Since stranger things season 1, the Netflix series took inspiration from 1980s horror movies, but now the show’s young cast are taking on the face of modern horror cinema. The young actors of stranger things have spread their wings beyond the TV show that made them famous and become the stars. New horror media not only borrows imagery and aesthetic trends from the 1980s to stranger thingsthey also borrow the actors.
stranger things follows a group of young friends in search of their friend Will Byers (Noah Schnapp), who has been stolen from his reality by the creatures living in the Upside Down. The Upside Down is a terrifying alternate dimension full of deadly, vicious creatures the characters call Demogorgons. As Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard), Dustin Henderson (Gaten Matarazzo), and Lucas Sinclair (Caleb McLaughlin) search for their friend, they find Eleven. Eleven is a young girl with psychokinetic abilities who helps them in their search. After finding Will Byers, Upside Down begins to infiltrate their reality, accelerated by the Russians trying to harness his power. Since the 80s was plagued with various types of horror content, stranger things characters often find themselves in storylines that heavily reference ’80s horror movies like The thing, aliensand The thing.
While the horror films of the 80s influenced stranger things, stranger things now influences horror films of the present. The marginalized young people who form the heart of stranger things includes acting newcomers like Millie Bobby Brown and Finn Wolfhard, who previously had little to no widely recognizable TV or film credits to their name stranger things. After the success of stranger things, these young actors have regularly appeared in various horror movies to the point that they are no longer just recognizable as the characters they play on the show, but are horror movie stars in their own right. The variety of roles these actors have racked up in the few years since stranger things broadcast in 2016 is as impressive as it is diverse.
Dacre Montgomery in Better be careful (2016)
The mid-2010s Christmas horror movie slasher, Better be carefulstars Dacre Montgomery, who plays Billy Hargrove on stranger things. In Better be careful, Dacre plays the ex-boyfriend of a babysitter who is terrorized by a killer over Christmas time. Although Dacre’s role in Better be careful was not as important as his presence in stranger things seasons 2 and 3, his experience as an actor in the horror film Better be careful must have come in handy when preparing for Billy’s role in stranger things.
Shannon Purser in Wish on (2017)
Although Shannon Purser only played Nancy’s best friend, Barbara Holland, on stranger things for a few episodes, audiences remembered Shannon Pusher’s impact on the show long after Barb’s controversial death. She can be seen in the 2017 horror movie Wish on, where her best friend also makes bad choices that impact her safety. In Wish on, a cursed music box grants all wishes of its owner, but there is always a price. Unfortunately, wishes come true to the detriment of Shannon Purser’s character.
Finn Wolfhard in THIS (2017) and IT: Chapter 2 (2019) and Turning (2020)
In 2017, Finn Wolfhard starred as young Richie Tozier, the comedic soul of the Loser’s Club, in Andy Muscietti’s remake of Stephen King. IT: Chapter 1 and IT: Chapter 2. It was a loop moment for stranger things because the series was heavily inspired by Stephen King’s books and media released in the 1980s, then stranger things influenced a Stephen King adaptation both in its 80s aesthetic as well as in its use of stranger things Mike Wheeler actor Finn Wolfhard in THIS: Chapter One and IT: Chapter 2. Although Wolfhard had to contend with Seth Green’s legacy as Richie, he completely made the role his own.
Finn Wolfhard also starred in another horror movie adaptation of a classic novel in 2020. Turning adapted horror novel The turn of the screw of Henry James on the big screen. In Turning Wolfhard was able to shed his typical good guy persona and instead portrayed a violent young man. Although Ghostbusters: Afterlife isn’t strictly a horror movie, it’s important to note that Wolfhard was cast as Egon Spengler’s grandson in the sequel to the classic horror comedy. ghost hunters.
Sadie sinks in Eli (2019)
The horror movie released on Netflix in 2019 Eli features Sadie Sink, who played the brave Max Mayfield on stranger things. Eli’s Horror Movie Was So Intriguing That Some Are Hoping For A Eli the rest will soon be revealed. The character of Sadie Sink in EliHaley, befriends a troubled young boy named Eli, who is tormented by supernatural forces. Eli provides Sink with a departure from the science fiction-based horror elements found in stranger things and instead focuses on the mysteries of religious horror. Although Sadie Sink only plays a secondary character in Elishe gets the chance to show a darkness rarely seen in her performance of Max Hargrave on stranger things.
