Duffer Brothers admit that Stranger Things references a lot of popular ’80s films, but they don’t think that’s the reason the Netflix series is so popular. 

If the show only worked because you felt nostalgic for the music you loved or the moment you saw in the film, it would not be working.” Matt DufferSubmitted The New York TimesYou could say, “Then yeah, it wouldn’t be working for a 10-year-old.”

Ross Duffer said that they pay tribute to iconic films but added that it’s more important to “figure out how to tell This“Storytelling is everything.

Duffer Brothers were criticized for their reliance on filmmakers such as director George Lucas. Steven Spielberg, with the New York TimesThe show was criticized early on as being “little more that ’80s Karaoke”. The article mentions one of Stranger ThingsThe biggest critics of the film SlateWriter Willa PaskinAccording to, the series misunderstands one key aspect of Spielberg’s works.

Mentor of the Duffers M. Night Shyamalan also thinks the brothers have a ways to go, saying, “I think their style is going to continue to evolve.”