In season three of the series, Jim Hopper (David) gave up his life to rescue the world and lock the portal upside down. She had to cope with the guilt and anguish of losing her father, powers, and family as she moved to California with Jonathan, Joyce, and Will. El, aka Eleven, aka Jane, regained her superpowers.
A new monster has taken control of Upside Down, six months after the events of the previous season’s episode. Season 4 will reveal how the group comes to realize this and murders him. Hopper has come back to life! This isn’t a story spoiler at all!
Stranger Things Season 4 Vol 1 Review
Cast: Winona Ryder, Millie Bobby Brow, Winona Ryder, Finn Wolfhard, David Harbour, Noah Schnapp, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Natalia Dyer, Sadie Sink, Maya Hawke, Charlie Heaton, Joe Keery, and ensemble.
Duffer Brothers (Ross and Matt Duffer) are the creators.
Shawn Levy, the Duffer Brothers, and Nimród Antal directed the film.
Netflix is available for streaming.
Language: English
Time: 7 episodes, each about 1 hour and 25 minutes long.
Stranger Things Season 4 Vol 1 Star Performance
Sadie Sink, who portrays Max, is the season’s victor. Max’s portrayal of the girl on the edge of death is so convincing that everyone returns to do their best and add some more. Despite her internal turmoil, she maintains her bada** persona. The award is yours, girl!
Millie Bobby Brown, who is also juggling a lot, shares this sentiment. In her mind, she had to completely rework her EL. The reason she doesn’t yell, shout, or bleed from her nose anymore is because she can’t address her problems in this way. She has to learn the hard way now that her reflexes are human. The actor does a wonderful job.
As Maya effortlessly drops some of the show’s funniest jokes, Gaten and Joe win over the audience. My favorite character in the show is Priah Ferguson, with her scary demeanor. I refuse to believe that she isn’t possessed by a well-known actor who is at least four times her age.
What Works & What Doesn’t Work?
Stranger Things Season 4 Vol 1 What Works
The Duffer Brothers have nailed the recipe for entertaining children, ad**ts, and child-ad**ts (like myself) in the same room with Stranger Things. The plot is fascinating for both children and ad**ts, including some visual horrors for the younger ones. There is an added layer to the program since the characters in Hawkins have aged along with the show, and we have too.
Seeing two versions of El, one at the age of 10, standing next to each other is a powerful reminder of how long you’ve been a fan of this series. A lot of great newnesses are added to the nostalgia and the old plot without making it appear packed. You won’t even notice that each episode clocks in at roughly 90 minutes.
This is the greatest part: the Duffer Brothers show their appreciation for your investment by not making season 4 another “new day, new challenge” season. As a result, the film becomes an emotional tale with all the emotionally afflicted characters combating the dangers that surround them rather than merely overcoming the denizens of the upside-down. As a result, everyone in season 4 is dealing with some sort of loss.
Whatever the pain of losing a parent and one’s powers (El), the loss of a brother who became good minutes before his death (Max and Billy), or the rage of witnessing your sweetheart engage in combat with the enemy but failing to save him/her. So everyone is fueled by their sadness, love, wrath, and desire (for some).
Everyone has reached ad**thood and is figuring things out on their own. Season 4’s greatest unknown was how they’d handle a storyline in which El has lost touch with her talents. I don’t know what to expect from her. They’re influenced by Steven Spielberg’s work since the Duffer Brothers turned her into a human being. In the absence of the group, she is considered an outcast and ridiculed at school.
Season 4 is chock-full of gore, but it isn’t all sourced from the eerie underbelly of the Upside Down or the hideous Vecna. It’s not only Nancy who’s having trouble moving her affections between Jonathan and Steve; a bit of evil lives inside Max as well. There’s a lot here, especially when you include the genuine scares.
El’s lack of special abilities opens the door for everyone else to shine. Because they’re all human now, and the approach is a lot like that of other people. The writing becomes better and better as the characters age, which is a good thing.
Technology keeps improving as they develop an even more powerful monster that can communicate, yet no one else in the human species has any power. Intriguing and engaging are the words and the story’s direction. The 1980s’ old-world allure is still very much alive and well.
Stranger Things Season 4 Vol 1 What Doesn’t Works
I see that this season has a lot going on and the canvas is twice as big as it was last year, but maybe discussing Mike’s s**uality would have been an interesting addition.
After 11 hours, the new arrivals still haven’t fully blossomed (7 episodes). It bothered me that they didn’t get what they deserved in Vol. 1.