Even if you have not watched the shot-in-Atlanta sci-fi supernatural drama, you’ve heard of it — “Stranger Things.” Even though it is one of the biggest Netflix phenomenons of the past two years, as of right now, we have no idea when season three will be released. Fans have either been rewatching the first two seasons, or seeking other things to watch until then. I’ve noticed that many of these lists I find online have the same movies and shows, so I’m going to tell you about some that you have probably not seen yet.
“Kimagure Orange Road”
“Kimagure Orange Road” is an anime from the late 1980s about a teen boy with supernatural powers who catches himself in a love triangle between two friends with completely different personalities. If “Stranger Things” was strictly about the older teenagers, I picture it being like this. I mainly recommend this show to the people who don’t care too much for the science fiction aspects of the show, but the human parts. “Kimagure Orange Road” is funny, dramatic, romantic, and an all around great show.
“Super 8”
“Super 8” has been a favorite of mine since I saw it on a summer camp field trip when I was 12. The film is about a group of teens in 1979 who encounter an alien while making a low budget zombie movie. This is the closest thing out there that resembles “Stranger Things” almost completely. It’s got nerdy middle schoolers with foul mouths, bad attitudes and riding bikes everywhere with a monster attacking a small town in the midwest. Give it a chance, and you may enjoy it.
“The Amazing World of Gumball”
You probably rolled your eyes at this one, but hear me out. “The Amazing World of Gumball” is one of those few shows that keeps getting better as the show continues to run. Just because it’s a children’s cartoon doesn’t mean it isn’t good. No one can tell what year this show takes place in because everything is out of style. They still have video rental stores, the mobile phones the characters use range from the gigantic 1980s cell phone to flip phones and smartphones. The setting even looks very out of date. It make you think of a small town from the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Something wild happens in every episode of the show, and since crazy things happen so much in the town, no one thinks anything of it. If you don’t know where to start with this show since there are over 200 episodes, I recommend “The Candidate,” “The Tape,” “The Potato,” “The Cringe,” “The Buddy,” “The Others,” and “The Drama.”
“It”
OK, everyone recommends the 2017 version of “It” if you’re into “Stranger Things,” but I couldn’t resist because I enjoyed it that much. Based on the horror novel written by Stephen King, “It” is the coming of age tale of a group of outcast middle schoolers who are being attacked by a monster who has been possessing the town they live in for centuries. The creators of “Stranger Things” took inspiration from Stephen King’s work to create the show, and this film an excellent way to see where they were coming from when creating the series.
The “Scream” film series
Many people who enjoy scary movies love “Stranger Things” for its horror aspects, so I recommend a series of films that took me by surprise. “Scream” is about a group of killers who stalk a teenage girl as she enters adulthood, murdering random people and her friends. The plot of the series sounds a bit dumb until you actually sit down and watch it. The “Scream” films are considered a classic for horror movie fans for its mystery, romance, drama, and gore. Sounds a bit like “Stranger Things,” doesn’t it?
