Tag: Joe Keery

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TV & Streaming Reviews

Stranger Things 4

Netflix, 2022

Following the climactic events of Starcourt Mall, the gang of Hawkins natives who battled the forces of the Upside Down have scattered across the country (and in some cases, the world), content with the knowledge that the threat has been neutralised. When a new threat emerges and a series of mysterious murders rock the town, the remaining Hawkins’ kids band together to uncover the source. Meanwhile in California, Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) struggles to adapt to her new life away from Mike (Finn Wolfhard) as Joyce (Winona Ryder) uncovers a series of strange messages that could point to the location of a miraculously alive Hopper (David Harbour).

Rating: 9 out of 10.

Starring: Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Sadie Sink, Noah Schnapp, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin & Jamie Campbell Bower

Watch it now on Netflix

Netflix, 2022

Who would have thought that the Duffer Brothers humble little 80’s sci-fi homage would have turned into what Stranger Things is today: a totemic pillar of Netflix’s slate and a juggernaut of a show rivalling hits of recent years like Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad in its wild popularity. Season 4 is the best yet, bursting at the seams in its jumbo-sized penultimate adventure; the most mature the show has been and, despite its wealth of characters and plot lines, the most narratively focused since young Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) first took that unfortunate trip to the Upside Down.

Like Season 3 before it, many years have passed since we last saw the kids from Hawkins, and the opening few episodes quickly establish that beyond their physical appearance, the show has matured with them to tackle larger issues. The threat of the Upside Down has never felt as monumental as it does here. Key culprit to that is Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower), who essentially functions as the franchise’s Voldemort and leader of all the Demogorgons and other Upside Down nasties that have plagued our heroes since the very beginning.

Netflix, 2022

Apart from retroactively focusing the diverse cast of, mostly, one note villains in previous instalments, Vecna acts as a nice bridging point between two of the longest running mysteries the show has told: the Upside Down and the mysteries of the facility run by Dr Brenner – ‘Papa’ (Matthew Modine). Answers to both fly thick and fast (no spoilers here), leaving plenty of room to expand in the upcoming final season. It’s smart storytelling that goes beyond the simple pleasures of Vecna’s obvious similarities to one 80’s horror icon Freddy Krueger (including a cameo from Freddy himself, Robert Englund). Stalking his victims in a dream-like fugue state, Vecna torments the children he kills, following them through eerie visions of past traumas and a mysterious dilapidated house. These sequences are unabashedly pulled straight out of a Nightmare on Elm Street film and are all the better for it, with some of the most intense violence the series has ventured into and an excellently eerie soundtrack to the horror.

Whilst Vecna acts as a bridge between the Hawkins and California storylines, the mystery of Hopper feels strangely detached. Revealed in the Season 3 post-credits scene to be a prisoner in a Russian prison, David Harbour is at his finest in the character this time around, with an introspective, soul-bearing performance that really digs into the heart of the character and the trauma that he has overcome. These quieter moments help flesh out the emotional stakes while all the other excitement is going on in the States, but you can’t help but feel removed from the action during these scenes. The adult characters are confined to Russia for nearly the entire season, and whilst its always entertaining, it never feels essential; pulling us away from the far more investing goings-on with everyone else.

Netflix, 2022

Make no mistake, Hawkins is where the real meat of this season is. The mystery of Vecna is inexplicably tied to the town and, as usual, it falls on the motley crew of Steve (Joe Keery), Nancy (Natalia Dyer), Max (Sadie Sink), Robin (Maya Hawke), Dustin (Gaten Mattarazzo) and Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) to get to the bottom of it. This time they’re joined by newcomer Eddie Munsen (Joseph Quinn), a heavy metal, D&D playing nerd with a heart of gold who gets caught up in the murder of a fellow student.

