There is nothing strange about college students binge-watching their favorite television series on streaming services like Netflix.
But college students binge-watching a Netflix original series based in 1983 Indiana with a supernatural storyline of monsters, realm-hopping and totally sick synth beats? That’s a little stranger.
And yet “Stranger Things” has caught on with vigor over the last month, following its July 15 release — and for good reason.
First, the acting is incredible, which is no small feat when a good chunk of the plot relies on child actors. The children are convincingly from the 80s — puffy jackets, bikes, walkie-talkies and all.
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Finn Wolfhard steals hearts as Mike Wheeler, whose best friendgoes missing as a result of supernatural doings. And Millie Bobby Brown, plays the mysterious and endearing character Eleven.
If “Stranger Things” does not catapult these two into the limelight, nothing will.
Winona Ryder is arguably the series’ only big-name actor, who plays the missing boys’ mother with all the grit and emotion she should.
Police Chief Jim Hopper, played by David Harbour, brings viewers to his side despite his seemingly rough and rowdy ways.
The length of the series is also integral in making it so binge-watchable. With only eight episodes, each about an hour long, “Stranger Things” can easily be knocked out in a lazy weekend.
The plot never drags, giving the impression of a really long but really good movie.
And to add fuel to the fire of the series’ never-ending excellence, the music is era-specific and utilized well in all scenes — scary, heartfelt and otherwise.
Who knew synth could be used so well as a scare-factor? The opening credits are enough to create goose bumps.
On a more analytical note, part of the reason “Stranger Things” is catching on so rapidly may point to societal desires for a new conflict in popular television — one where the “other” is set completely apart from reality.
Put simply, the concept of the “other” is the character in any story — TV shows, movies, books and more — that serves as a point of contention for the plot. Most popularly, the “other” in today’s television is a villain or criminal, which develops the “good guy vs. bad guy” stereotype. Sometimes, when considering shows like “Grey’s Anatomy,” the “other” in the plot — the source of strife within the story — may be based on gender, sexual orientation or race.
Certain characters face struggles or are victimized based on realistic differences viewers face in their every day lives.
This is not to say “Grey’s Anatomy” isn’t a great television series, as it is entering it’s 13th season, but these uses of the “other” are close to home.
The “other” in “Stranger Things” is a monster from an ulterior realm that all characters — poor and rich, average and beautiful, black and white, young and old — join forces to defeat.
This concept is refreshing and rarely seen in today’s binge-watched television, so it is possible that fans of “Stranger Things” are drawn to this fantastical — but uplifting — use of the “other.”
This creepy but endearing series has all the vibes of “The Goonies” meets “The Thing,” and somehow the combination works like a charm. Netflix junkies of all ages should catch up on season one of “Stranger Things” before season two captivates audiences again in 2017.
Lyndsie Kiebert can be reached at
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