Stranger Things – Season 1: the Duffer Brothers’ series wear the inspirations in their sleeves (starting from the beautiful poster art) and come out with a moody, entertaining result. The plot is what one would expect, but it brings some novelty in the nature of the monster. The main reason it’s so solid, however, is the lovely collection of misfit characters, all of them easy to relate and care about. In that sense, the casting was essential, with both Winona Ryder and David Harbour very effective in their roles; however, the kids (Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown, Gaten Matarazzo and Caleb McLaughlin) steal the show. Tim Ives and Tod Campbell’s camerawork (and lighting) add a lot to the spookiness; Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein’s electronic score works well, both as an homage to the time period and as a mood piece as well. The pre-existing soundtrack is likewise well-chosen.