Stranger Things Narrative Analysis

A Netflix original series, boasting only eight episodes. Four child actors huddled around a ten-hour marathon of Dungeons & Dragons. A mother communicating with her lost son via Christmas lights, purchased on layaway. An unlikely friendship between the smart, pretty young woman and the resident weirdo. A supernatural, mysterious young girl with an affinity for Eggo waffles. It might not sound like it works, but it does. While this summer’s Ghostbusters revival became the new punchline to every science fiction joke, Stranger Things brought a fresh storyline to the tired genre of sequels and remakes, as well as a whole new fan demographic. In an industry that often overly romanticizes 80s nostalgia (see, the Star Wars reboot and way too much Full House), Stranger Things manages to capture the hokiness of cul-de-sacs, board games, and Nintendo, without being gratuitous about it. Stranger Things is set in the small town of Hawkins, Indiana, and it follows the story of Will Byers’ disappearance. Will’s family and friends soon discover that the twelve-year-old was not just kidnapped, but taken into another dimension - the Upside …show more content…
Audiences want to be kept on their toes and left puzzled and amused by what they do not know, and science fiction fans in particular seek out universal truths in extraordinary circumstances. Stranger Things ends each episode, and the season, with a cliffhanger that leaves the viewers begging for the next installment. This is the perfect formula for a Netflix original series as it encourages binge watching. The length of the series is also a testament to its producerly qualities. Fans can experience the entire Stranger Things universe in one day; it becomes a sort of epic movie and strengthens its accessibility because the timeframe it takes to watch the show in makes it relatively manageable to