Dark, creepy, and sublimely intriguing, this 1980s throwback will remind you of many a vintage-era sci-fi/horror movie, in the most pleasant way imaginable. The cast is clad in dated '80s wear, walls are wood-paneled, phones are firmly attached to cords, and kids are free enough to race around on their bicycles, looking for clues. Violence and gore are low, but atmosphere and spookiness are high with characters of kid-age to relate to, someone to root for.

The appeal of Stranger Things has always been its lack of grandiosity or pretension, its disdain of mock gravitas. The show just wants to scare and charm us, to indulge our love of science-fiction and horror tropes and to perfect the pop-cult simulacrum of 1980s Midwestern America. It’s a show that charmed us with the spunkiness of the middle school-age heroes, who are ready, willing, and able to save the day when the adults in their lives are stymied. What are your thoughts on Stranger Things? Are you excited for Season 4 approaching?