Stranger Things was appointment television in an age of streaming, channeling 80s nostalgia, gripping characters, and horror homages into Netflix’s biggest hit to date. The show became ingrained in the zeitgeist from season one, recontextualizing the pop culture of the past while adding to the present-day pop culture lexicon. With Stranger Things gone and spin-offs in the distant future, fans find themselves longing to return to the Upside Down. Let’s take a look at the 10 horror movies that are sure to fill the Hawkins-sized void in the lives of every Stranger Things fan.
1. The Lost Boys
A late 80s horror-comedy that did more than inspire Billy’s entire aesthetic. Starring Corey Haim, Corey Feldman, and Kiefer Sutherland, The Lost Boys had foul-mouthed teens on bikes killing vampires set to 80s synths. From the comedic banter of The Frog Brothers to the over-the-top violence, The Lost Boys establishes the dynamic of Mike’s friends fighting the Demogorgon in 90 minutes.
The Lost Boys enters horror canon as a blend of John Hughes teen comedies with the cult spirit of Evil Dead. It’s got a bit of Stephen King, a bit of 80s action, and an outstanding performance from Ed Herman (of later Gilmore Girls fame) that is sure bring the Stranger Things vibes to the streets of Santa Carla.
2. IT (2017)
It (2017) holds a unique place in Stranger Things lore. Mike’s friends are parallel to The Losers Club in Stephen King’s 1986 novel, and the Tim Curry mini-series is palpable. Yet, the 2017 adaptation not only showcases the impact of It on Stranger Things but also the rise of Stranger Things in the 2017 film (even down to Finn Wolfhard playing Richie).
2017’s It takes King’s terrifying killer clown to the 1980s and fills the story with as many 80s references as Stranger Things. Those yearning for the chills of Venca’s fear-inducing powers will flee from the terrors of Bill Skarsgard’s Pennywise.
3. Nightmare on Elm Street 3: The Dream Warriors
One of the most overt homages in Stranger Things. From Holly watching Dream Warriors at a sleepover to Vecna’s Freddy Krueger-esque dream sequences, Nightmare on Elm Street is a massive chunk of the Stranger Things DNA. Freddy himself, Robert Englund playing Victor Kreel, adds clarity to the Stranger Things/Elm Street overlap. But what makes Dream Warriors a treat for Stranger Things fans is the sheer amount of mythology dropped into this film.
Stranger Things fans are fascinated by lore drops. Vecna’s origins, the creation of the Upside Down, and throwaway lines about Hopper’s days in Vietnam all enrich the experience. And Dream Warriors excels with backstory, finally giving fans the true origins of Freddy Krueger in the haunting of Westin Hills Hospital. It’s dark, twisted, and like Stranger Things, it focuses on unity through shared trauma. Add in that Dream Warriors writer, Frank Darabont, directed two episodes of Stranger Things, and you have a perfect slasher for the Stranger Things aficionado.
4. The Monster Squad
No movie on this list can quite match The Monster Squad in pure wildness. Like much of Stranger Things, The Monster Squad makes kids the unlikely heroes who destroy the powers of evil. But unlike Stranger Things, The Monster Squad does battle against Frankenstein’s Monster, the Wolfman, and Dracula all at once. Stranger Things blends camp with prestige to create peak genre storytelling. However, The Monster Squad is all camp. The premise, the action, and the “Stephen King Rules” shirt all come together to make a magical, wild movie that would easily inspire the wackier moments of Stranger Things (looking at you, Starcourt Mall and “Never Ending Story” moment).
Fans of Mike, Dustin, Will, and Lucas will find “The Monster Squad” members endearing and will quote lines like “Wolfman’s got nards” for years after viewing. While much more cult-classic than the D&D players of Stranger Things, The Monster Squad still carries the Rob Reiner & Stephen King, Stand By Me, warmth, just with a little more world-ending mayhem.
5. The Gate
The premise of The Gate is deceptively simple. Kids open a portal to hell by listening to heavy metal music and must battle monsters to save the world. As Stranger Things dove into the late 80s and introduced the guitar-wielding Dungeon Master, Eddie, so came The Duffer Brothers’ take on the “Satanic Panic.” The Gate keeps the Satanic Panic commentary while losing the eeriness of Poltergeist (also a significant influence on Stranger Things), opting for a pure popcorn approach to demons and future Demogorgon inspiration.