Therein lies perhaps the Duffer Brothers greatest strength: in casting and presenting these new characters in such a way that they instantly become beloved fan favourites. Eddie quickly joins the ranks of Dacre Montgomery’s Billy and Sean Astin’s affable Bob through an endearing relationship with Dustin and Mike. He’s essentially a father figure to them, shepherding the gang through the ups and downs of high school with tough love and an unhinged glee. Quinn’s performance is a lot to begin with, but as the season progresses his rough exterior slowly softens to reveal a damaged teen desperate for some agency over his own life. His arc simmers in the background, rather than being a focal showpiece, until a rousing moment of pure badass heavy-metal awesomeness brings it home with emotional heft and a sense of pure, elating fun.

Netflix, 2022

Then there’s Eleven. Largely on her own for the series and forced to relive the traumas of her time spent in the care of Papa, Bobby Brown doesn’t necessarily bring much new to the character here (the script doesn’t exactly allow for it) but is so supremely confident in the role at this point that you know you are in good hands with her regardless of where the narrative goes. It’s nice to see the series round out the contributions of Matthew Modine and Paul Reiser, in a kind of “Magneto and Professor X working together again” situation that adds to the gigantic scope the series is going for; this could very well be the end of Hawkins, and everyone needs to unite to save it.

When these disparate strands come together and the full scope of Stranger Things 4 emerges is when the show truly reveals itself at the top of its game. The conflict has never felt more personal to the inhabitants of Hawkins; they’ve taken big, impactful losses that will surely linger on the show going forward, and it all unites to create a season that feels essential, as if everything that came before was building up to this moment. Sure there’s the usual overabundance of characters that the show can’t possibly give enough time to and the Duffers play with our emotions a little too much (kill Steve and we riot), but as a whole, Season 4 of Stranger Things is the most entertaining, emotional and most importantly rewarding so far. This is event television done right: big, bold and willing to swing for the fences.

9 / 10

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TV & Streaming Reviews

Stranger Things – Season 3

Netflix, 2019

Television’s pop culture icon Stranger Things has just launched its third chapter into the world – to understandably high expectations – following the brilliant sci-fi adventures of season one and season two. We’ve followed our favourite characters through all the drama that’s come their way, and so we were all eagerly awaiting what the next instalment would bring to the table. Stranger Things Season Three succeeds in giving us all that we’ve come to love and expect from the series: brilliant interactions between its many characters, flashy 80’s nostalgia, horrifying demons and unapologetic nerdiness. Despite this however, the latest season doesn’t quite meet the impossibly high mark set by its predecessors, due mainly to some broad narrative decisions and a complicated plot that results in quite possibly the strangest season yet.

Note: While we don’t delve too deep into the finer plot details, we will be discussing key characters and high-level developments. If you’re looking to go into the season completely unaware, make sure you watch it first before reading on.

First things first, season three is intense. With a much darker and horror-focused run of episodes than ever before, this season doesn’t hold back when it comes to violence and gore. While the series has a history of some pretty hostile encounters (such as the finale of season one or the Demodogs of Hawkins’ Lab in season two), expect to see much more blood, beatings and death throughout this one. Horror has always been a key aspect of Stranger Things – the previous seasons were filled with slow-burn, high tension scares – but this time around the horror is far more in-your-face. In keeping with the 80’s charm of films like Nightmare on Elm Street and The Terminator, you’ll find the scares delivered through some nasty looking monsters and relentless chase scenes that aim to keep you on the edge of your seat. This is a refreshing direction for the series as a whole to take, proving that the show is evolving and maturing along with its characters and time period. Our leads are no longer kids playing board games in the basement and we’ve watched as they’ve all grown despite the dangers of the Upside-Down, so it only makes sense that the villains have grown bigger and more sinister as a result.

