Stranger Things

An intriguing show that made me think of Silent Hill, X-Files, Twin Peaks, It, The Thing, and E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial. It’s a great series with a retro vibe, with excellent David Harbour, and Winona Ryder who’s pushing a little too hard. As I’ve said before, I don't like kids in movies (with a few exceptions). They are usually there just to appeal to the viewer’s emotions. But this series, apart from its great theme, is mainly based on child actor performances that are admittedly awesome. Given that it’s such a well-crafted series, there are some annoying logic holes in the script, e.g. the "bad guys" go through a complicated process of trying to find out who is broadcasting or making phone calls and from where, they even shoot the man who gave food to Eleven, but the police chief who gets into the heart of the project is only taken home and gets a bug planted in his ceiling light – weird and perplexing. Despite these gripes, I think it's a great show and deserves 5 stars. (29.08.2016)

After the first season, I'm very happy. I've always liked great stories about kids’ groups, even though, paradoxically, I'm actually not a huge fan of child actors in film and on TV. However, the creators took it in the right direction, obviously inspired by Stephen King’s stories and E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial. They set up an atmosphere of subtle nervousness, escalating suspense and convincing action, which was right up my alley and I can't rate it other than five stars. (14.02.2018)

The pilot episode of the series set the right dark and mysterious atmosphere and generated a lot of questions without bothering me with a single answer. Right from the beginning, the difference in the casual performance of child actors and the overplayed Winona Ryder is striking; I assume she really, really wants an award... (13.02.2018)

The second episode slowly developed the story, which started so well in the previous part, and brought several very interesting moments. The characters encountered two types of power, one represented by Dr. Brenner and his "scientific" team, and the other presented to their friends by Eleven. And once again, someone disappears... (13.02.2018)

The plot of the third episode takes the path of various investigations. The sheriff, Mike's gang, and Nancy are all involved in these investigations, and it becomes apparent that at least one of them cannot bring a positive result. It's a pity that Winona Ryder plays Will's mother, as this character could have been one of the most interesting, but given the current situation, I always hope that the scene with her will quickly end. (13.02.2018)

The creators successfully managed to create a dark atmosphere combined with paranoia associated with secret government actions. They also heightened the tension, and the only disruptive element remained Winona Ryder's over-acting performance, as she really tries to attract attention to herself. She succeeds in doing so, as she already caught my attention in the first episode, but at least thanks to that, the acting abilities of the child actors and David Harbour can shine more. (13.02.2018)

In the fifth episode, the atmosphere thickened once again, with three groups independently investigating, each with their own goal (finding Will, the monster, government conspiracy). Although one would expect a decent plot chaos, the whole thing works excellently as a puzzle, slowly forming a clear picture. (14.02.2018)

The sixth episode strongly reminded me of King's stories with child heroes, and therefore I naturally liked it, as I can really enjoy "kingovky". Each group is still searching for their own goal, although it is quite clear that there will be a fusion and a final joint approach. Despite this predictability, it is full of action. (14.02.2018)

The expected connection of plot lines happened and all the heroes of the series started pulling together. If the previous episode reminded me of King's stories, the chase in the seventh episode evoked the movie E.T. The plot is clearly approaching the resolution and I can look forward to the final episode. (14.02.2018)

The final episode of the first season was very successful, with a superbly dark atmosphere that the creators have been able to maintain since the pilot episode. It combined intensified tension and excellent action once again. The creators answered most of the burning questions, although they did not hesitate to pose new ones, which we will have to wait for the next season to be answered. (14.02.2018)

Four stars after nine episodes is a decent score, but I was disappointed by Ellie's journey to her mother. The whole Episode 7 felt completely out of place. I wonder how the child actors' growing up will affect my rating of future seasons (I still haven’t gotten over Brandon Stark). I was otherwise very happy with this season, even though it failed to keep up the atmosphere I was used to in the first one. Despite my occasional nitpicking and the constantly overplaying Winona Ryder, I did enjoy Season 2 and look forward to the next one. (09.02.2018)

The first episode of the second season has maintained its atmosphere from the previous series, once again bringing back the 80s retro vibe. Right after the first shots, I instantly reminisced about the movie E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, and the old gang of characters definitely contributed to that. I consider this episode to be just a starting point, and I expect more action from the next ones, so I am preparing to give it five stars. (07.02.2018)

The second episode already put me in an old mood, the alternating of both worlds reminded me once again of how years ago I played Silent Hill on the PS1, that game had a very similar atmosphere, although it was a much bigger bloodbath. Winona Ryder is once again trying to convince herself that she is the biggest star of the series, while the others (especially the kids) play so casually that it's unbelievable. (08.02.2018)

In the third episode, I enjoyed myself even more than in the previous part, the atmosphere became a bit darker again and there was some tension added. It's true that I didn't really care much about the decaying crops situation, but Dustin and his gelatinous pet were quite funny. I'm curious when the plot will focus on both strange siblings, so I can learn something about their past. (08.02.2018)

Alright then, I'm getting a bit bored with Dart and Dustin, the combination of those two is starting to bore me a little, which is why I'm now more interested in Will. Once I was digging a trench for a water connection, my brother was helping me and it was about ten meters deep at eighty numbers of depth, so sorry, sheriff, but I really don't believe that trench of yours. You would look a bit different at the end. The atmosphere was great, but it mainly worked in Will's storyline. (08.02.2018)

The series is definitely among the better ones, but I am starting to dislike the unfinished details. The biggest logical flaw I found was in the tunnel, where the sheriff has to struggle through centimeters, while both of his rescuers advance behind him like a hot knife through butter, without any hidden traps affecting them. This passage somehow got out of control for the creators, so I only gave it a fourth star for its previous merits. (08.02.2018)

In the sixth episode, the creators stopped annoying me with various nonsense and really pumped up the plot. They managed to create a dark and intense atmosphere again, added action and properly heightened the tension, thanks to which the series took on the form I had hoped for. I was only disappointed by the explanation of Max's past, such triviality was not what I expected, I was hoping for something darker. (08.02.2018)

When I watched the seventh episode, I had the impression that it was a completely different series that I didn't enjoy too much. The "journey to find the sister" felt like a dead end, and if the creators only increased the number of episodes for this part compared to the first season, it was a mistake. Just fluff. (09.02.2018)

Despite the large number of predictable matters, I gave the eighth episode five stars because after the previous episode, it was a balm for the eyes. The creators killed off Bob, you bastards, just when he was becoming more and more popular with me. Sean Astin played that nice goofball with absolute mastery, and he should definitely start consulting Winona Ryder because I only have one nerve left, and it's already pretty worn out. (09.02.2018)

Luxurious ending of the second season. I had a great time during the ninth episode, the atmosphere was pleasantly chilling, the tension seeped through the entire episode, and there was also plenty of high-quality action. When I was watching the ball at the end, I couldn't shake the feeling that, for some reason, it reminded me of Carrie. The 80s decor probably resembled the 70s a lot. Excellent episode. (09.02.2018)