Those missing the rifts in reality and devil among us attitudes of Stranger Things 4 will find plenty to love in this culty, verging on so-bad-it’s-brilliant take on the creature-feature genre. The Gate is a wild ride of VHS-era chaos with more heart than even the most sentimental fans would expect.
6. Fear Street Trilogy
The overlap between Stranger Things and Fear Street extends beyond casting (Maya Hawke in Part 1, Sadie Sink in Part 2, and Randy Havens in Part 3). It’s far more than director Leigh Janiak’s marriage to one of the Duffer Brothers. Fear Street‘s overlap with Stranger Things stems from the world deciding we need more. More nostalgic horror. More teens running from slashers. More mystic backstories. And more teens facing the terrors of high school while confronting a faceless evil.
Fear Street takes the Stranger Things ensemble approach, making each character unique while staying witty, snarky, quirky, and lovable, all to the soundtrack of bloodcurdling screams. It’s meta commentary primed for the pop culture-infused fans of Stranger Things while keeping everything in an R.L. Stine-inspired package. Fear Street is nostalgia beyond the 80s, but sentimentality for horror as a genre.
7. The Terminator
Many forget that the original Terminator was a horror film. An unkillable robot from the future shows up in California, hoping to kill the mother of a future resistance leader. It’s Cold War politics with a peak Arnold Schwarzenegger bicep. Stranger Things references the T-800’s might with season 3’s seemingly invincible Soviet, Grigori, but nothing beats the original.
The Terminator captures early Stranger Things ideas of futuristic weaponry and nuclear dread, all with Linda Hamilton in her first appearance as Sarah Connor (though she would be no stranger to Stranger Things).
8. The Fly
Stranger Things has always showcased body horror. Fleshy vines, pumping tentacles, gooey surfaces, and the corpse-constructed Mind Flayer in season 3 are just a few examples of the Duffer Brothers showcasing body horror in Hawkins. Yet, David Cronenberg is always the master. Enter, The Fly starring Jeff Goldblum. But this is far from sexy Goldblum in Jurassic Park or the irreverent Goldblum in Wes Anderson flicks. The Fly is Goldblum after a horrible accident, fusing his cellular structure with that of a common fly.
Those who saw the mutated flesh of Vecna or the transformation of the Mind Flayer and gasped should steer clear of Cronenberg. But for those who found themselves horrified yet mesmerized, there’s plenty to enjoy as Jeff Goldblum transforms into “The Fly.”
9. The Thing
In the early seasons, Stranger Things was all Cold War paranoia and otherworldly monsters. While Will’s possession in Season 2 has parallels to The Exorcist, his “spy” or enemy-among-friends moments are all The Thing. Directed by horror icon John Carpenter, The Thing embodies Stranger Things‘ ethos from its oozing monsters to its synthwave soundtrack. While Alien and The Exorcist have their own place in Stranger Things canon, The Thing stands as a perfect “next watch” for Hawkins fans. The Thing is dread as a shape-changing alien shifts from person to person on a remote base in Antarctica.
Kurt Russell will remind fans of Hopper. The uneasy claustrophobia of the Arctic will take fans to the Upside Down. And the music will have fans reminiscing about Kyle Dixon’s darker scores as “The Thing” picks off characters one by one, leaving the fans uncertain who to trust.
10. Vampires Vs. The Bronx
Vampires Vs. The Bronx is a full-circle moment for Stranger Things. It’s the show that takes so much inspiration, inspiring the future of horror-comedy. Vampires Vs. The Bronx takes the classic kids-on-bikes tropes and the classic Stranger Things-coded pop-culture kiddos and throws them into the big city. Local kids discover vampires in their local neighborhood and channel their inner Blade to take down the bloodsuckers.
But like all great horror, Vampires Vs. The Bronx is an analogy for something bigger. The film tackles gentrification the same way Stranger Things tackles government structures, military industrialization, religious tribalism, and conformity at large. Though within all of those major topics, Vampires Vs. The Bronx, like Stranger Things, is never preachy and never forgets that the kids and audience have to have fun. Vampires Vs. The Bronx takes all the witty lines, epic fights, and social commentary of Stranger Things to the Big Apple and will win the hearts of any Hellfire Club member.
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