Netflix, 2019

Speaking of growth, Stranger Things‘ fantastic young cast have come a long way since we last saw them. Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo), Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin), Will (Noah Schnapp), Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and Max (Sadie Sink) are all firmly in their teens now, and this brings with it a number of changes to the group’s dynamic. Mike and Eleven are continuing where they left off at the close of season two, with their relationship and its effect on those around them being a constant theme throughout the season. Both young actors turn in another set of great performances this time around, with Millie Bobby Brown again delivering another stand-out performance as the complex Eleven. Like Dustin and Steve (Joe Keery) last season, we get a great new pairing between Max and Eleven as the two girls form a strong duo in what was originally an all-boys club.

With even Dustin managing to (apparently) find love while away on summer camp, this all leaves Will feeling isolated and separated from the core group – even more than usual. Schnapp’s character has less of a central role here compared to prior seasons, however he still does great work in showing the audience just how far the group has come while simultaneously longing to gain back the time he’s lost to the Upside-Down. Season three goes hard on the aspect of growing up and moving on, so it makes sense that each of the kids begin forging their own paths – ultimately weakening the tight-knit brotherhood we’ve come to know and love in the process.

Our other Hawkins favourites have also been busy during the break, with some faring better than others. Joyce (Winona Ryder) continues to mourn her loss from the most recent Hawkins’ disaster, managing to keep her mind occupied by looking into some strange occurrences around town during the summer. Ryder is an absolute gem here as always, and is able to deliver some powerful scenes which really highlight her growth over the course of the show. While she does play the curious, conspiracy-theorising single mother well, her character spends a large portion of the season following some highly questionable breadcrumbs and jumping to conclusions that seem far-fetched, even by her standards. While this has been done to keep the plot moving and give her something to do, it’s hard not to notice that Joyce has very little stakes in the game this time around. Without any real motive or genuine urgency, her story arc can almost feel a bit watered-down at times.

Police Chief Hopper (David Harbour) is again along for Joyce’s ride, if only as an excuse to spend more time with his not-so-secret crush. Harbour reprises his role as the iron fist of Hawkins, playing him harder and more aggravated than usual this season, and he spends most of his time taking the law into his own hands and knocking some heads together. Even though he plays something of a brute for majority of the show, Hop does get a chance to show some raw emotion in the scenes he shares with Joyce and his adoptive daughter Eleven. It’s a good thing that both Harbour and Ryder continue to have such great chemistry, as their charm is what carries us through some of the more far-reaching sections of the plot.

Netflix, 2019

While his mother is off with Hopper, Jonathan (Charlie Heaton) begins interning at the town’s local newspaper – the Hawkins Post – alongside his now-official girlfriend Nancy Wheeler (Natalia Dyer). Dyer’s character struggles to make a good impression in the male dominated workplace, and this drives an interesting arc for her and Jonathan as they aim to break a big story that will put her critics in their place. It’s all well and good until their plot-line is completely tossed aside when something bigger comes along, and is never spoken of again.

Similarly, Nancy’s mother Karen (Cara Buono) is given much more to do at the start of the season than ever before, looking set to lift her character into a more prominent role alongside the other leading names. However her storyline is also left by the wayside before too long, and her very minimal appearances later in the season have her revert to the oblivious housewife she played in season one. While these characters are still fantastic and a joy to watch throughout, their individual story arcs highlight the general plot issues with this season. While the show has previously managed to organically link the narrative threads of its characters neatly in time for the finale, season three appears happy to cut ties with loose ends in order to hit certain story beats for the central and, quite frankly, farfetched plot-line.

Without spoiling too much, Stranger Things Season Three plays heavily on the 80’s hysteria of the threat of Russian invasion. The show attempts to shake things up by moving away from the usual US government conspiracies, however in doing so it loses much of its plausibility and logic. Whilst a fictional sci-fi adventure riddled with psychic powers, alternate dimensions and nightmarish monsters doesn’t exactly scream believability, Stranger Things has always been grounded when it came to actually delivering these stories. However the Russian angle is never really explained at all, and what the audience is expected to believe has been done by the foreigners in the space of a year is pretty outrageous.

