When in 2016 Netflix premiered the series stranger things the immediate success he achieved was not expected. It was a confluence of fortunate circumstances. From the chemistry of its cast, to the ingenious use of the nostalgia formula to dialogue with the public. But above all, the Netflix series was a triumph of imagination, a calculated risk and the possibility of a new discourse in the world of series. All in the attractive package of the possibility of consuming the content on the same day and enjoying the complete experience of the story without interruptions.
Was the well-known streaming marathon born with stranger things? Netflix already had some sizable hits in its catalogue. House of Cards Y Orange is the New Black they were crowd favorites and no doubt notorious phenomena. With the possibility of creating bold formulas that would move away from cable television, Netflix had already tried a new type of programming. A special one based on complicated and extravagant stories, with a particular touch. Also in the phenomenon of the simultaneous premiere and by blocks, which allowed the audience to decide their rate of consumption.
But it was stranger thingswith its ability to become an immediate success, was the one that changed the history of the subscription service. The Serie it became an emblem of Netflix original content — it still is — and part of its identity. With its unclassifiable air, its ingenious argument and its weight as an element of well-constructed nostalgia, the series dazzled. At the same time, it did something else: pave the way for the idea of a captive audience for far-reaching products on streaming platforms. In 2016 it was still not entirely clear what the future of online subscription services might be. But it was stranger things the one that established the success, resonance and influence of original online productions in the future.
With its immediate leap into popular culture, the series became a symbol of all that platforming could be. At the same time, in a fresh and innovative proposal which made it clear that streaming was more than just an experiment. The big question was whether original online content could make the immediate leap to large audiences, she was answered. The success of stranger things made the influence of Netflix clear. And then, the ability of the program to create its own trend that is still recognizable and appreciated.
Stranger Things opens the doors to a new era of the series
To brothers Matt and Ross Duffer, stranger things it was a way to delve into his favorite topics. Do it, moreover, from the freedom of a type of content that at that time did not respond to specific specifications. The duo had already gained some recognition thanks to the memorable episodes they directed in the series. Wayward Pines, also converted into a cult series. But above all, for that extraordinary experiment as it was hidden with newcomer Bill Skarsgard and Andrea Riseborough.
Nevertheless, with stranger things achieved something completely new that captivated viewers from all over the world. It wasn’t just an exercise in nostalgia. Also of a brilliant conception of science fiction, fantasy and horror wrapped in the harmless patina of an immediate classic. With a pulse that astonishes in its precision, the Duffers endowed stranger things with the perfect balance between the basic reference and its own universe. With an endless battery of visual details and pop nods, the Netflix series paid homage to cinema. But at the same time to the public that grew up with certain types of film productions.
the seasons of stranger things they are a look at a generation that grew up on bicycles, theaters, huge televisions and shortwave radios. On the other hand, to the almost harmless fears and terrors of urban legends and childhood myths. The series is capable of linking all of the above with an inner tension that links to a more mature type of plot. Specifically, in its third season, in which the series began to leave behind its naive face and began its transition to adulthood. A completely new place, which reaches in the fourth season, a new level and depth.
Celebrating a decade to remember
Of course, the series is also a tribute to the imaginary of the mythical eighties. The directorial duo makes no secret of their obvious influence on the cinema of Spielberg, Dante, Carpenter, or the clearly structured narratives of a young Stephen King. stranger things skillfully circumvents the melancholy traps and develops a solid proposal that is sustained despite the multiple references, the notion of what is seen and longed for.
In all its chapters, the series meets the requirement of visual autonomy and does so, being original despite the referential structure that supports it. stranger things takes very seriously the idea of structuring an ever-expanding world of its own. If in the first season the references to Alien, Rear Window and Body Double they surprised. The second and the third played with the first slasher and also the conception of the fateful. For the fourth, the series takes the time to meditate on its origin and, at the same time, carefully close its main plot arc.
And it does so from the nature of the series as a show that contains many others. If the first season of the series was a large-scale celebration of pop culture, the most recent is to the cinema in its most powerful DNA. And perhaps, that is its greatest strength. The one that is most appreciated and in particular, the most important of all.