By Lucia Vanderhorst – 11th Grade
If you’ve ever watched Stranger Things and thought, “Wait a second… that scene feels familiar”, you’re not wrong. The show is a love letter to the 1980s, recreating the visuals, story beats, and tone of that era that make you feel nostalgic even if you weren’t alive then. Creators Matt Duffer and Ross Duffer got inspiration from the movies, books, and pop culture of the 1980s to build Stranger Things as if someone pressed rewind in a time machine.
First off: the big influences. The show frequently references works by big names like Steven Spielberg and Stephen King. For instance, Spielberg’s E.T. the Extra‑Terrestrial is cited as one influence: kids on bikes against dusk skies, secret missions, the wide-open suburban setting. King’s books (monsters, weird labs, children in peril) also form part of the DNA.
One incredibly interesting thing is that Stranger Things doesn’t just drop random ‘80s references for fun; it builds its story and mood around those influences. For example, the whole group of kids in Hawkins, Indiana: their friendship, their adventure-quest vibe, their danger-lurking-just-out-of-sight are very reminiscent of movies like The Goonies. The show uses the visual palette (neon, wood-paneled basements, VHS tapes, old-school bikes) to legit feel 1980s even though it was made in this decade.
Let’s break down some of the specific influences:
- Adventure & wonder: Spielberg’s E.T. and Close Encounters of the Third Kind gave the show its feeling of “ordinary kid meets extraordinary event.” The Duffers said they asked themselves, “Could we do what Spielberg did in the ’80s and elevate it as he did?”
- Horror / supernatural: Movies like A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Thing, the works of John Carpenter, and even King novels like Firestarter show up in the references. The lab experiments, the alternate dimension (the Upside Down), monsters creeping in darkness—all of that.
- Teen drama / coming-of-age: Not everything is just monster scares. The show also taps into the teen angst and friendship stuff that you’d see in John Hughes movies (think Sixteen Candles, Pretty in Pink)—especially in the older-kid arcs.
Many critics note that the show mixes its influences together effectively. It doesn’t feel like a copy, but rather like a remix. The mix of the kids’ adventure, the science-and-monster elements, combined with a nostalgia bath is what makes Stranger Things feel fresh even though it’s clearly built out of older materials. For instance, one article says the show is “crammed full of almost identical camera shots from films such as E.T. and The Goonies,” yet “it makes old material feel new.”
Here’s a neat idea: when you watch the show, you’re doing two things at once. One part of your brain is enjoying the story and characters. The other part is ticking off references like “Oh hey — that’s just like that movie,” or “Whoa, that shot reminds me of this scene.” But the trick is that the first part (story) still works even if you don’t recognize any references. The show doesn’t force you to know all the nods. It just gives extra fun if you do.
Also, the design & sound matter. The synth music, analog-looking equipment, and the setting in a small town that feels “safe but weird”, all add up to the tone. One piece points out that the art of referencing doesn’t mean you just copy; you build on. Stranger Things uses these cues smartly to give you that “I’m watching an 80s supernatural adventure” feeling without feeling cheap.
But yeah, there is a catch: some people argue that if you recognise all the references then part of the fun is “going back and watching the originals” instead of the show. One review said the show is “too in love with its influences to transcend them.” Meaning: if you’re super aware of the references, sometimes the novelty of the nods becomes the experience instead of the story itself.
Critics generally agree that the show balances homage and original storytelling. Because even if you don’t spot every homage, the story is still emotional (kids, family, monsters) and suspenseful. And if you do spot them, it gives you this extra layer of “hey I get that” which is just fun.
In short: Stranger Things shows respect for the pop culture that came before it, but also uses it to tell its own story. It’s not just nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake. It’s like the Duffers said: instead of making a show about the ‘80s, they made one that feels like it could’ve been made then.
If you’re going to watch it (or re-watch it) now, a fun challenge is: “How many influences can I spot?” Did that scene with the alphabet lights remind you of Firestarter? Did the bike rides remind you of E.T.? Did a poster on the wall shout The Thing or Nightmare on Elm Street? Doing that adds to the enjoyment in a fun “geeky” way.
So yeah, for anyone who loves scary weird stuff, or friendships, or 80s aesthetics, Stranger Things is like a mash-up of all those with a good mystery and monster twist. It’s a show built on the shoulders of giants (Spielberg, King, Carpenter), but it stands on its own. And that’s pretty awesome.
Sources:
https://www.houstonpress.com/arts/10-sources-of-inspiration-for-stranger-things-8675200/
https://nofilmschool.com/stranger-things-inspired-by-80s-films
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