PICK OF DIGITAL & ON DEMAND TV

STRANGER THINGS, NETFLIX

IN THE 1980s, there was a run of popular 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 small-town 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, which has the immersive feel of a book — episodes are even called ‘chapters’. Today, the first seven chapters of the penultimate series arrive on the streaming service, in which the friends — including Will and Erica (Noah Schnapp and Priah Ferguson, pictured) — are separated for the first time while attempting to navigate the challenges of high school, just as another frightening supernatural threat waits in the wings. The concluding double bill is set to follow on July 1.