Pop-Culturalist.com

If you haven’t heard of the magic that is Netflix’s newest television sensation, Stranger Things, then you may have been living under a rock. Created by the Duffer brothers (Matt and Ross), it is part science fiction, part horror, and part friendship adventure story. Stranger Things is the type of show that grabs you from the start with its remixed 80s music, the throwback ambiance, and the biting-nails-moments.

In short, in a small Indiana town in 1983, 12-year-old Will Byers goes missing so his friends decide to secretly search for him while Chief Hopper (a fantastic David Harbour) leads the official police hunt. Meanwhile, El (Millie Bobby Brown, reminding me of a young Charlize Theron/Drew Barrymore mix), a girl with mental powers turns up. She’s being hunted by a secretive government agency. The links between both incidents leads viewers on one heck of a ride.

There are so many reasons why you should watch Stranger Things immediately, but we’ve narrowed it down to the most important ones:

The 80s throwback is strong–and it’s amazing.  Everything from the music (Toto’s “Africa” is impossible not to sing along to) to Dungeons & Dragons and a ton of 80s pop culture references. The plot evokes The Goonies, E.T., and Close Encounters of the Third Kind (among many others). Obviously, the 80s will call out to a certain age demographic, but even for those too young to be familiar with all the references, the tone and characters of Stranger Things are appealing on their own.

Winona Ryder is great! Speaking of the 80s….Not only is Winona a throwback to the 80s because of all the classic 80s films she was in, but her performance as Will’s mom, Joyce, is on point. She is such a good blend of scared, hopeful, and crazed mother. Her mother’s intuition is strong. You root for her when she gets proof that Will really might be alive and then manically strings Christmas lights all over the house. She jumps right into the unbelievable.

Dustin is everything. Of the four main friends–Will, Dustin, Mike, and Lucas–Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) is hands down my favorite. He is brainy in the best way. He thinks science is cool, loves comic books, and is incredibly impressed with El’s mental abilities. He’s also a peacemaker between friends. Dustin is also a solid dose of humor that lightens the mood. Who wants to help me start a petition to make Dustin a bigger part of season 2?!

The friendships that grow. One of the best things, in my opinion, is how wonderful it is to see friends go on a journey or adventure to help one of them in need (this is why I think The Goonies is one of the best movies ever–and why the similarities to The Goonies makes me love Stranger Things that much more). Seeing the four boys band together, fight and make up, and learn new things (like budding feelings for El, in Mike’s case) is a pleasure. Also, seeing the older siblings of Will and Mike–Jonathan (Charlie Heaton) and Nancy (Natalia Dyer), respectively–develop their own tenuous friendship adds another plot point to root for.

The mystery. Obviously, a huge part of why Stranger Things is so good is because of the mystery. What really has been happening in this town? Where is Will? Who is El, really? What is this government agency doing? Is this monster-alien thing real? The show is so good at slowly answering these questions over the course of the 8-episode arc and ending each episode with the viewer wanting to hit “next”.

So, what are you waiting for? Go watch Stranger Things right now. You can binge watch it in one day–trust me!