Everything you need to know about Stranger Things
Stranger Things follows the lives of a group of pre-teen friends in the 1980s as they navigate life and an end-of-the-world threat.
Based in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, the series starts with the disappearance of 10-year-old Will Byers. With his frantic mother looking for answers and an alcoholic detective leading the case, it’s up to his friends to find out what truly went wrong.
On their investigation, they discover a young girl named Elle, who displays mystical powers, lost and alone in the woods. Befriending and keeping guard of her, soon the group find themselves facing a supernatural world they never knew existed.
Soon, they are fighting for the lives of not just themselves and their loved ones, but for the fate of the entire world as an alternative dimension threatens to rip through into their reality.
Launching in July 2016, Stranger Things became an international phenomenon, sparking a revival of 80s nostalgia as the show moved through the decade.
Who stars in Stranger Things?
The main cast of Stranger Things consists of:
- Millie Bobby Brown (Damsel, Enola Holmes) as Eleven ‘Elle’ Hopper
- Finn Wolfhard (Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, IT) as Mike Wheeler
- Noah Schnapp (The Tutor, Hubie Halloween) as Will Byers
- Gaten Matarazzo (Honor Society, Les Miserables on Broadway) as Dustin Henderson
- Caleb McLaughlin (Ultra City Smiths, The Book of Clarence) as Lucas Sinclair
- Sadie Sink (The Whale, Fear Street: Part 2) as Max Mayfield
- David Harbour (Hellboy, Black Widow) as Jim Hopper
- Winona Ryder (Edward Scissorhands, Girl: Interrupted) as Joyce Byers
- Natalia Dyer (Yes God Yes, Based on a True Story) as Nancy Wheeler
- Charlie Heaton (The New Mutants, The Souvenir Part II) as Jonathan Byers
- Joe Keery (Free Guy, Spree) as Steve Harrington
- Cara Buono (The Sopranos, Mad Men) as Karen Wheeler
- Priah Ferguson (Glitter Ain’t Gold, Atlanta) as Erica Sinclair
- Maya Hawke (Do Revenge, Asteroid City) as Robin Buckley
- Dacre Montgomery (Elvis, The Broken Hearts Gallery) as Billy Hargrove
- Joseph Quinn (Dickensian, A Quiet Place: Day One) as Eddie Munson
What is the age rating of Stranger Things?
The official rating of Stranger Things in the UK, as certified by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), is 15 for the overall series.
This means the series is not considered suitable for children, with young adult audiences and above considered appropriate.
Reasons for this rating include the show containing:
- Depictions of dead bodies
- Graphic creative kills (mostly caused by a monster) - including limbs snapping, strangulation, and melting
- No nudity, but some scenes of undress
- Implications of sexual activity
- Extreme violence towards children and teenagers
- Scenes featuring graphic blood and gore - at times extreme - often resulting in death
- Graphic scenes of peril and dire situations used to suspenseful effect
- Profane language including use of homophobic and racist words
- Use of recreational drugs and implied use of harder drugs
- Emotionally intense scenes
- Deliberately frightening scenes including jumpscares and terror
- Scenes some may find distressing
Will there be a Stranger Things season 5?
Yes. Stranger Things will return for a fifth - and final - season.
Creators The Duffer Brothers confirmed the news themselves in an open letter to the fans in February 2022, ahead of season four’s release.
The letter, which confirmed season four would be split into two parts, and that it would be the “beginning of the end” of the show.
They wrote:
“Seven years ago, we planned out the complete story arc for Stranger Things. At the time, we predicted the story would last four to five seasons. It proved too large to tell in four but – as you’ll soon see for yourselves – we are now hurtling toward our finale. Season four will be the penultimate season; season five will be the last.
“There are still many more exciting stories to tell within the world of Stranger Things; new mysteries, new adventures, new unexpected heroes. But first we hope that you stay with us as we finish this tale of a powerful girl named Eleven and her brave friends, of a broken police chief and a ferocious mom, of a small town called Hawkins and an alternate dimension known only as the Upside Down.
“As always, we are grateful for your patience and support.”
Filming was scheduled to commence in 2023, but shortly after filming started, it was shut down due to the strikes of the Writer’s Guild of America and then the Screen Actors Guild.
At the time of writing (July 2024), filming is finally underway, with an expected release date of some time in 2025.
How to watch Stranger Things on Sky
Stranger Things is a Netflix series – and luckily for Sky customers, access to Netflix shows come at no extra cost if you have a TV and Broadband package.
You can find out more about the packages – which start at just £26 – by clicking here.
If you’ve already got Netflix, you can connect your two accounts together to save yourself some money.
You can find out how to activate your Netflix account to your Sky Stream account here.
