It’s no secret that Stranger Things is basically a Steven Spielberg movie written by Stephen King circa 1983. The show borrows heavily from the classic American small town cinema of the '80s, when blockbusters were still being told through everyday lives. J.J. Abrams did this in Super 8, although in typical J.J. Abrams fashion he managed to convey less meaning in a whole movie than Spielberg, his idol, could convey in a single shot.
Abrams complaints aside, Stranger Things is a mass of references both obvious and hidden. Below is a supercut that will immerse you in the visual language that the Duffer Brothers were working with to create their surprise hit show. You’ll see Alien, The Goonies, and a whole lot of E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial. Of course, we would be remiss not to mention Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Firestarter, and Carrie.
The Duffer Brothers have created a neat trick. It's a series with enough merit (some serious powerhouse performances from Winona Ryder and pretty much everyone else on screen) to stand on its own, but enough of a nod and wink to appeal to cinephiles of popular 1970s and '80s cinema. Watch below.
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