Is Stranger Things Scary? Parents Guide For The Hit Netflix Series
While Netflix has had plenty of hits since it began producing its own original content over a decade ago, "Stranger Things" is easily among the biggest shows that the streamer has ever created. Of course, that soaring popularity means that more kids than ever are being introduced to the franchise, which is something that some parents may not be quite ready for.
When it comes to mature-themed shows for your kids to watch, there are many out there that are a lot more risqué than "Stranger Things." That said, the series follows the experiments that are causing strange phenomena to occur in the town of Hawkins, Indiana, including a rift to another dimension and a young girl with psychic powers, so if your child is frightened of supernatural, creepy stories, this may not be for them.
Taking inspiration from "Stand By Me" and "The Goonies," the kids at the center of the story often do dangerous things like battling monsters, and they regularly swear, up to and including a couple of notorious four-letter words. On the other hand, despite having some sexual content, "Stranger Things" doesn't have a single scene of nudity across its four seasons, which means the main things you're going to be concerned about are the show's violence and scare factor. The series is heavily inspired by the works of Stephen King, though, and has clear tinges of horror from the opening moments. Still, it has only gotten darker as the characters have grown up with each passing season.
The show has upped the terror and blood over the years
There are regular horror elements like jump scares, gore, and death throughout the series, but they get particularly intense in Season 4. This season introduces Vecna, a Freddy Krueger-like creature who haunts the teens through their minds and uses their trauma as a way to open them up to his numerous violations, and all but one of his victims end up dying a brutal and violent death once their terror is over.
Other main and recurring characters die throughout the series, and again, it's generally in pretty awful and violent ways. There are also some strange and somewhat terrifying monsters that come from the dimensional rift, including some that are reminiscent of the xenomorph in "Alien" and the shape-shifting monster from "The Thing."
Characters regularly use firearms throughout the series, and it's standard to see teens drinking or doing drugs in "Stranger Things." Furthermore, the Netflix show contains many scenes of minors being experimented on and abused by government scientists, a factor that some youngsters may find triggering.
Considering how much "Stranger Things" wears its influences on its sleeve, however, the best indicator of whether your kids are ready for it comes from the above examples. If you would be okay with your kids watching the movies mentioned above, they should be able to handle the horror elements, violence, dirty language, and other more mature elements of the hit Netflix series as well.