Stranger Things
Stranger Things
Now Showing

Stranger Things

"It only gets stranger..."

8.6
Yr 2016
Status Ended
Sci-Fi & Fantasy Mystery Action & Adventure
Your Verdict

Rate this show to unlock picks like it. Create a free account.

Back
Series Brief

Overview

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

Status

Latest

  • Stranger Things to return in 2026 — reported August 1, 2026 (collider.com)
Critical Reception

What critics are saying

Score 88 /100

Stranger Things is widely celebrated as one of the standout series of 2016, frequently praised for its meticulous 1980s aesthetic and its ability to blend mystery, horror, and science fiction. Critics lauded the show's rich world-building and strong character ensemble, often highlighting the show as a nostalgic love letter to classic Spielberg-era cinema and Stephen King-inspired storytelling.

While the series initially earned acclaim for its originality and satisfying narrative structure, retrospective reviews of the later seasons have been more critical. Some outlets have noted a decline in quality, suggesting that the show eventually transitioned from a heartfelt, well-crafted treat into a more commercialized franchise product. Despite concerns over pacing and reliance on tropes, the first season remains a near-universally recommended experience for genre fans.

“A rich, understated texture to it, weaving together a patchwork of tropes and allusions to create something that feels wholly exciting and new.”

“Its plot whipped viewers through the series, delivering a narrative cycle as satisfying as the first season of Twin Peaks.”

“How the nostalgic, well-made treat we couldn't help devouring amid the traumas of 2016 devolved, by Season 5, into a messy content factory.”

“Stranger Things truly is the love letter to classic 80s horror that it claims to be.”

Transmission Paths

Where to Watch

Sky Go
UK
Netflix Standard with Ads
US • CA • UK
Netflix
CA • US • UK
Why fans love it

The 1980s setting serves as more than a visual backdrop for this mystery. The series anchors its government conspiracies and parallel worlds within the familiar tropes of small town coming-of-age stories. It treats the supernatural elements with the same gravity as the internal conflicts of the teen cast, moving steadily between high-stakes action and grounded, awkward social dynamics.

Millie Bobby Brown stands out in a role that balances formidable super powers against the isolation of youth. By weaving teen horror into the suburban landscape, the show bridges the gap between Cold War tensions and otherworldly threats. The result is a consistent tone that turns the mundane routine of a localized community inside out to reveal what hidden experiments are capable of doing to the residents.

