Award Banner
Award Banner

Stranger Things Season 4 is its scariest, darkest, and best 1 yet

Stranger Things Season 4 is its scariest, darkest, and best 1 yet
PHOTO: Screengrab/YouTube/Stranger Things

Stranger than ever and absolutely terrifying.

After three years, the Duffer Brothers' critically-acclaimed tentpole series Stranger Things has finally returned for a fourth season. And what a triumphant return it is. 

Stranger Things Season 4 is darker, scarier, and bloodier than ever before, and it is shaping up to be the best season yet.

Set six months after the Battle of Starcourt where the gang defeated the Mind Flayer, the show reintroduces us to a Hawkins that is still grappling with the deep losses from the battle. Our familiar cast of heroes has also grown up and just started high school, which brings with it a new set of complexities, bullies, and teenage drama.

But to no one's surprise, the Upside Down isn't quite done with the sleepy town. A newly horrifying supernatural threat looms large, and it might just be the biggest challenge the gang has faced yet. To make matters worse, Eleven is still powerless, leaving Mike and his friends more vulnerable than ever.

Something is stalking the teenagers in Hawkins, and this time, it appears that no one is safe. And with Will, Eleven, and Joyce in California, everyone is split apart at a time when they need to be together.

Read Also
Black Mirror season 6 in the works at Netflix
entertainment
Black Mirror season 6 in the works at Netflix

While previous seasons of Stranger Things have always included an element of horror, Season 4 pulls out all the stops. From broken limbs contorted at unnatural angles to the cringe-inducing sound of bones breaking, Season 4 appears to borrow liberally from the bodily mutilation associated with Japanese films like Ring and Ju-On.

The feeling of dread hanging over Hawkins is palpable, and the show is unflinching in its depiction of the nightmarish visions that plague various characters. Earlier seasons were always tempered by a certain whimsical quality that made the show seem more fantasy and less horror, but there is no doubt that Season 4 is taking us deep into the latter's territory.

Alongside its characters, Stranger Things is growing up. There is a new somber maturity to be found, and the show feels fresh despite viewers having already spent three seasons with these characters as they battle all manner of hellspawn the Upside Down throws at them.

To switch up the pacing, Season 4 also follows three concurrent storylines. Dustin, Lucas, Steve, Nancy, and others in Hawkins, Will and his family in California, and Hopper in Russia. The scale of the show has vastly expanded, with our characters strewn across the USA and the globe.

From a show set in a sleepy 80s town, Stranger Things is now a bona fide blockbuster series that is more ambitious than ever. And while the show does not lack in terms of supernatural mysteries, its genius lies in how successfully it manages to turn every season into almost a standalone story.

While each season picks up from the last, this isn't one of those shows that constantly piles question upon question, leaving more and more unanswered mysteries at the end of every season. Season 4 benefits from the relatively tidy ending of Season 3, picking up with a clean slate and a brand new adversary.

Read Also
money
Disney's streaming growth counters Netflix dip, yet inflation looms

Season 4 has nine episodes in total. Only the first four were made available to the press, but the pacing so far has been spot-on. The writers do an excellent job of building up the tension and giving each storyline just the right amount of time in the spotlight.

The danger of having multiple storylines, even if they end up converging, is that some stories might interest viewers more than others. This isn't the case here at all. We are equally invested in everyone, and each branch in the story is as riveting as the next.

New characters like Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn), an eccentric who's the head of the Hawkins High official D&D club, and Dmitri (Tom Wlaschiha), a charming Russian prison guard, are also seamlessly integrated into the fabric of the show. Horror movie icon Robert Englund has his turn in the spotlight as well as Victor Creel, a nod to the latest season's roots in the macabre.

There are several noteworthy performances as well. Sadie Sink is a particular standout, perfectly portraying Max's struggle to come to terms with Billy's death in the previous season. Millie Bobby Brown is just as fantastic as ever on Eleven, a mix of brooding teenage angst and the awkwardness of someone who has practically lived in a laboratory their entire life.

Season 4 is looking like a success on multiple fronts, from the star performances of its cast to the terrifying CGI effects that show every dollar of the reported US$30 million (S$41 million) spent per episode. I was hooked from the very first episode, and I can't wait to see what other horrors the rest of the season brings.

Stranger Things Season 4 (Volume One) debuts on Netflix on May 27. Volume Two drops on July 1.

This article was first published in Hardware Zone.

homepage

trending

trending
    'Wow, an additional ang bao': Singaporeans weigh in on Budget 2025 announcements
    Singapore company sued by Novo Nordisk over $1.7b hypertension drug deal
    'You call that a performance?' Zhang Ziyi and Francis Ng left exasperated by acting reality show participants
    'Thank you for being part of our journey': Prata Wala announces closure, sole remaining franchised outlet to rebrand
    Keepsake by Ryo fails to deliver orders worth $19k, urges 'compassion' amid health issues
    10-year-old girl hurt by pebbles thrown from condo's 11th storey by toddler
    'I've to legally adopt my own daughter': Actress Shirli Ling shares little-known fact about kids born out of wedlock
    Toast Hut reopens at Bukit Merah, no kaya toast on menu 'till further notice'
    Large sinkhole appears in English village, forces evacuations
    Truck driver flees in hit-and-run involving 2 motorcyclists on SLE
    Sota students fall ill after eating food distributed at Total Defence exercise
    Blackpink announce world tour dates

