Stranger Things, created by the Duffer Brothers, sprang out of nowhere in 2016 to hook the world’s fascination, and it paid off for Netflix. Anyone who hasn’t been living under a rock has most likely seen all of the seasons of the hit tv show. But what happens when you’ve completed it? Do you feel like you have a massive Demogorgon-shaped hole in your life too that has to be fulfilled while you wait for another season, and you’re not sure how to do it?
If you’re seeking for anything to satisfy your Stranger Things craving, there are a number of series that will provide you with the same excitement and emotional fulfillment. Here are the top 5 shows to watch if you love Stranger Things:
1. Doctor Who, one of the longest-running TV shows of all time
New fans should see the reboot of Doctor Who featuring Christopher Eccleston and get lifted up in the romantic tale of Rose and the Doctor as they wander through time and space. This is a show that is still going strong after more than 50 years. The style and look of the show alter when the Doctor alters appearances, yet it never loses its fundamental appeal that has made it the most popular show on British television.
2. Based off a Stephen King Novel: The Outsider
The Outsider is HBO’s adaptation of Stephen King‘s novel of the same name. It revolves around the demise of a young child in the village and the subsequent investigation into his death. This investigation leads to a far heavier conclusion and a far more menacing existence of evil. The Outsider is mostly about the detective working to solve the case while dealing with his personal trauma. He tries fighting an evil force and uncovering a mystery, and it is absolutely worth watching for Jim Hopper fans.
3. Dark, a mystery-thriller based on the time-space dimension
When kids begin vanishing in the small German village of Winden, four families realize that they’re curiously intertwined and may bear the secret to why some children go missing in the German Netflix series Dark. Season 1 of Stranger Things revealed the riddle one ambiguous clue at a time, with time travel, parallel realities, and disappeared kids who resembled the sad Stranger Things kids who got locked in the Upside Down. We won’t analyze the next season to avoid spoilers, but if you’re interested in time-space thrillers, stream it now!
4. I Am Not Okay With This: Based on a novel of the same name
Growing up is difficult as it is without the addition of superpowers. Sydney Novak is a 17-year-old girl who is grieving the death of her father and attempting to cope with the world when she discovers telekinetic abilities. I Am Not Okay With This is a project between the producers of Stranger Things and the director of The End of the F***ing World, drawn from the graphic novel by Charles Forsman. It’s a must-see for aficionados of superpowers and funny teenage drama.
5. Twin Peaks: The show that popularized the “strange goings-on in a small town” concept
Twin Peaks shares DNA with Stranger Things. Both series begin with secrets: Will’s vanishing in Stranger Things, and the death of teenage Laura Palmer in Twin Peaks. The pursuit for Laura Palmer’s killer takes viewers into a horrific dimension, just as the search for Will took us to the Upside Down. David Lynch’s hallucinatory room with red drapes, The Black Lodge, is now a recognizable part of cinematic history, having even been mocked on The Simpsons. While there are no Demogorgons in Twin Peaks, it is equally or even more creepy than Stranger Things.
The fourth season of Stranger Things is slated to release in two parts on May 27 and July 1, exclusively on Netflix.
