STRANGER THINGS is great. I don’t think that’s a controversial statement, but at the same time, there are a lot of valid critiques against it (like most things). However, one of the most touted critiques is that “it’s not original”. Essentially that it’s nothing but a bunch of ’80s cliches, references, and archetypes, mushed together into hodgepodge that resembles an original idea. And on the surface that makes sense.
However, that’s not all it takes to be original – or good. The video embedded above talks about the concept of “intertextuality” and how it is utilized in STRANGER THINGS. The video argues that the pop-culture references serve more than just “hey, I remember that!”, and are actually interwoven into the themes (such as finding morality within the pop-culture the characters consume) and plot (such as how Will and Joyce watching POLTERGEIST helped her find a way to communicate with WIll).
There are way more examples, and if you’re iffy about that aspect of STRANGER THINGS (as I was when I first heard about it),
I’d suggest giving the video a chance. It might not change your mind…but then again, it just might.
Meanwhile, you can stream STRANGER THINGS 2 right now!
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