Lights flash and alarms blare as a man in a lab coat sprints down a hallway. He gets to an elevator and frantically pushes a button. He seems slightly relieved as the doors start to close, but then he hears a loud growling sound. The camera cuts to a different angle to see the look of horror on his face before he is yanked up and out of frame. This is one of the many suspenseful scenes you will see in the popular and binge-worthy Netflix original, Stranger Things.

Set in the small town of Hawkins, Indiana, in the 1980s, the show begins with an intriguing mystery. The disappearance of a young boy named Will Byers. The first season centers around Will’s friends, family, and local police searching for him. At first, the main conflict is just Will’s disappearance, but as the episodes go on, a deeper and much more sinister mystery is uncovered.

Part of the appeal of the show is its likable characters. The main cast is a group of friends ranging from fantasy-loving Will Byers (Noah Schnapp), Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard), Lucas Sinclair (Caleb McLaughlin), and Dustin Henderson (Gaten Matarazzo), to their telekinetic pal and fan-favorite, Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown). While that is the main cast, there are also other important characters, such as the town sheriff, Jim Hopper (David Harbour), Will’s mother Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder), and older teenagers such as Mike’s sister, Nancy Wheeler (Natalia Dyer), and Will’s brother, Jonathan Byers (Charlie Heaton). All these people have essential roles in the show, and each has their own unique personality that fans grow to love.

So far, there are three seasons of the show, all written by brothers Matt and Ross Duffer. Each season is split into 8 or 9 hour-long episodes, giving the show an engaging movie-like feel when binge-watching. The seasons each have a similar format, following the main group of teenage friends and their adventures fighting the creatures that lurk around Hawkins. Throughout the three seasons, their relationships grow stronger, and some new characters are added to the mix. 

All seasons have gone over well enough with its audience, according to IMDb, the show has won 61 awards and has been nominated for 175. But some seasons are better than others. Season one is great and has a story arc that will leave you with the perfect mix of satisfaction and anticipation with its finale. Season two is more complex but has some underdeveloped characters as well as a standalone episode that doesn’t fit in well with the plot. However, season three fixes those mistakes. It develops the characters that were new last season and has a more stable plot.

Overall the show is very engaging and will constantly have you on the edge of your seat. I would recommend it to viewers of all ages; just make sure you can handle lots of suspense and occasional gory special effects and jumpscares. If you enjoy sci-fi and horror genres (and a touch of coming-of-age themes), you will love Stranger Things.