Natalia Dyer in Velvet circular saw (2019)
Whereas stranger things contains government conspiracies surrounding monsters and alternate dimensions and the occasional Russian spy, in Velvet circular sawNatalia Dyer (Nancy Wheeler on stranger things) deals with deadly art exhibitions and pretentious artists. Alongside Hollywood superstars like Jake Gyllenhall, Natalia Dyer stands out as Coco’s assistant. In Velvet circular saw Natalia’s portrayal balances the horror of dealing with artists quite well with the horror of facing a gruesome death; Nancy Wheeler would be proud.
Joe Keery in Party (2020)
In Party, an uplifting horror movie, Joe Keery, who plays Steve Harrington on stranger things, was able to play against his usual common man type by portraying a terrifying murderer. In Party, Keery plays Kurt Kunkle, a rideshare driver who aspires to be a famous streamer in the found footage-style horror film. Kurt murders his passengers and stalks his streaming icons to get more views on his streaming account. Whereas Party received mixed reviews, Keery’s performance balanced the seriousness, desperation and cynicism of online fame obsession to terrifying effect.
Millie Bobby Brown in Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019) and Godzilla vs. Kong (2021)
Millie Bobby Brown’s experience dealing with Demogorgons and terrifying government agencies has prepared her well to watch in awe and terror as Godzilla and King Kong make their way through various cities. After her iconic performance as lead character Eleven in stranger thingsMillie Bobby Brown stars as Madison Russel in the 2019 Godzilla sequel: Godzilla: King of the Monsters. Millie Bobby Brown defends Godzilla throughout the film because she believes he is not the enemy of mankind. Millie Bobby Brown has revised her role in the sequel, in which King Kong returns to fight Godzilla in Godzilla vs. Kong (2021). Although these days Godzilla films tend to lean more towards the Action-Adventure or Science-Fiction genre, its terrifying origins as an expression of Japan’s fears over post-war nuclear technology can never be completely separated from the creature horror subgenre.
Maya Hawke and Sadie sink in The Street of Fear Trilogy (2021)
Maya Hawke and Sadie Sink starred in The Street of Fear Trilogy, directed by Leigh Janiak, based on the books by RL Stein. In street of fearSadie Sink proves she’s more than a spunky sidekick (as she is in stranger things and Eli); but she is a scream queen in her own right. Sadie Sink plays Ziggie Berman, the survivor of a Shadyside summer camp massacre in Street of Fear Part 2: 1978 and Street of Fear Part 3: 1966. Maya Hawke may have played a pivotal role in stranger things season 3 as Steve’s sarcastic colleague Robin Buckley, but she was killed in the Street of Fear Part 1: 1994. His death was a tribute to Drew Barrymore’s role as Casey Becker in Scream.
Why stranger things Actors have done so many horror movies
Since stranger things pays homage to so many iconic ’80s horror films, it functions as a sort of boot camp for actors. By season 3 of stranger thingsthe actors showed they know how to act in classic horror movie scenarios, and even when stranger things puts an end to the careers of these actors” is certainly far from over. The stranger things The cast has faced Demogorgons, evil government conspiracies, secret Russian plots, possessed teenage bullies, and all the other situations an actor should face when starring in a horror movie. Audiences and casting directors already know and love these actors for their work on stranger things and pair them with iconic ’80s horror movie storylines. stranger things Playing horror wasn’t just natural for these actors, but it was inevitable. Stranger Things seems to be setting up young actors like Finn Wolfhard and Millie Bobby Brown for a future in horror media.
Now that the actors of stranger things grow old and stranger things season 4 debuted in 2022, they’ve proven that their careers will extend far beyond the beloved Netflix show. Thanks to the experience acquired by stranger thingstalented young actors like Millie Bobby Brown, Joe Keery, Finn Wolfhard and so many others from the show helped reinvent horror and are likely to appear in future horror films even after the end of the series. Hollywood’s obsession with the 80s. Audiences got to see firsthand how much the stranger things The cast conveys terror and bravery in the face of impossible odds, so it’s only natural that they continue to do so in other gruesome scenarios. However, whether or not their characters survive the events of stranger things Season 5 has yet to be revealed.
