What to Do Now That Stranger Things Has Ended?
Now that Stranger Things has wrapped up, fans of the Netflix phenomenon are faced with some choices. You could rewatch Stranger Things from the very beginning, wait for the upcoming spin-offs in the universe created by Matt and Ross Duffer, or seek out other shows and movies with the same vibe to fill that Hawkins-shaped hole in your heart. If option three sounds like you, you’ll be glad to know there’s a treasure trove of possibilities. Over the past decade, the Duffer brothers drew inspiration from all sorts of works to bring their project to life, leaving plenty of cult classics for fans to discover.
The Spirit of the '80s—Alive in Stranger Things
The creators often described the concept of Stranger Things as
“an '80s movie broken up into episodes,”
so it only makes sense to look back at the original sources for more thrills and chills. The fingerprints of '80s legends like John Carpenter, Stephen King, and Steven Spielberg are clear—as much in the atmosphere and storytelling as in the characters. You can find echoes of Stranger Things’ characters and adventures in movies like E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Firestarter, A Nightmare on Elm Street, and even Poltergeist. But it’s one film in particular that stands out as the major influence: The Goonies.
The Goonies: The Original Adventure Squad
The Goonies is an adventure film directed by Richard Donner, based on a story by Steven Spielberg, and adapted for the screen by Chris Columbus. Released smack dab in the middle of the 1980s, The Goonies has become a benchmark in adventure cinema, bringing together many of the same elements found in Stranger Things. In this classic, a ragtag group of friends from a small American town stumble upon a treasure map that leads them on a quest for the lost pirate, One-Eyed Willy. Determined to stop a developer from turning their neighborhood into a golf course, these kids set off in search of the loot to save their little corner of the world.
Parallels Between The Goonies and Stranger Things
The similarities between The Goonies and Stranger Things go far beyond just tone and atmosphere. Both stories are told through the eyes of the kids living them, with powerful themes of love, friendship, and helping each other—values that also define the group of friends at the heart of Stranger Things: Mike, Will, Lucas, and Dustin. These kids share numerous traits with the Goonies’ own Mikey, Data, Mouth, and Chunk, and are joined by a trio of teenagers reluctantly roped into the treasure hunt by their younger sidekicks.
So, if you’re finding yourself missing Hawkins and the gang, don’t hesitate to set off on an adventure with The Goonies! Who knows—you might just discover that the best way to keep the Stranger Things spirit alive is to revisit the movie that started it all.
