Stranger Things

Stranger Things

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9 / 10

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Overview

When a young boy vanishes, a small town uncovers a mystery involving secret experiments, terrifying supernatural forces, and one strange little girl.

Media

Stranger Things Season 1 Trailer 1 | Rotten Tomatoes TV

Cast

Millie Bobby Brown

Caleb McLaughlin

Creator:

Ross Duffer, Matt Duffer

Fist Air Date:

2016-07-15

Episode Runtime:

undefinedm

Production Companies:

21 Laps Entertainment, Monkey Massacre Productions, Upside Down Pictures

Genres:

Action & Adventure Mystery Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Keywords:

1980s coming of age depressing experiment friendship government conspiracy halloween horror indiana, usa monster parallel world small town super power supernatural supernatural horror teen drama teen horror

More Show Details

Vote Average: 8.6/10

Vote Count: 21246 Votes

Show Popularity: 139.8007

Show Status: Ended

Show Type: Scripted

Spoken Languages: English

Review

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Insomniacs Reviews
- 23 April 2026 at 12:23 am

9 Based on 1 Votes
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⭐ Insomniacs Rating: 9/10 THE SUMMARY The one that started it all. Set in the fall of 1983 in Hawkins, Indiana, Stranger Things begins with the vanishing of young Will Byers and the arrival of a mysterious, telekinetic girl named Eleven. What follows is a Masterpiece of 80s nostalgia, government conspiracies, and a parallel dimension known as the Upside Down. While the series finally took its final bow in early 2026 with a massive Season 5 finale, this original chapter remains "The Business." It’s a perfect blend of Spielbergian wonder and Stephen King horror that transformed Netflix into a cultural powerhouse and turned a group of unknown kids into the biggest stars on the planet. THE PROS The casting is a "Guaranteed Banger." From the immediate chemistry of the core four boys to the career-defining resurgence of Winona Ryder as the fiercely determined Joyce Byers, every performance hits. The Duffer Brothers created a world that feels lived-in and authentic, right down to the wood-panelled basements and the crackle of walkie-talkies. It’s a Masterpiece of pacing, slowly peeling back the layers of the Hawkins Lab mystery while delivering genuine scares with the Demogorgon. The synth-heavy score by Survive is "The Business," setting an atmospheric tone that has been imitated a thousand times since but never bettered. THE CONS It’s a 9/10 because, let’s be honest, the "Barb" subplot was handled a bit roughly in the beginning—becoming a meme before it became a meaningful part of the story. Some of the CGI in the very first season (especially the early Demogorgon glimpses) looks a bit "dated" compared to the massive $60 million-per-episode budget of the 2026 finale. It misses the perfect 10/10 only because a few of the secondary government "suits" feel like standard-issue villains. However, in the grand scheme of the 900+ collection, these are minor gripes for a show that defined a decade of television. THE VERDICT A 9/10. It’s "The Business." If you haven't revisited the first season since the 2026 finale aired, do yourself a favor and go back to where it all began. It’s a Masterpiece of storytelling that captures the "lightning in a bottle" magic of being a kid on a bike with a mystery to solve. It’s the ultimate "Insomniac" binge—guaranteed to keep you up until the sun comes over the Hawkins horizon. INSOMNIAC TRIVIA The Cracker Collection: * The "Montauk" Origin: The show was originally titled Montauk and set in Long Island. It was inspired by real-life conspiracy theories about "The Montauk Project," which allegedly involved government experiments on children in the 80s.* The Hair-Raising Steve: Joe Keery’s Steve Harrington was originally written as a stereotypical "total jerk" who was supposed to die in Season 1. The Duffer Brothers loved Joe so much they gave him a redemption arc, turning him into the internet's favorite "Babysitter."* The Eleven Audition: Millie Bobby Brown actually auditioned using scenes from The Professional. To get her into character, the Duffers showed her a picture of E.T. and told her that was the "vibe" they wanted for Eleven.* The Kate Bush Effect: Years before her 2026 resurgence in the final season, "Running Up That Hill" was almost replaced by a different song in Season 4 because the licensing was so difficult to get—thankfully, Kate was a fan of the show!* The 2026 Connection: The animated Tales from '85 series (which just dropped today!) actually features several Easter eggs pointing back to specific D&D moves the boys used in the very first episode. THE VIBE Like a cold Coca-Cola and a box of Eggo waffles at midnight. It’s retro, it’s comforting, and it has just enough of a dark edge to make you check under your bed before you turn off the lights.

TV Show Poster

Season 1

8 Episodes

Air Date: 2016-07-13

Strange things are afoot in Hawkins, Indiana, where a young boy's sudden disappearance unearths a young girl with otherworldly powers.

TV Show Poster

Season 2

9 Episodes

Air Date: 2017-10-24

It's been nearly a year since Will's strange disappearance. But life's hardly back to normal in Hawkins. Not even close.

