Aimee Was Watching: Stranger Things

Hello everyone,
Before I begin rambling, I should mention that this post is sponsored by a long weekend of binge watching, crying and stuffing my face with Pringles!
For those of you who have been living under a rock this summer, I'm about to delve into why Stranger Things, a Netflix original series, is one of the greatest shows in recent years. Seriously. You've probably seen people Tweeting about it, talking about it and hyping about it all over the internet, so I'm sorry-not-sorry to be adding fuel to the fire of this show's popularity.
Before I jump into the narrative and any potential spoilers, I want to list five things that make this show just so damn great:

source photo: https://prophecysixgogam.com/

1. The soundtrack.I am a sucker for all things Joy Division and Dolly Parton and the soundtrack for Stranger Things is the pulse of it's nostalgic body. From the opening music sequence to the continued playing of The Clash's 'Should I Stay or Should I go,' the soundtrack is pretty much perfect.
2. Winona Ryder. That's right, Wino Forever is truly in form. Winona is my favourite actress, her entire filmography is sewn into my skin, and she is just so fitting for this series. She plays Joyce Byers, the perceived to be 'unstable' mother of Jonathan 'brooding and dark' Byers and Will. Given the time this series is set, Winona truly fits into the cast, being the queen of late 80's early 90's entertainment.
3. The cast. Leading on from Winona, I have to say this is one of the best casts I have seen in recent TV series.  There's not one person I find isn't necessary to the plot and all of the kids seem to be just so close and lovely off set as they are on. Even the creepy old 'papa' has my backing for being so damn creepy.
4. The costuming. I mean it's pretty inevitable I'd say this given the 80's are my dream to be a teen decade. I LOVE EVERYTHING. From Eleven's pink dress, to Barbara's trousers and Nancy's sweaters. I want to own every piece of clothing. This is my call for a Hot TopicXStranger Things range. (Seriously).
5. The ode to cult Sci Fi. So that was a bit poetic for me but this series really does do justice for the cult of Science Fiction. It captures the aesthetic of Explorers and The Twilight Zone movie, and without a doubt draws inspiration from Stephen King, with Eleven's comparisons to Carrie.

Now that I've summarised those points, let's talk more in depth about the series. Firstly, what is it about? Well, I don't know about you, but before I got dragged into The Upside Down in this series, all I knew was that it's about a bunch of kids and something creepy, which is a pretty good summary. The protagonists, bar Winona's Joyce, the Chief and the creepy old dude as aforementioned, are the children, Michael, Dustin, Lucas, Will and my queen, Eleven. All of the children anchor the narrative, they are strong in their roles and deliver exceptional displays of what it is to be a friend to someone. For a programme that relies on a fairly young cast, the narrative is far from childish, and there were moments, particularly linked to Eleven's past, that left me choked up and all out bawling like a new-born.
As I've mentioned, the show is set in the 80's, 1983 to be precise, in the small suburb of Hawkins, Indiana. Now, I am a little biased because I love everything 80's from Heathers, to The Lost Boys, to Stand by Me and every Brat Pack movie amongst others. For some, this might be jolting and their might be a concern of feeling disconnected from a series set when a lot of us weren't even born. However, this series, amongst all the creepy going on's, is fairly relatable. From clique's and pressures in friendship groups, to falling out with pal's, feeling a strain between parent's and being the outsider, there are issues still apparent in our modern world.
It's actually refreshing for me as a viewer to be catapulted from Mr Robot, which is so invested in the technology we use today, to this show that has landlines and vintage film cameras. I've decided not to mention any spoilers, apart from that Eleven is so SMOL and the kids are super amazing at keeping the show moving along as strongly as it does. I'm also definitely not promoting torrenting the series, but if you don't have access to Netflix than maybe, just maybe, you might find a way to watch it (insert me winking to the camera The Office U.S style)! Please, please, please, if there is one thing you do, before heading off to uni, or one way of procrastinating, promise me that you will watch Stranger Things. Friends don't lie!
If you have watched Stranger Things then please message me a thousand messages explaining your love for Eleven, theories you have and support me as I enter the dimension between now and Series 2.
Thank you for reading, as always,
love,
Aimee :) x