Since its premiere in 2016,Stranger Thingshas been a massive hit, drawing praise for its story, characters, and classic feeling. The Netflix series tells the story of Will Byers (Noah Schnapp), who disappears in his small town of Hawkins. His disappearance coincides with the arrival of Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), a young girl with psychokinetic powers who escaped from the Hawkins lab. The lab has been conducting human experiments, and has accidentally opened a portal to the Upside Down, an alternate dimension whose presence begins haunting the town. Wrapped up in everything are Will’s friends – Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo), and Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) – who attempt to solve the mystery of his disappearance.
Over four seasons, the story has developed to include more locations, more characters, and more threats, including a secret Russian lab under the mall and the arrival of Vecna in the latest season. The show is set tostart filming its fifth season soon,which will also be its last. While you impatiently wait for the final season, here are 20 movies and shows that feature similar stories, characters, or atmospheres. They all make great watches for the long wait.
20The OA (2016-2019)
The OAstars Brit Marling as Prairie, a young woman who reappears after being missing for seven years. Despite having been blind, she returns with the ability to see, and calls herself the OA, or Original Angel. She also has mysterious scars on her back, and won’t reveal what happened during her disappearance. Her role as the OA leads her on a mission; she tells her story to a group of teenagers and their teacher, drawing them into her hopes to rescue other missing people by opening an interdimensional portal. Adding to this are the challenges she faces from those who think she’s dangerous. It leans more into the fantasy realm, but still has enough mystery and sci-fi forStranger Thingsfans.
19I Am Not Okay With This (2020)
Though short-lived,I Am Not Okay With Thisis a quick, fun, and suspenseful watch, based on a graphic novel by Charles Forsman. It stars Sophia Lillis as Sydney, a teenager who begins to develop uncontrollable telekinetic powers after the strange death of her father, which her mother won’t talk about. In addition to her growing powers, she also has to deal with the issues of her family and her sexuality, as she crushes on her best friend Dina (Sofia Bryant). It’s a strong combination of supernatural elements with normal teenage drama, tied together with dark humor and great performances.
18Wednesday (2022-Present)
Wednesdaytells the story of the beloved member of the Addams Family, played by Jenna Ortega. After getting expelled from her public school, she attends Nevermore Academy, a school for monsters that is home to magic and mystery. While there, she gets wrapped into trouble with the students, the town locals, and a monster who has been wreaking havoc on both. When she also begins developing psychic abilities, she uses them to discover the monster’s identity, and who’s been controlling it. It was a massive hit upon its release, and combines elements of horror, mystery, and dark comedy. It’s perfect for fans of the Addams Family, but is equally enjoyable and accessible for those unfamiliar. Withseason two on the way, there’s plenty more to look forward to.
17Paper Girls (2022)
Based on the graphic novel series by Brian K. Vaughan,Paper Girlsis a 1988-set series that focuses on four young teenagers who deliver newspapers. While delivering papers after Halloween, the girls get caught up in a war between rival time-traveling groups from the future. They’re then thrown through time, where they encounter danger and the future versions of themselves. The interaction between the girls and their future selves is a great twist that brings many emotional moments. Through it all is the looming mention of the Quilkin Institute, further adding to the mystery of the show, and paying off with a big reveal. Its core friendship and 1980s vibes make it a great fit forStranger Thingsfans. While it unfortunately wasn’t renewed for a second season, it’s still a strong watch – and, if you’re a fan of graphic novels, you may finish the story with those.
16Teen Wolf (2011-2017)
Teen Wolfis set in the town of Beacon Falls, home to various supernatural creatures and activities. Scott (Tyler Posey) is a normal teenager whose life changes when he’s bitten by a werewolf. His transformation gives him new abilities that he uses to keep the town safe from other monsters. However, these powers also bring their own danger; there are threats from other creatures, Scott’s own violent urges, and his crush on the daughter of werewolf hunters. Though it brings big thrills and supernatural action, it also has some very emotional, human moments – like its many character deaths, or the important relationship between Scott and his friend Stiles (Dylan O’Brien).
Related:Teen Wolf: Most Emotional Moments, Ranked
15Dark (2017-2020)
Set in the town of Winden, Germany,Darkis a massive story encompassing generations of people over time. When local kids start disappearing, various secrets and connections among four different families in town are revealed. Beneath the personal and relationship dramas, there is also some sinister sci-fi action: everyone is tied together by a time travel conspiracy that covers several decades, as there is a time-warping wormhole hidden beneath the nuclear power plant. This sweeping story takes viewers to the past, present, and future, following the characters at different ages, and seeing how they all intersect. It’s a twisty, mind-bending sci-fi show that really makes you think about time, humanity, and existence.
14The Lost Boys (1987)
The Lost Boysfollows two brothers, Mike (Jason Patric) and Sam (Corey Haim), who move to the town of Santa Carla, California. This town has fallen prey to a group of young vampires, led by David (Kiefer Sutherland). When Mike is pulled under the vampires' spell, Sam must work with other boys in town to save his brother, and put an end to the vampires.The Lost Boys changedthe classic vampire and made it cool. It also features great ’80s fashion and music that create an unmistakable atmosphere. It’s considered one ofthe best vampire moviesby ScreenRant, but even if you’re not a vampire fan, there’s enough great visuals and action to enjoy.
The Monster Squadfeatures a similar set-up toThe Lost Boys, with a group of teenagers taking down various monsters. However,The Monster Squad’s monsters are re-imaginings of classic Universal monsters, like the Wolfman and Dracula. Dracula summons the monsters to obtain an amulet, which he wants to use to take over the world. The squad has to work together to get the amulet first, and use it to defeat the monsters. It’s a fun movie, made better by its great group of friends, and is perfect for fans of classic monsters.
12Twin Peaks (1990-1991; 2017)
Twin Peakshas many of the things that makeStranger Thingsmemorable, and presents them in a complex, adult show. It features the quirky small town of Twin Peaks, which is home to strange occurrences. The show kicks off with the murder of local teen Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee), which is investigated by federal agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan). What seems like a straightforward murder has layers of secrets, both normal and extraordinary. Along with the drama spread across its many characters, it also delves into the absurd and supernatural, with things like alternate realities. It remains an excellent puzzle that still captivates.
11It (2017)
The recent version ofItadapts Stephen King’s novel and tells the story of Derry, Maine, a town that falls prey to the monstrous Pennywise (Bill Skarsgård) every 27 years. In 1989, Bill (Jaeden Martell) is struggling after the death of his younger brother. He and his friends, who call themselves the Losers Club, are all haunted by various forms of Pennywise. With more and more deaths occurring, the Losers team up to defeat Pennywise. The Losers bring light moments in their humor, friendship, and romance; these are a great contrast to the horror Pennywise brings. It also has a strong sequel, where the adult Losers must return to Derry and finish what they started.
