Binged Volume 2 of ‘Stranger Things’ Season 4 in Record Time? Here Are 12 Similar Shows
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If you, too, feel personally victimized by the fact that you couldn’t help but binge the latest episodes of Stranger Things in record time, then join the club. Luckily, we know for a fact that the show is coming back for a fifth season, so let’s not mourn the series’ penultimate ending juuust yet. But if you’re still feeling all ???!!!?!?!?! after finishing volume 2 and simply must focus your energy on other things (because same), here’s a list of 12 shows that have a similar feel to Stranger Things to tide you over.
Some of these TV shows are perfect for revisiting that distinct ’80s nostalgia, while some are just plain old spooky. Alternatively, others tap into the sci-fi horror genre that made us fall in love with Stranger Things in the first place. Regardless of which you choose, one thing’s for sure: You’re bound to fall in love with these characters as much as the Hawkins bunch.
The Society
Picture this: Netflix makes a show about the entire 13 Reasons Why crew being trapped in a ghost town without any adult supervision. That’s basically the premise of The Society. Based on Lord of the Flies, the series follows privileged teens in West Ham, Connecticut (not a real place, we googled), who, upon returning home from an extended camping trip, find themselves trapped in their town without parents and surrounded by miles of uncharted forest that suddenly appear out of nowhere. Isolated, the teens essentially have to create a society (hence the name, LOL) from the ground up and learn to take care of each other while also finding out just WTF happened to the adults.
Twin Peaks
Don’t let the fact that Twin Peaks was actually shot in the ’90s and not just set in the ’90s fool you—it truly is a cult classic to this day. Developed by Mark Frost and David Lynch, the show follows FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper and the local sheriff, Harry S. Truman, in the eerie town of Twin Peaks, where they start investigating the murder of a local girl. The original television series premiered in 1990 and was canceled just a year later in 1991, but after a 25-year hiatus, the show’s creators revived the show in 2017 for a third season. Our suggestion? Start from the beginning for optimal creepy vibes.
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Locke & Key
After a family’s patriarch is murdered, his widow decides to take her three kids and move to their family home, Keyhouse, in Matheson, Massachusetts. It doesn’t take long before the children discover mysterious keys lying around the house that unlock the doors to fantastical adventures. Buuut with great power comes great responsibility, as Uncle Ben would say, and the children have to not only solve the mystery of the keys but also reckon with the demon who wants them. Adapted from Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez’s comic book series of the same name, Locke & Key is definitely one to watch.
Riverdale
Set in the fictional town of Riverdale, the show follows a group of teenagers who initially set out to investigate the murder of Jason Blossom. We won’t spoil much for you, but what we *can* say is that the show currently has six seasons (with the final one set to air in early 2023) and is one of Netflix’s biggest successes to date. Plus, there are supernatural monsters galore, like the Gargoyle King, who is basically the show’s own comic book version of a Demogorgon. TL;DR: You’re sure to get your spooky fix with this one.
The Leftovers
What happens when 140 million people disappear without a trace? That’s what the residents of Mapleton, New York, try to figure out after “the Sudden Departure” essentially causes 2 percent of the world’s population to vanish into thin air. Curious? We don’t blame you. With all the twists and turns that make Stranger Things beyond amazing—and an all-star cast to boot (Justin Theroux, Liv Tyler, Margaret Qualley, and Regina King?!?!)—this one is definitely worth adding to the queue.
Sense8
Sense8 revolves around eight strangers worldwide—think: London, Chicago, San Francisco, Nairobi, Mexico City, Mumbai, Berlin, and Seoul—who become mentally and emotionally linked, seemingly out of nowhere. And because it only makes sense (sorry for the pun, LOL), they have to band together to figure out just why after a mysterious organization tries to track them down. While it’s a science fiction series at its core, the show beautifully explores identity, gender, and sexuality. If its implied goal was to simulate a kind of global understanding through the characters’ own relationships, they truly did a *chef’s kiss* job.
American Horror Story: 1984
The American Horror Story anthology series recently debuted its latest installment, which is sure to satiate your Stranger Things cravings. It tells the story of a group of teens who are enlisted as counselors at the newly reopened Camp Redwood. However, things quickly take a turn when we find out that not only is the camp known for an infamous massacre—which culls major inspo from the real-life serial killings perpetrated by Richard Ramirez, aka “the Night Stalker”—but it also has a decades-old curse that makes it impossible for visitors to die…or leave, for that matter. The multidimensional plot and chilling vibes will give you a taste of the Upside Down in rural California.
The Haunting of Hill House
If the name of the show sounds familiar, that’s because it’s based on the 1959 gothic novel by Shirley Jackson about, well, a family living in a haunted house. Except in Netflix’s more contemporary take, Hugh and Olivia Crain (a mom and dad house-flipping duo) temporarily move into an initially unassuming home until they can sell it for a profit. Although the couple hopes that the extra $$$ will allow them to build their “forever house,” they’re swiftly proven wrong. Bouncing between present day—where the semi-estranged Crain family patriarch and siblings are brought back together following the youngest sister’s suicide—and flashbacks to the Crain siblings as children in Hill House just before their mother’s own mysterious death, the series is bound to become a favorite. Come for the home reno fix, stay for the mega-creepy storyline.
I Am Not Okay With This
If you couldn’t help but fall for Millie Bobby Brown’s character Eleven on Stranger Things, the lead protagonist in I Am Not Okay With This is sure to strike a chord. A coming-of-age dark comedy, this Netflix original series is a more lighthearted take on the story of a teenage girl who develops telekinetic powers. While coming to terms with her newfound abilities, she’s also navigating the complexities of other v important realities in her life: high school and her father’s recent suicide. Consider it the ultimate deep dive into the experiences of growing up (with a supernatural twist, ofc).
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Paradise (Paraíso)
Netflix has had no shortage of knockout international shows (does Money Heist ring a bell?), so it’s no surprise that it’s managed to create an international spin on a teen sci-fi plot. Paradise follows a group of kids living in the fictional Valencian coastal town of Almanzora de la Vega in the ’90s. However, when three 15-year-old girls mysteriously disappear from a nightclub, one of the girls’ younger brothers, Javi, teams up with his two best friends, Quino and Álvaro, and the school bully to find them. The crew is soon given a run for its money when they find out that the girls were taken by something, well, let’s just say, not of this world.
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Silverpoint
This CBBC series just came out, but it’s already making waves because the plot itself borrows Stranger Things’ teen investigator trope and transplants it to a summer camp. In the show, a boy sets out to find what happened 23 years after a group of four kids vanished into the woods without a trace. And although the element of paranormal phenomenons is definitely touched on, Silverpoint’s general vibe is a tad lighter than Stranger Things’, so consider it the perfect sweet spot if youalso have trouble sleeping sometimes after watching all the Vecna scenes, LOL.
Gravity Falls
This hit series premiered more than 10 years ago, but it truly remains unmatched when it comes to the story of a small town where nothing ever seems to happen actually hiding massive secrets—a theme that is also obviously so central to Stranger Things. The series follows the adventures of Dipper Pines and his twin sister, Mabel, both of whom are sent to spend the summer with their great-uncle Stan in the town of Gravity Falls, Oregon. However, their trip ends up filled to the brim with paranormal incidents and supernatural creatures that shake things up in the best way possible.
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