‘Stranger Things’ Chapter 1 Recap: Winona Ryder Stars In Netflix’s New Paranormal Thriller

Stranger Things, created by the Duffer Brothers, is Netflix’s newest original series and premiered on Friday. The series takes place in Hawkins, Indiana, in 1983, and follows the story of small town that is rocked by the disappearance of a young boy and the discovery of a government facility that deals with the paranormal.

The premiere kicks off with a chilling scene of a scientist running down a hallway being pursued by an unknown, growling creature which eventually snatches him up. The scene cuts and viewers are then introduced to four young friends, Michael, Lucas, Dustin and Will as they play a game of Dungeons and Dragons. One of the boys, Will, mysteriously vanishes when returning home at night. Will’s disappearance causes a ripple effect for many characters which eventually consumes the whole town of Harken. Will’s mother Joyce (Winona Ryder), brother Jonathan and his three friends are desperate to discover the boy’s whereabouts and are likely to uncover some bizarre and otherworldly secrets once hidden by the government

One of these secrets is a mysterious young girl dubbed “11” who possesses telekinetic abilities. Eleven escaped from and is being hunted by a secret government facility. This facility is also connected to the creature that attacked the scientist earlier and presumably took Will. The episode ends with the three boys stumbling upon 11 while searching for Will in the middle of the night.

Stranger Things is a paranormal thriller reminiscent of such sci-fi classics as ET and Close Encounters of a Third Kind. Viewers will be drawn in by this gritty and eerie tale of the supernatural mysteries surrounding the quaint town of Harken. And just like the citizens of Harken, the viewers too will begin to wonder how much they truly know and are being told about the world they inhabit.