DISCLAIMER: There will be spoilers...
Now, I know this topic is not something that everyone will agree with me on, but after being "consumed" by this mysterious, nostalgia-filled, 80s sci-fi thriller, I need to write about it.
1. The immensely creepy vibes.
I will admit. There is nothing that keeps me on the edge of my seat like a suspense-ridden storyline. Right from the start in Episode 1, with the scientist in the creepy hallway, we as viewers are welcomed to the series by an eerie, phantom of uneasiness that lurks in the atmosphere in the show and in the atmosphere around us. (For the record, I just want to disclose that I am never someone to get so immersed in a TV show, but there is the rare occurrence where this happens. "Lost"...What a show, am I right?)
This overriding premonition locks onto viewers and pulls them in kind of like this mysterious monster/alien/poltergeist and draws them into the universe of 80s suburban Indiana.
2. The fact that there are only eight episodes.
OK. We have all started a show on Netflix and despite how good it may be, the effect dies off after about 20 drawn out episodes; and that's just the first season.
To some, the small amount of episodes may seem like a budget shortage or a weak storyline, but as we see this is obviously wrong. Every episode is littered with small messages that mirror everyday life, an action-packed story, and an amazing array of emotion.
3. The nostalgia is on point.
Obviously it's not everyday that your best friend gets abducted in the woods and a random girl named "Eleven" shows up while you're out looking for your lost friend, but I can remember times when I was younger where my brother and I would go on "missions" and be detectives. Being able to let the viewer insert themselves into the story by relating it to their childhood is something that makes this show even cooler! Also, not to mention the similarities between "E.T." and "The X-Files".
4. The kick-a** acting.
Winona Ryder. Ryder's performance as "Joyce", a single mother of a child who mysteriously disappears, is simply amazing. I mean obviously I am not/never will be the single mother of a missing child so I won't understand what it is like, but Ryder tackles this role with a sense of despair and slight mental instability which ties everything together. Let's not forget the other extremely talented youngsters in the cast too!
5. The aesthetic is amazing.
From desolate and dark scenes in a top-secret government facility to a middle school full of lively children; this show has got it all. Setting this series in the 80s is the only way it could have been portrayed in this type of way. The "vintage" type aesthetic helps set up the fact that supernatural encounters have never really come up into the mainstream science news.
(These are just a few reasons I could think of since I'm only halfway through the series, but as it progresses I'm sure more will pop up!)
