PICK OF THE

STRANGER THINGS

NEW SERIES BEGINS

In the 1980s, there was a run of movies that were about children but not solely aimed at them – they weren’t childish films. E.T., Stand By Me and The Goonies are three examples, and Stranger Things has become a hit for Netflix by taking a similar approach. It’s even set in that decade, and weaves a heady story of smalltown children pulled into a big world of sinister experiments,

alternate dimensions and supernatural powers. For the viewer it’s a thrilling and occasionally terrifying ride packed with witty pop culture references, and which has the immersive feel of a book – episodes are even called ‘chapters’. This Friday brings the first nine chapters of the penultimate series, in which the friends are separated and navigating high school, just as another threat waits in the wings. The second half follows on 1 July.