The 4 Best Movies To Watch Ahead Of ‘Stranger Things’ Season 5
We still have a few more tantalizing weeks before the release of Stranger Things’ fifth season, but it’s fair to say anticipation for the hit sci-fi series’ return is at an all-time high.
With three years having passed since Season 4’s debut on Netflix, longtime fans of the show have been fervently wondering what adventures might be in store for the residents of Hawkins, Indiana, all the while they prepare for their fateful final battle with the ruler of the Upside Down, Vecna.
As viewers count down the days until Stranger Things’ return on November 26, we decided to highlight several movies fans might want to check out in the interim, each of which bear a strong similarity to the Duffer Brothers’ award-winning sci-fi series in some way, shape, or form.
Super 8 (2011)
Since the series began in 2016, the Duffer Brothers haven’t exactly shied away from highlighting the influence early Steven Spielberg films have had on their work. Just as many of Spielberg’s earliest movies inspired much of Stranger Things’ story, so too does the director’s work hold an integral place in 2011’s Super 8. Bearing a striking resemblance to Stranger Things in its central story and main creative influences, Super 8 is a superb ‘70s-set thriller film that effortlessly blends science fiction with a light dose of horror.
Midnight Special (2016)
Similar to both Stranger Things and Super 8, Midnight Special acts as an atmospheric homage to the sci-fi genre of the 1970s and ‘80s, specifically channeling Steven Spielberg’s breakthrough films as its main narrative influence. Unfolding like a brilliant cross between E.T., Close Encounters, Starman, and Firestarter, it’s a rich, intelligent, delightfully ambiguous sci-fi drama film punctuated by a strong cast and a fascinating central story.
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
It’s certainly no secret that Stranger Things has been heading towards some increasingly dark territory with each new season, further building up the malevolent influence of the show’s main antagonist, Vecna. With that being said, it’s hard to think of a more fitting influence on Season 4 (and more than likely Season 5) than Wes Craven’s classic supernatural slasher, A Nightmare on Elm Street. With recurring references made to this fan-favorite horror film in almost every season of Stranger Things, A Nightmare on Elm Street remains an essential companion piece to the Duffer Brothers’ long-running sci-fi series, whether looking at the similarities Vecna shares with Freddy Krueger or Robert Englund’s surprise appearance as Victor Creel in Season 4.
It (2017)
Just as it’s impossible to fully sum up Steven Spielberg’s influence on Stranger Things, it’s difficult to emphasize just how important Stephen King’s novels have been on the series’ story, characters, and overarching tone. While there’s been plenty of references to certain iconic Stephen King stories over the course of Stranger Things, nowhere is the author’s bearing on the show more obvious than with his best-selling work on It. Like its original source material, 2017’s It adaptation serves as a chilling supernatural horror movie straight out of our deepest, darkest nightmares, complete with a demonic villain every bit as terrifying as Vecna (if not more so).
