The Netflix original Stranger Things provides even us 90's and noughties babies who weren't around in the 80's a massive nostalgia trip. This captivating, 8 episode '80s-influenced sci-fi work of art is so binge-worthy most of us watched it within a day. What makes it so nostalgic for 80's kids and even the younger generation is the references of timeless films we most likely grew up watching as children. Here's the Duffer brother's best 5 references.
1. E.T - A young boy, Mike, befriends a strange girl, Eleven, found wandering aimlessly in the forest surrounding his house. Sounding familiar? Although Eleven isn't an alien, she wears a blonde wig to disguise herself and often wanders around Mike's house when no one is home. The 3 boys and Eleven are seen riding around on bikes with El always on the back of Mike's. The resemblance to E.T is uncanny and we thank the Duffer brother's for giving us a trip down memory lane with this childhood classic reference.
2. Stand By Me - A group of young friends riding around on bikes trying to solve the dark mystery of the 'upside down' and the disappearance of their friend, Will. They even replicate the classic scene where they walk along the train tracks which leaves us feeling very nostalgic thinking of the 1986 coming of age film. The main boys were even asked to audition by using a scene from Stand By Me and were also made to watch it to help them get in character.
3. Twin Peaks & Drive - Although this is not a film, Stranger Things shares a similar soundtrack to the 1990 David Lynch masterpiece. Stranger Things truly pays homage to the synth trend of the 80's, building up spine-chilling suspense by the use of eerie music, very much like Twin Peaks does. The theme song is also practically near enough the same as the Drive soundtrack and it's great to see synth-driven music back thanks to the likes of Drive and Twin Peaks.
4. Under The Skin - This 2013 film features the female protagonist Scarlett Johansson walking in an eerie black mirrored surface room similar to Eleven when she enters the featureless world as she uses her powers.
5. The Shining - It's clear that Stephen King was a great influence whilst the Duffer brother's were creating Stranger Things. Not only is the shows logo practically the same as Stephen King's name on the cover of his books, the similarity between Joyce Byers and Jack Torrance from The Shining is uncanny. A woman, unsure if she has actually lost her mind or not, tears apart her living room with an axe ... Need I say any more.