What is Stranger Things about?
Stranger Things is a Netflix science fiction horror series set in the 1980s in the small town of Hawkins, Indiana, where a group of kids face supernatural threats from a dark parallel world called the Upside Down.
Created by twins Matt and Ross Duffer, the show premiered in July 2016. It begins when 12-year-old Will Byers disappears. His friends Mike, Dustin and Lucas search for him and meet Eleven, a girl with psychic powers who has escaped from a secret government lab. Together they uncover monsters and experiments linked to the Upside Down.
The series is famous for its 1980s atmosphere, inspired by films from directors like Steven Spielberg and books by Stephen King. Its synth-heavy theme music, retro fashion and references to Dungeons & Dragons made it a pop culture hit. It also made stars of young actors such as Millie Bobby Brown.
The ending
The fifth and final season was released in three parts in late 2025, with the finale arriving on December 31, 2025. Season 4's use of Kate Bush's 1985 song Running Up That Hill sent it to the top of charts around the world, nearly 40 years after its release.
Did You Know?
The Duffer Brothers' original working title for the show was Montauk, and it was first set on Long Island, New York.