Singapore

Singapore
    • 'Exceptional bravery': 4 primary school kids lauded for helping save worker with CPR during cardiac arrest
    • Cash and cash-equivalents most anticipated cost of living support measures for Budget 2025: AsiaOne survey
    • SCDF to hire foreigners to meet rising demand for emergency medical services
    • Scoot reintroduces card processing fees for flights from Singapore
    • Nearly 10 years' jail for payroll staff who stole $5.7m to fund lavish lifestyle, including $3.7m penthouse
    • Chee Soon Juan announces bid to contest Bukit Batok SMC, plans fundraising dinner
    • Daily roundup: Cat A COE premiums rise sharply in second bidding exercise for February 2025 — and other top stories today
    • LTA: Companies must keep private-hire cars for 3 years before selling to individuals
    • GE2025: Police aim to have 2 rally sites per GRC, 1 per SMC
    • Kranji recycling company catches fire again, third reported incident since 2018

Entertainment

Entertainment
    • 'I would be grateful if I'm still known at 40': Jackson Wang ponders life, fame, happiness
    • G-Dragon and Elton John to perform at Singapore F1 race
    • 5 new and upcoming shows to watch starring G-Dragon, Lee Dong-wook and Bai Jingting
    • Ex-Mediacorp actor Dai Xiangyu joins Chinese acting reality show, ignored by Francis Ng
    • Lady Gaga confirms Telephone sequel on the way
    • Director Bong Joon-ho 'proud' of South Koreans overcoming martial law bid
    • 'She taught me Singlish': Chow Yun Fat jokes why he didn't ask Singaporean wife for help with his English lines
    • 'Grateful to have met each other': Michelle Chen and Chen Xiao announce divorce after months of speculation
    • Jay-Z and Beyonce were sent death threats after he was accused of raping 13-year-old girl
    • Darren Wang under investigation by Taiwan authorities for dodging military service

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
    • Ahoy! Disney Adventure cruise adds new immersive experiences to line-up, including Duffy and Friends
    • 'I tried to put us on the world map': Chef Mathew Leong on culinary Olympics achievement, hopes to boost Singapore's food scene
    • 'So upset by this': Customers, book lovers lament Kinokuniya's downsizing of Takashimaya outlet
    • Final curtain call: Cathay Cineplexes to close West Mall outlet on Feb 20
    • Popular Uncle Lee Confectionery launches vending machine in Woodleigh
    • Florence bans check-in keyboxes as Italy acts against overtourism
    • Cat A COE premiums rise sharply in second bidding exercise for February 2025
    • Cocktail bar Smoke & Mirrors at National Gallery Singapore to close after 9 years, but 'this isn't goodbye'
    • Updated BYD e6 now available for private hire drivers in Singapore
    • Huge discounts at Four Star Moving Out sale - up to 90% off premium mattresses and furniture

Digicult

Digicult
    • A $500 wake-up call: How the Samsung Galaxy Ring made me realise my stress
    • Monster Hunter Wilds producer explains how game has remained unique and fresh over 20 years
    • Australian children able to bypass age limit set by social media platforms, report shows
    • South Korea spy agency says DeepSeek 'excessively' collects personal data
    • Paris AI summit draws world leaders and CEOs eager for technology wave
    • Prism+ Sentinel Door Lock and Sentry Pro Gate Lock review: Say hello to hands-free convenience
    • Russian TV falls for fake report on DeepSeek's 'Soviet code'
    • Italy says 7 people targeted by spyware on WhatsApp
    • Australia bans DeepSeek on government devices citing security concerns
    • Games in February: RPGs, pirates, and dating household appliances?

Money

Money
    • Singapore's economy grew 4.4% in 2024, beating forecasts
    • DBS to give staff $1,000 special bonus, introduce capital return dividend
    • Trump says unfair to US if Musk builds factory in India
    • Budget 2025: Singapore children aged 12 and below to get $500 LifeSG credits
    • Budget 2025: Eligible Singaporeans to receive up to $800 in vouchers for SG60
    • More CDC vouchers, $500 Edusave top-up: What you should know about Budget 2025
    • Budget 2025: Additional $100 worth of Climate Vouchers, programme to be extended to Singaporeans living in private properties
    • PropertyGuru lays off 174 employees, shuts 3 units to trim operations
    • Beginner's guide to understanding your credit score in Singapore (2025): What is a credit score and is it important?
    • Upgrading to a condo by 35: Is that still possible for the average Singaporean in 2025?

Latest

Latest
  • Yoon Suk-yeol attends first trial hearing for insurrection
  • Hamas hands over bodies of youngest Gaza hostages taken from Israel
  • US grants for two key Nepal infrastructure projects suspended after Trump order
  • Caribbean leader tells EU chief: Apologise and pay reparations for slavery
  • Daily roundup: Disney Adventure cruise adds new immersive experiences to line-up, including Duffy and Friends — and other top stories today
  • In Russia, dozens of dissenters are held as psychiatric patients
  • US aid freeze 'decimates' life-saving work globally: Survey
  • Egypt announces first discovery of pharaoh's tomb in more than 100 years
  • Israel indicts 5 reservists over alleged prisoner abuse

In Case You Missed It

In Case You Missed It
  • Malaysia to build $786 million integrated property comprising mall, apartments and hotel next to JB-Singapore RTS Link station
  • Man slashed by cleaver in drunken fight near JB checkpoint
  • Third train disruption in less than a week: Circle Line resumes service after signalling fault
  • Car plunges from 3rd floor of Malaysian building after driver accidentally floors accelerator
  • New ICA services centre to open in April, public can self-collect identity cards and passports there from July
  • Selangor mall shooting: Manhunt underway for suspect who fired at janitor, hijacked car
  • WP new faces hit the ground in areas like Tampines and Punggol; party may contest over 30 seats in GE2025: Observers
  • 14-year-old girl, previously missing in JB, found in Penang with 2 'online friends'
  • Sushiro Hong Kong to take legal action after viral video shows boy licking and dropping tongs onto floor at outlet
This website is best viewed using the latest versions of web browsers.