(spoiler free)
“Stranger Things” has that familiar feel of a 1980’s sci-fi throwback with the flavor and charm of a Steven Spielberg story.
I logged into Netflix, saw “Stranger Things” on the front page and thought I’d give the first episode a shot. And I’m glad I did. After watching the pilot, I look forward to gobbling the rest of the episodes up once I’ve set up my binge time.
At the center of the episode is the disappearance of a young boy and the emotional impact it has on his family, who, as expected, are desperate to find him. Winona Ryder does a wonderful job as the worried mother.
From how the episode is structured and plays out, the focus of much of the story will more than likely revolve around them—which I feel is a good thing because much of the charm resides here.
I won’t give anything away, but there are sci-fi elements involved which create a cocoon of mystery that weaves through the personal character developments.
There’s also a young girl who appears in the story and it’s clear she will have a significant impact on the plot. We don’t learn much about her in the first episode, though clues are offered. There’s something moving about her and we can’t help but feel empathetic toward her. Of course, that could change later.
However, it’s not all good. There’s a teenage love story between the sister of one of the boys and some guy at school. I don’t know how that will play out or if it will be important. But right now it feels like inserting the obligatory high-school love story that serves to break up the better moments of the story.
Netflix has so many good shows and it seems that “Stranger Things” will be another one added to their list.
