What Makes Stranger Things Great?

If you have read any of my previous writings, you can probably tell that I love Stranger Things. The mere fact that I manage to mention the show in just about every article I write, no matter the topic, is a solid indicator of this fact (and can prove to be quite difficult sometimes!). Given how much I have talked it up, I figured it was time for me to dedicate an entire article to the Netflix original. So, what makes Stranger Things so special? I’ve identified two main reasons why the show took off, and is now one of the most popular shows in the world.

*I will keep this article spoiler-free, so those of you that haven’t given it a shot yet don’t feel like I’m ruining it for you.

1. The Cast

The cast is the most important part of just about any television show or movie. Even if the plot seems a bit off, a great cast ensemble can make the show/movie bearable. Stranger Things boasts what is perhaps the most impressive cast in television today. What makes the Stranger Things cast one of the best – in my opinion, even better than Game of Thrones‘s (and that’s coming from a huge fan) – is the fact that the vast majority of their cast is 1) young and 2) virtually unknown before the show. I am of the belief that casting child actors is the most difficult thing to do when it comes to entertainment; there are very, very few top-tier child actors relative to the amount of children trying to get into the acting game, and almost every child actor that a casting director will encounter is unknown.

For me, a bad child actor is difficult to watch, and can be distracting in an otherwise-brilliant show/movie. While I can be – likely to a fault – difficult to please when it comes to entertainment, I think we all can recall a beloved show/movie that was worsened because of a subpar actor.

Stranger Things, however, boasts the best child cast that I have ever seen. Led by now-14-year-old Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven), who was an 2017 Emmy nominee for Outstanding Supporting Actress after the first season of the show, the entire cast is fantastic. Finn Wolfhard (Mike), Noah Schnapp (Will), Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin), Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas), and Sadie Sink (Max) round out the young cast. What is most impressive about all of the kids is the fact that every single one of them was unknown in the acting game before the series.

Brown had just five credits coming into the series, and four of those credits were one-or-two-episode guest-starring roles in television shows (the other being the lead in the short-lived British drama Intruders in 2014) (imdb.com). She is now filming for a major role in Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019), and will also be playing Enola Holmes in a just-announced film about Sherlock’s younger sister (imdb.com). Brown is now a well-known actress in Hollywood, but the Stranger Things casting directors found her before all of the fame, when she was completely unknown. Without her, the series wouldn’t be anywhere near the same, as she steals every scene she is in, and brings brilliance well beyond her years.

The now-15-year-old Wolfhard only had two credits to his name before Stranger Things, yet is utterly fantastic. He is so good, in fact, that he was cast as Trashmouth Richie Tozier in the 2017 film adaptation of Stephen King’s It. Wolfhard is great as Richie, as well, in the role that differs greatly from his character on Stranger Things. Wolfhard was yet another unknown before the series, yet was cast in an important role, and it paid off big-time.

Schnapp, who is the youngest main cast member on Stranger Things at just 13 years of age, was perhaps the most well-known of the young cast, as he lent his voice to The Peanuts Movie (2015) as Charlie Brown, and starred in The Bridge of Spies (2015) as Roger Donovan (imdb.com). However, he was still very much of an unknown, yet brings a performance that, in my opinion, should have gotten him award recognition.

Matarazzo (15 years old), McLaughlin (16), and Sink (15) could all be found on Broadway before Stranger Things, yet none had accumulated many credits before the show, with just 11 credits between the three of them (imdb.com). Once again, however, all three transform themselves into their respective roles, bringing humor, drama, and, quite simply, brilliance to our screens.

So, it is clear that the kids were all relative unknowns before the show aired. What is most impressive about the young cast is the fact that not a single one of them is a poor, or even subpar, actor. I tend to be very hard on actors and will be the first to say if I’m not overly impressed with one, but all of the Stranger Things kids bring it each and every scene. Even more so, the chemistry that is evident between them is awe-inspiring; they all seem to be great friends. Stranger Things may have hit the jackpot with Brown, who many have compared to a young Natalie Portman, but they came pretty darn close with each young actor they cast.

David Harbour (Hopper) and Winona Ryder (Joyce) are the other two main cast members. Harbour, like the kids, was a virtual unknown before his breakout role as Chief Hopper that has netted him several award nominations, including 2017 nominations for Best Supporting Actor at both the Emmys and Golden Globes. Ryder, on the other hand, was a high-profile actress for years, garnering two Oscar nominations in the 1990s, yet had accumulated very few credits in the past decade; Stranger Things was her comeback story and, boy, does she make a brilliant comeback in a role that forces her to show extreme emotion in nearly every scene.

Stranger Things hit a home run on each of their main cast members, which, along with the obvious chemistry between the talented actors, is a huge reason why the show is so great.

2. The Storyline

Stranger Things instantly hooks the viewer with its seemingly-simple storyline of a young boy going missing, and his loved ones doing any and everything possible to try to get him back. While the show is inspired by many different 1970-80s films and books (the show is set in the 1980s, after all) including It, Stand By Me, E.T., and The Thing, among many others, it never feels as if the show is blatantly stealing ideas from the classic works, nor are the homages distracting from the plot. Instead, the clear nods to classic works are fun to catch and add to, not detract from, the show.

The pure love exhibited by the characters to one another is enough to make anyone tear up; I honestly just got chills just by writing this. As the characters look for the lost boy and deal with their own problems, their discoveries and emotions make the viewer want to hug their loved ones. Stranger Things is one of the best shows to watch with one’s loved ones (perhaps ages 9+, depending on your preferences), as it promotes such a lovable, family element that much of entertainment lacks nowadays.

Stranger Things was on my radar when it was released on Netflix in July of 2016, but I didn’t get around to watching it until mid-August. Admittedly, I had forgotten about the show’s release. Once I decided to give it a shot, I was expecting a likable, cute show that I could watch while I searched Twitter on my phone. Welp.

The plot instantly caught my attention, as did the performances of all of the actors. Within 30 minutes, I had reached a point where I needed to watch more, and I ended up finishing the 8-episode season in the next 24 hours. The plot was that good; that engaging. I felt myself going through everything that the characters were going through, and found my heart racing when characters were placed in perilous situations. I never thought a show would surpass the excellence of Hannibal (definitely not a great family show), but Stranger Things did, and then some. The simple plot of a boy going missing and his loved ones doing everything they can – facing everything they must face – in order to get him back stole my heart, and made me watch as intently as I’ve ever watched a non-sports program.

Summary

Stranger Things is a masterpiece. Every character is lovable, despite their flaws, and every actor, particularly the children, is superb. Waiting 16 months for season two to drop in October of 2017 was very difficult – I watched season one four times to cope! The show deciding to skip 2018 (season three will drop sometime in 2019) is hard to deal with; the show is simply that good.

Watching Stranger Things is like living through the 1980s, yet mixes in the horrible element of a child gone missing. The attention to detail is incredible; 1980s-lovers will find Easter Eggs to films/books/pop culture of the ’80s in every episode.

The show incorporates many different genres, including drama, comedy, adventure, and even a little bit of horror (although, as a seasoned horror veteran, I would mention many genres when describing Stranger Things before I reached “horror”).

What seems to make Stranger Things a global phenomenon is its incredible cast, as well as its seemingly-simple storyline that becomes so much more.

I cannot recommend this show any more highly, and will talk about it forever (just ask my family!).

Stranger Things matches all of the accolades it receives, and leaves the viewer guessing until the very end, as they watch brilliant performances by actors portraying characters that are some of the most lovable on television today.

On a scale of 1-10, Stranger Things is an

(11; sorry, I couldn’t resist)