The series has been described as one long love letter to the 80s, with a script that could have been written by Stephen King. Films like “ET,” “Alien,” and “It” and TV series like “The X-Files” and “Twin Peaks” are often cited as influences.
“It’s hard to say exactly what made the series so popular, but it has clearly appealed to a wide range of people, which is unusual. Maybe it’s simply that it came at the right time, right at the beginning of the streaming boom,” says Gaten Matarazzo, who plays Dustin Henderson.
Time travel
The plot revolves around a young and slightly nerdy group of friends in a small town in the Midwest in the U.S. The actors were all in their early teens when the series began filming in 2015 and have since aged along with the plot, which has become darker and more violent in later seasons.
What is it like to be born at the beginning of the technological age of the 21st century and find yourself in the analog world where slingshots and walkie-talkies are the only tools in the fight against evil?
"I love it. It's the closest thing you'll get to time travel. I'm a nostalgic person who likes older stuff, music and movies. I'm probably born in the wrong generation," says Finn Wolfhard, who plays Mike Wheeler in the series.
Paying tribute to the eighties spirit
It is also in the 80s spirit that a large part of the series' success lies, Gaten Matarazzo believes.
It wouldn't work in the present day. There's a kind of innocence to the 80s that can't be replicated. Logistically, the series wouldn't work either if the characters had access to modern technology, but it probably creates a certain amount of frustration for viewers sometimes.
Yes, it's obvious that they would have solved their problems much faster if they had had mobile phones, Finn Wolfhard interjects.
Parallel universe
"Stranger Things" revolves around the disappearance of a boy, top-secret government experiments, the threat from a parallel dimension and at the center is the main character Eleven, the girl with telekinetic and telepathic powers, played by British Millie Bobby Brown.
The fifth and final season, set in 1987, is definitely the last, according to Wolfhard and Matarazzo.
We've told our story now. There will be a lot of action but also "quieter parts" where the plot ties back to seasons one and two. I think the fans will appreciate that mix. It will be a worthy end to the saga, says Finn Wolfhard.
The TV series – a mix of horror, science fiction, mystery, fantasy and coming-of-age drama – was created by twin brothers Matt and Ross Duffer and premiered on Netflix in 2016.
The story takes place in the fictional small town of Hawkins, Indiana, during the 1980s and is inspired by the popular culture of the time in terms of music, books, horror films and video games.
The series is one of Netflix's biggest successes, season 3 had over 40 million viewers in the first four days, and it has won many awards.
The fifth and final season is divided into three parts. The first four episodes will be released on November 27, three more episodes will come on December 26, and the eighth and final episode on January 1, 2026.