Featured Players

Cast

Credited 75
Regulars 16
Longest run 42 eps
Winona Ryder
Winona Ryder
as Joyce Byers
42 episodes
David Harbour
David Harbour
as Jim Hopper
42 episodes
Finn Wolfhard
Finn Wolfhard
as Mike Wheeler
42 episodes
Millie Bobby Brown
Millie Bobby Brown
as Eleven / Jane Hopper
42 episodes
Gaten Matarazzo
Gaten Matarazzo
as Dustin Henderson
42 episodes
Caleb McLaughlin
Caleb McLaughlin
as Lucas Sinclair
42 episodes
Noah Schnapp
Noah Schnapp
as Will Byers
40 episodes
Sadie Sink
Sadie Sink
as Max Mayfield
34 episodes
Show 67 more
Natalia Dyer as Nancy Wheeler 42 episodes Charlie Heaton as Jonathan Byers 42 episodes Joe Keery as Steve Harrington 42 episodes Maya Hawke as Robin Buckley 25 episodes Brett Gelman as Murray 25 episodes Priah Ferguson as Erica Sinclair 29 episodes Cara Buono as Karen Wheeler 38 episodes Nell Fisher as Holly Wheeler 8 episodes Linda Hamilton as Dr. Kay 8 episodes Paul Reiser as Dr. Sam Owens 19 episodes Eduardo Franco as Argyle 8 episodes Matthew Modine as Dr. Martin Brenner 20 episodes Dacre Montgomery as Billy Hargrove 19 episodes Jamie Campbell Bower as Vecna 17 episodes Sean Astin as Bob Newby 11 episodes Peyton Wich as Troy 5 episodes Linnea Berthelsen as Kali 8 episodes Tobias Jelinek as Lead Agent 6 episodes Mark Steger as The Monster 6 episodes Chester Rushing as Tommy H. 7 episodes Jake Busey as Bruce 5 episodes Cary Elwes as Mayor Larry Kline 5 episodes Andrey Ivchenko as Grigori 7 episodes Randy Havens as Mr. Clarke 15 episodes Francesca Reale as Heather Holloway 6 episodes Michael Park as Tom Holloway 5 episodes Myles Truitt as Patrick McKinney 6 episodes Catherine Curtin as Claudia Henderson 12 episodes Susan Shalhoub Larkin as Florence 10 episodes Chantell D. Christopher as Hospital Receptionist 6 episodes Kendrick Cross as Agent Wallace 5 episodes Karen Ceesay as Mrs. Sinclair 5 episodes John Reynolds as Officer Callahan 16 episodes Joe Chrest as Ted Wheeler 23 episodes Sherman Augustus as Lt. Col. Jack Sullivan 11 episodes Mason Dye as Jason Carver 8 episodes Nikola Đuričko as Yuri 6 episodes Martie Marie Blair as Young Eleven 5 episodes Tom Wlaschiha as Dmitri Antonov 8 episodes Chelsea Talmadge as Carol 6 episodes Tristan Spohn as Two 5 episodes Chloe Adona as Nine 5 episodes Jeremiah Friedlander as Fourteen 5 episodes Morgan Gao as Three 5 episodes Ethan J Green as Sixteen 5 episodes Oliver J Green as Seventeen 5 episodes David Alexander Kaplan as Twelve 5 episodes Jessica Arden Napier as Five 5 episodes Olivia Sembra as Eighteen 5 episodes Lana Jean Turner as Seven 5 episodes Bentley Williams as Fifteen 5 episodes Hendrix Yancey as Thirteen 5 episodes Clayton Royal Johnson as Andy 10 episodes Tinsley Price as Holly Wheeler 15 episodes Jennifer L. Marshall as Susan Hargrove 6 episodes Anniston Price as Holly Wheeler 8 episodes Rob Morgan as Officer Powell 16 episodes Alex Breaux as Lieutenant Robert Akers 7 episodes Jake Connelly as Derek Turnbow 7 episodes Calista Craig as Mary 7 episodes Aimee Mullins as Terry Ives 8 episodes Eden Stephens as Debbie Miller 6 episodes Gianlucca Gazzo as Glenn 6 episodes Carson Minniear as Thomas 6 episodes Amybeth McNulty as Vickie 8 episodes Joseph Quinn as Eddie Munson 8 episodes Hunter Romanillos as Teammate 6 episodes
Production Board

Crew

Second Second Assistant Director
A.J. Bruno David Champion
Key Hair Stylist
Evelyn Roach
Editor
Nat Fuller Katheryn Naranjo
Costume Design
Amy Parris Kim Wilcox Kimberly Adams
Key Makeup Artist
Teresa Vest
First Assistant Director
Josh McLaglen Richard Denault
Stunt Coordinator
Maciej Kubica Jahnel Curfman
Set Designer
Justin Trudeau
Makeup Department Head
Myke Michaels
Director
Rebecca Thomas Nimród Antal Uta Briesewitz Matt Duffer
"A" Camera Operator
Nick Müller
Director of Photography
Tod Campbell Lachlan Milne Caleb Heymann
Second Assistant Director
Justin Bischoff
Unit Publicist
Denise Gregarek
Production Design
Chris Trujillo
Set Costumer
Lori Seidler
Post Production Supervisor
Joshua Kohl Hegmann
Hair Department Head
Sarah Hindsgaul
Art Direction
John Snow
Signal Match

Similarity

Where Stranger Things overlaps with other shows, and exactly what they have in common.

Keyword Cloud

Keywords

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

Details

First Aired
July 15, 2016
Status
Ended
Origin
US
TMDB Votes
21,660