When Stranger Things first came out on Netflix, people loved the 80’s nostalgia that’s featured alongside the horror twist throughout the show. And with the announcement of Season 5, as well as the success Season 4 just had, a few people started to fantasize about what a reboot would look like if the show was set later in the future.
A common idea shared on social media is ‘what if the show was set in the 2010s’ since that era had a lot of worthwhile references if the show flashes forward to the future. What would the show be like if it was set in an era when technology was on the rise? Or what would the Upside Down monsters be based on or called? Here are the top 10 nostalgic references if a Stranger Things reboot was set in the 2010s.
1. Mentions the OG ‘Stranger Things’ team
Starting off simple is having the new set of children either be related or know someone from the OG team. It will be a simple nod that things have changed since we last saw our heroes and that this is a new generation taking over. They may be able to assist the team in any way, shape, or form if need be. Or maybe have them share stories from their time as kids, only to have similar baddies come back, but evolved or changed with new tactics. This massive time skip could also play a role in the events that happened in the original series, with maybe the townsfolk thinking of it as a myth rather than something that actually happened.
2. Horror Video Games
If Stranger Things named their monsters after Dungeons and Dragons characters, then a modern reboot should have our new rag-tag of heroes explore the Upside Down through the eyes of gamers. While games like Minecraft and Skyrim impacted the gaming sphere, horror indie titles such as Slender, Phasmophobia, and Five Nights at Freddy‘s caught the attention of gamers as well. Maybe what these kids face in the games might be similar to when they fight off monsters or deal with the Upside Down. Maybe even have the original story of Stranger Things turned into a game as mentioned above, since it would now be seen as an urban legend — like Slenderman — rather than actual events.
3. Vampires and Werewolves
The 2010s were also the era when supernatural stories between vampires and werewolves became trendy thanks to the Twilight saga, written by Stephenie Meyer. These stories usually contain a love triangle between a mortal, a vamp, and a wolf, or a rivalry between clans. If this reboot wants to retain the ‘horror’ or ‘small town aesthetic’ like in the original, then potentially have it set in a heavy-forest area and have the townsfolk share a legend between two clans. Either that or have a vampire-werewolf-like monster be the reboot’s main villain.
4. Hypebeast culture
Clothing brands like Supreme and Off-White were on the rise; not just streetwear but also hypebeast culture in fashion. Have people line up for either clothes and sneakers and have our heroes either show them off or preserve them somewhere in their room. Or have someone else criticize their local peers who fall for this culture. Moreover, maybe have one of these items be a crucial piece of evidence to identify the victim.
5. Rise of 3D technology
3D films were gaining traction in this era thanks to the release of Avatar in 2009. This could just be used as a fun activity our heroes could do outside the horror mystery storyline. Imagine them watching something, reacting wildly to it, and just enjoying how technology has evolved from the early years.
6. The Raid of Area 51
It’s a perfect reference for a sci-fi horror series to have multiple kids, teenagers, and young adults storm the government facility (or something similar). But unlike the real-world event, this one isn’t seen as a meme. Maybe a weapon to save the town is located inside or a machine to close the new gates to the Upside Down. Turn this internet event into the epic raid that it was meant to be.
7. Internet Challenges
Give the reboot a horror-slasher film aesthetic by turning online challenges into ways that characters can die. Make someone suffer the consequences of planking or let the Harlem shake or Mannequin challenge be someone’s demise — similar to Vecna’s curse. Even summon a demon using the Charlie Charlie challenge — anything goes. The possibilities are endless. They don’t have to be a direct reference but could be slightly inspired with a different outcome of certain death.
8. The iPod
The iPod was still the latest craze in the 2010s after it was released by Apple back in 2001. This was during a time before Spotify became popular with users and when phones didn’t have the storage capabilities to keep your songs stored. Having the kids use these devices during a Vecna Curse 2.0 scenario will be interesting as the device didn’t have touch screen capabilities yet. Do you know how hard it is to find music using a scroll wheel?
9. Vlogging
YouTube and social media were still fairly new at the time before they became must-haves in everyday life. Content creators would use their early iPhones and cheap cameras to produce videos before they hired production teams. This could add a new twist when it comes to filmmaking and storytelling. Imagine someone running away from a monster and filming it using found-footage techniques; the video gets uploaded online with people thinking it’s fake and local authorities have these kids questioned.
10. Music
And just like the show, this hypothetical reboot will also make use of licensed music. While it would be really cool to capture the nostalgia using songs by known artists like My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy, or Twenty-One Pilots, the reboot should utilize indie artists as well. Artists like MGMT, Arctic Monkeys, Bastille, and Alt-J made a name for themselves during this era, with some of their songs having a low-key revival thanks to TikTok.
A 2010-era reboot of Stranger Things would be an interesting concept as so many things happened in that era. However, even if this idea does come to life, it would probably not have the same charm as the original, which felt more organic and the references at the time gave the show some pizazz outside the dark and horror-esque plot that surrounded it. It would take a talented writer to attempt something like this without it becoming a cringe-fest of outdated slang and phrases.
Published: Jul 8, 2022 09:12 am