TV Show Poster

Season 3

8 Episodes

Air Date: 2019-07-04

Budding romance. A brand-new mall. And rabid rats running toward danger. It's the summer of 1985 in Hawkins ... and one summer can change everything.

TV Show Poster

Season 4

9 Episodes

Air Date: 2022-05-27

Darkness returns to Hawkins just in time for spring break, igniting fresh terror, disturbing memories — and an ominous new threat.

TV Show Poster

Season 5

8 Episodes

Air Date: 2025-11-26

The fall of 1987. Hawkins is scarred by rifts. Vecna has vanished and the government has placed the town under military quarantine, forcing Eleven back into hiding. To end this nightmare, they'll need everyone together, one last time.

Videos

Stranger Things Season 1 Trailer 1 | Rotten Tomatoes TV

Stranger Things | Title Sequence [HD] | Netflix

Stranger Things | The First 8 Minutes - Series Opener | Netflix

Stranger Things | Official Final Trailer | Netflix

Stranger Things | "Eleven" - Featurette [HD] | Netflix

Cast

Millie Bobby Brown

Caleb McLaughlin

Gaten Matarazzo

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Stranger Things

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Stranger Things

Comment (1)

Insomniacs Reviews
- 23 April 2026 at 1:23 AM

⭐ Insomniacs Rating: 9/10
THE SUMMARY
The one that started it all. Set in the fall of 1983 in Hawkins, Indiana, Stranger Things begins with the vanishing of young Will Byers and the arrival of a mysterious, telekinetic girl named Eleven. What follows is a Masterpiece of 80s nostalgia, government conspiracies, and a parallel dimension known as the Upside Down. While the series finally took its final bow in early 2026 with a massive Season 5 finale, this original chapter remains “The Business.” It’s a perfect blend of Spielbergian wonder and Stephen King horror that transformed Netflix into a cultural powerhouse and turned a group of unknown kids into the biggest stars on the planet.
THE PROS
The casting is a “Guaranteed Banger.” From the immediate chemistry of the core four boys to the career-defining resurgence of Winona Ryder as the fiercely determined Joyce Byers, every performance hits. The Duffer Brothers created a world that feels lived-in and authentic, right down to the wood-panelled basements and the crackle of walkie-talkies. It’s a Masterpiece of pacing, slowly peeling back the layers of the Hawkins Lab mystery while delivering genuine scares with the Demogorgon. The synth-heavy score by Survive is “The Business,” setting an atmospheric tone that has been imitated a thousand times since but never bettered.
THE CONS
It’s a 9/10 because, let’s be honest, the “Barb” subplot was handled a bit roughly in the beginning—becoming a meme before it became a meaningful part of the story. Some of the CGI in the very first season (especially the early Demogorgon glimpses) looks a bit “dated” compared to the massive $60 million-per-episode budget of the 2026 finale. It misses the perfect 10/10 only because a few of the secondary government “suits” feel like standard-issue villains. However, in the grand scheme of the 900+ collection, these are minor gripes for a show that defined a decade of television.
THE VERDICT
A 9/10. It’s “The Business.” If you haven’t revisited the first season since the 2026 finale aired, do yourself a favor and go back to where it all began. It’s a Masterpiece of storytelling that captures the “lightning in a bottle” magic of being a kid on a bike with a mystery to solve. It’s the ultimate “Insomniac” binge—guaranteed to keep you up until the sun comes over the Hawkins horizon.
INSOMNIAC TRIVIA
The Cracker Collection: * The “Montauk” Origin: The show was originally titled Montauk and set in Long Island. It was inspired by real-life conspiracy theories about “The Montauk Project,” which allegedly involved government experiments on children in the 80s.
* The Hair-Raising Steve: Joe Keery’s Steve Harrington was originally written as a stereotypical “total jerk” who was supposed to die in Season 1. The Duffer Brothers loved Joe so much they gave him a redemption arc, turning him into the internet’s favorite “Babysitter.”
* The Eleven Audition: Millie Bobby Brown actually auditioned using scenes from The Professional. To get her into character, the Duffers showed her a picture of E.T. and told her that was the “vibe” they wanted for Eleven.
* The Kate Bush Effect: Years before her 2026 resurgence in the final season, “Running Up That Hill” was almost replaced by a different song in Season 4 because the licensing was so difficult to get—thankfully, Kate was a fan of the show!
* The 2026 Connection: The animated Tales from ’85 series (which just dropped today!) actually features several Easter eggs pointing back to specific D&D moves the boys used in the very first episode.
THE VIBE
Like a cold Coca-Cola and a box of Eggo waffles at midnight. It’s retro, it’s comforting, and it has just enough of a dark edge to make you check under your bed before you turn off the lights.

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