Thankfully the majority of scenes on this side of the plot are carried by the brilliant ongoing pairing of Dustin and Steve, along with a couple of new companions. Steve has recently started working in an ice-cream store in Hawkins’ new Starcourt Mall, alongside former classmate Robin (Maya Hawke). Hawke is a great new addition to the cast, and she plays another strong, smart and layered character that has great chemistry with Keery and Matarazzo. Rounding out this group in season three is the left-field addition of Erica (Priah Ferguson), Lucas’ wildly outspoken younger sister who briefly appeared in previous seasons to spit fire on her brother and his friends. The young Ferguson is great in her role as the no-nonsense character who knows exactly what she wants, and the group of four are more than enough to keep each episode afloat – even when they’re dealing with what may just be the most bumbling and useless military unit we’ve ever seen.

Netflix, 2019

Rounding out the cast of season three is Dacre Montgomery, who returns as Max’s step-brother Billy Hargrove, easily receiving the most development of any of the show’s characters this year. Having relatively minimal screen-time, yet an important role in season two, he becomes centre to many of this season’s events and a person of interest for most of the cast. Montgomery does excellent work in bringing the conflicted Billy to life once again – especially when he’s conveying the fluctuating emotions and actions that his role demands. We’re shown quite a bit more of the troubled character’s motives through some haunting interactions with Eleven, as well as through his relationship with step-sister Max, which has been greatly expanded following season two.

It’s also around Billy that we see much of the show’s phenomenal special effects work and monster designs, with the growing budget and resources being put to good use here. The creatures on show look like modern day adaptations of the ugliest monstrosities from 1982’s The Thing, and the grand finale is just as flashy and explosive as we’ve all come to expect. In ending the season with such a bang – as well as with some reflective and touching closing moments – season three does come some way in redeeming its fairly average central plot, and it helps to remind us that Stranger Things is first and foremost about its brilliant characters, their complex relationships and the bonds that tie them all together.

The third instalment of Stranger Things is ultimately another wild ride with our favourite Hawkins characters, weaving a compelling sci-fi tale while revelling in 80’s nostalgia and monster movie madness. While areas of the plot certainly require some grand leaps of imagination and logic, the darker tone and ongoing relationships between the talented cast have made the Duffer Brother’s latest outing a success. It’s almost certain that we’ll see a fourth chapter in the Stranger Things story, and at this point all we can do is wait and see where the next one will take us. With an ensemble of characters larger than ever before and a willingness to take the series to dark new places, Stranger Things Season Three has proven that it’s not afraid to challenge our expectations – and that it’s still the toughest kid on the block.

Netflix, 2019

Stranger Things Season Three stars Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Noah Schnapp, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Dacre Montgomery, Joe Keery, Natalia Dyer and Charlie Heaton – streaming now on Netflix.

Categories
TV & Streaming Reviews

Stranger Things – Season 1

Netflix, 2016

Few could have imagined the worldwide pop-culture phenomenon Netflix’s original series Stranger Things turned out to be. The Duffer Brother’s unassuming Spielberg-like series set in the small town of Hawkins, Indiana struck a chord with viewers due to its endearing everyday characters, intriguing central mystery and retro 80’s setting and was one of the streaming giant’s first smash hits – a certifiable television event. Featuring an ensemble cast led by a career resurrecting performance from Winona Ryder, the show made household names of David Harbour and Millie Bobby Brown who have both gone on to feature in some of the biggest blockbusters in recent memory. So with the third season of the hit series set to arrive on Netflix soon, it’s time to return to the Upside-Down and talk about just what makes this series so great.

