homage paid to the retro atmosphere and culture of the 1980s.
Now I understand why this show has a rating of 93% at Rotten Tomatoes! It’s just soooo good! #StrangerThings
— Kat Obrero (@ItsmeKatObrero) July 27, 2016
The thrilling television series follows the story of four young boys and a very special little girl. The Duffer Brothers were careful to catch all the little nuances of the decade at every turn. The thrilling composition opens with a scene of the boys completing a 10-hour Dungeons and Dragons campaign. If that is not the epitome of a nerdy kid’s life in the 1980s, then good luck finding a more appropriate reference.
One of the boys from the group of friends, Will, played by child actor Noah Schnapp, quickly builds the intensity of the show when he mysteriously goes missing on his way home from his friend Mike’s house. Shortly after his absence is discovered, Will’s mother, played by Wynona Ryder, teams up with the town’s sheriff to begin the season-long search for her son.
The next day, a random little girl walks out of the woods and into the show’s plot. The leading little lady of the Netflix sensation, Eleven, played by Millie Brown, has escaped from a very questionable establishment. As her eccentricity is slowly discovered, we learn that she is the result of top-secret government experimentation. The Netflix Original Stranger Things is king when capturing the essence and ambiguity of Stephen King and Steven Spielberg.
By the end of the first season, the writers have weaved such an exquisite web of questions that there is simply no way the show could just end. Season 2 of Stranger Things is already on the brains of the Duffer Brothers. If the viewer and the host, Netflix, are up for it, it’s safe to say there will be the second installment of Stranger Things in the workings very soon.
In an interview during the Television Critics Association fall previews, Matt Duffer explained that he and his brother “wanted to resolve the main tension… so it feels very much complete. But then there’s the bigger mythology behind what happened to Eleven, so there’s a lot of dangling threads.”
Stranger Things began as a somewhat obscure project for Netflix but quickly expanded its viewership. The story was intentionally left a bit open-ended to leave room for the writers to “explore and continue this storyline,” said Matthew Duffer.
Stranger Things is a successful and well-conducted blast from the past. The natural flow of each episode induces nostalgia for a whole generation. Thirty- to 40-year-old viewers will feel right at home when watching the saga unfold. Short-range walkie talkies, bicycles with baskets and banana seats, Dungeons & Dragons, rock music, and wood paneling on the walls all work together to build an unmatched experience for Netflix loyalists.
The Duffer Brothers take their audience on such an authentic journey through the 1980s that one might think they are watching a movie from the era. Whatever direction Ross and Matt Duffer decide to take the next season; it is sure to be an attention-grabber. Stranger Things brings new meaning to the phrase, “Stay tuned!”
If you have not had a chance to watch the story unfold, make time! Stranger Things will exercise the mind’s ability to stretch the boundaries of time and space. This Netflix Original is not to be missed. Grab a seat and bag of popcorn, and settle in to watch Will, Mike, Lucas, and Dustin embark on the adventure of a lifetime.
[Photo by Eric Charbonneau/Invision for Netflix/AP Images]
