'Stranger Things' - Season 1 Review
- Jan 16, 2017
- 3 min read
Stranger Things has rapidly become popular across a large sector of television aficionados. I was worried that, being a scaredy-cat, it would be too creepy for me, but I wanted to jump on the bandwagon to see what all the fuss was about.
I needn't have worried. Although technically considered a part of the horror, fantasy and drama categories on IMDb, I was perfectly capable of watching the entire thing, though the first episode was on the edge of being too much for a few minutes. Still, I don't recommend watching this at night, especially if you are alone. At least if you are of the 'sensitive to horror' variety as I am. However, I can stamp this as 'not nightmare-inducing,' possibly because it contains a good dose of science-fiction feeling to it, rather than straight horror.
The show follows a number of people as they experience the odd events unfolding in their small town of Hawkins, Indiana. A young boy goes missing under mysterious circumstances, and when his friends search for him they encounter a girl with strange abilities. While the missing boy's mother attempts to find her son, the boy's friends team up with their strange new friend and mount a search of their own.
One reason that I think the show has received such levels of praise and attention is due to the fact that many of these main characters are children, and all actors involved do an outstanding job.
If you have not watched the full series (only season 1 exists as I write this), now would be a good time to turn away and watch it before you receive any spoilers.
Unlike many shows which take me at least five or six episodes to get into, the first episode had me curious, and by the second I was hooked. I watched the whole (albeit short) season in less than a week. This is saying something, as it was Christmas break and during that time I often watch no television in favour of catching up on non-school related reading.
I have little experience with horror because, as I mentioned, I am a wuss. I just cannot deal with scary things well. So I did not see parallels with old horror tropes that supposedly existed throughout the show, because I am unfamiliar with any of the movies that may be referenced. Despite this lack of knowledge, I really enjoyed the show.
Sometimes shows with too many main characters can get confusing or overly dramatic. Writers seem to feel the need to cram 'exciting events' into every character's life at every moment, which becomes unrealistic and often chaotic for the viewer. Maybe the horror genre cushions these problems somewhat. After all, horror hardly needs to be realistic to be enjoyable, and if crazy things are happening it won't take much to make each character's story exciting.
Regardless, I never felt that a scene in Stranger Things was forced or misplaced. Everything was laid out in such an artistic manner. It felt like a story was being told, a charming touch to a show that fits the description of 'quaint.'
Add to its uniqueness the talented kids that made up the cast and you can hardly ask for more from a (currently) one season show.
Millie Bobby Brown in particular had a challenging role for any young actress, never mind one who is only twelve-years old. Though not a novice to the acting world, in her role as Eleven she needed to portray a little bit of everything. The scared little girl in the forest and the confused kid who doesn't understand the world beyond the walls of the facility she was kept in. The shyness of a first friend and first crush and the anger of a powerful girl who won't be controlled anymore. And of course we cannot forget the hurt of rejection or the portrayal of pain and complete exhaustion.
Millie performed all of the aspects of her character in a manner that could not be matched by a fair number of actors double her age.
I won't go into the performances of the rest of the cast, but the other youthful actors, as well as veterans like Winona Ryder matched Brown's finesse and made the show sparkle. I can only hope that Season 2 carries the success forward and does not disappoint.
Comments