The series centres around four school friends living in Hawkins: Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo), Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) and Will (Noah Schnapp) – typical nerds, for the time, who spend their time in an AV club and playing Dungeons and Dragons. Hawkins is a town with a lot of history and connections, so when Will suddenly disappears the town is left reeling, none more so than Will’s mother Joyce (Winona Ryder) and brother Jonathan (Charlie Heaton), who team up with police chief Jim Hopper (David Harbour) to solve the case and get Will back. The ensuing search for Will creates more for the boys to contend with as they stumble upon Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), a mysterious girl with a shaved head and a unique set of abilities, who unwittingly involves them in a dangerous game with a shadowy government organisation who may or may not have something to do with Will’s disappearance. Meanwhile, Mike’s sister Nancy (Natalia Dyer) is dealing with a similar situation with the sudden disappearance of her friend Barb (Shannon Purser), compounded by the stress of a new relationship with the most 80’s named school jock ever, Steve Harrington (Joe Keery). All these character’s paths eventually converge on a collision course to the Upside-Down, a shadowy realm hidden within ours; a kind of parallel universe where Will finds himself being stalked by an evil creature, dubbed by his friends as the Demogorgon. With the government hot on their tails, the kids and their families must band together with the help of Eleven to rescue Will and save Hawkins from being opened up to the creatures of the Upside-Down.

Netflix, 2016

What makes Stranger Things so addictive and enjoyable to watch is the way every character and storyline is balanced. Each main storyline is so fleshed out that it’s almost impossible to not find something to like about a particular arc. Whether that be the intriguing Goonies-type interplay between the kids, the descent into madness that Joyce embarks on as she gets more and more desperate to find her son, or just some good old fashioned high-school drama with the Nancy/Steve/Jonathan love triangle. Whilst it may not seem like high school dating drama would have anything to do with the overarching plot of Will’s disappearance and Eleven’s powers, the show is developed so that every detail factors into this central mystery. Every character gets their moment to shine meaning audiences can invest in whoever they most relate to or find entertaining – they’ll surely be pleased by the payoff of that characters big moment. This broad appeal definitely helped the show become such a cross-cultural hit; despite its rating (the show isn’t technically for kids but we all know they watch), it manages to appeal to almost every major demographic.

Another, and perhaps the most recognisable, part of the charm of Stranger Things is the nostalgia. From the clothes and hairstyles to the classic rock soundtrack and synth-heavy score, the show oozes with early 80’s charm, another layer to the story that puts it in something of a bubble: a modern sci-fi horror story told through an old school lens. It comes as no surprise then, that in a show filled to the brim with retro film, music and pop culture references that the creators, the Duffer Bros have paid tribute to perhaps the greatest filmmaker of the decade: Steven Spielberg. The show pays homage to a number of the iconic filmmaker’s movies and combines them in a manner that feels familiar without beating you over the head with it. The connection Mike and to a lesser extent, his friends, develop towards Eleven is akin to Elliot and his siblings connection to the friendly alien in E.T. The Extra Terrestrial. Where ET was able to make bicycles fly, Eleven is capable of launching vans over bicycles as they ride by and murdering a room full of soldiers with her thoughts. Similarly, the lights hung by Joyce which act as an improvised ouija board to contact Will is a play on the musical tones used by the aliens in Close Encounters of the Third Kind to communicate with mankind. Where those tones signalled the aliens’ peaceful intentions however, the lights are used to a more sinister effect, a warning about the impending horrors to be unleashed on Hawkins. It’s these familiar beats that draw us in as viewers and the dark, killer twists on them that sink their hooks into us and capture our attention.

Netflix, 2016

Hooking the viewer in with nostalgia alone is not enough to make a cohesive show and the Duffer Bros have wisely recognised this on a narrative level as well as on the technical side of things. The series is shot wonderfully, the intimate moments captured up close and personal, with longer takes where necessary to give us the full effect of the actors performance. One shot in particular comes to mind of Joyce clutching the bundle of christmas lights which Will has contacted her through for the first time. The camera slowly pulls back from Ryder’s face buried in the lights as we see her sob silently and more of the house is revealed. It’s a subtle device that makes the audience feel like the scene is still moving whilst we are transfixed on Joyce; it’s not that we’re expecting some big event to happen and in fact nothing monumental to the story is happening at all, but it’s an important moment for the character of Joyce, one that really makes the audience empathetic and puts us on her side for the rest of the series. On the flip side, the action heavy scenes are handled in their own unique way; often relying on flickering lights or scenes shot at night to hide some of the pretty terrible visual effects on the Demogorgon. It’s a smart choice that, when combined with the eery synth laden music really adds to the atmosphere of the scene; tying in with the Upside-Down’s distinct visual style: a nightmarish mirror image of Hawkins in perpetual night, where frost and slime reminiscent of the Alien films covers everything.

The true strength of Stranger Things is in its cast and without this group of actors there is no doubt that the series would have been a different beast altogether. Everyone is pitch perfect, each playing something of an 80’s archetype with a twist; there’s the alcoholic police chief with a troubled past, the school jock suffering from an identity crisis, and the young girl with telekinetic powers who has spent her life locked up in a government facility forced to kill mice with her mind – ok maybe that last one isn’t your conventional 80’s character. Winona Ryder is the standout of the ensemble and the emotional heart of the show. Her drive to find her son and unshakeable belief that he is still alive provides some truly heart-wrenching scenes as her desperation increases. Ryder perfectly encapsulates the heartache and panic of a mother separated from her son; the scene in which she communicates with Will through a set of Christmas lights allows her to show a remarkable range as she cycles through desperation, overwhelming joy and sheer terror all within a few minutes. David Harbour shines as Chief Hopper, something of a slow burn of a character, who the audience unravels more and more each episode. Whilst he starts the series as an aggressive, somewhat jaded man who clearly has experienced some trauma, his connection to Joyce’s struggle begins to tear away at this hard exterior and allows for Harbour to deliver a very nuanced performance building towards an emotional breakdown in the final episode; in which Hopper’s backstory is revealed and the reason for his personal interest in Joyce’s situation is uncovered.

Netflix, 2016

Not to be outdone, the younger portion of the cast delivers stellar performances across the board. The trio of Mike, Dustin and Caleb in particular have a difficult task in that they represent the audiences introduction to this wider world of monsters and powers and are the only characters that really have a complete picture of everything going on. Wolfhard leads the charge here, given the most to work with in the sense of the overarching plot, his relationship with Eleven becomes key to empathising with both characters. The somewhat imbalanced parallel of Mike learning to talk to a girl whilst Eleven learns about life outside the government facility is played for laughs at times, but each is significant for the individual and the series perfectly captures the feeling of discovery and frustration children experience when change forces them to grow up. Matarazzo plays the somewhat stereotypical “funny kid”, given free reign over majority of the comedy and he absolutely excels, with a charm and comedic sensibility not often seen in child actors. Whilst not a major part of the plot, he has some quality moments and offers the respite of a laugh when the story around him gets a little too dark. Without a doubt the breakout star of the series is Millie Bobby Brown, following her terrific turn as Eleven. In what would be a difficult role for even the most competent adult actor, Brown is exceptional as the damaged young girl who must recover from her traumatic past and adapt to the world around her and learn what it means to really be a child. The slow progression of her character is fascinating to watch, with Brown often conveying complex emotions and discoveries with facial expressions alone.

Stranger Things is one of those series that comes along and leaves an indelible mark on television history; a true pop-culture phenomenon and a litmus test for just how high a Neftlix property can soar. The Duffer Bros have crafted a truly compelling mystery wrapped up in 80’s nostalgia filled with excellent characters and performances all working together to form something truly special that audiences around the world have swarmed to. With such critical and audience fanfare, we’re likely to see many more seasons of the hit show beyond the impending season 3, and I for one am willing to spend as much time in the Upside-Down as I can get.

Netflix, 2016

Stranger Things Season One stars Winona Ryder, Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Noah Schnapp, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Joe Keery, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton and David Harbour – streaming now on Netflix.