What to watch next: Five shows to fill the Stranger Things void
Binge-worthy series to watch now that Stranger Things is over.
Image: Cottonbro Studio / Pexels
It is the end of an era in Hawkins. After nearly a decade of demogorgons, Eggo waffles, and synth-heavy soundtracks, "Stranger Things" has officially taken its final bow.
Since premiering in 2016, the show has become a global phenomenon by perfectly blending 1980s nostalgia with genuine supernatural horror.
It succeeded because it was more than just a monster show; it was a story about the universal struggle of growing up, anchored by a cast we literally watched age before our eyes.
Now that the gate to the Upside Down has closed for good, you might be feeling a massive hole in your watch list.
Fortunately, the golden age of streaming has produced some incredible series that capture that same sense of wonder, dread, and mystery.
Here are five modern shows that will help you move on from Hawkins.
Dark
If the scientific mysteries and government conspiracies were your favourite parts of "Stranger Things," then "Dark" is your next mandatory watch.
This German series begins with the disappearance of a young boy in a small town, but it quickly evolves into a mind-bending epic involving time travel and intergenerational secrets.
"Stranger Things" fans will appreciate the small-town atmosphere and the way a missing child catalyses uncovering a much larger, darker reality.
It captures that same eerie feeling of a community hiding secrets right beneath the surface.
Yellowjackets
For those who loved the "teens against the world" vibe and the gritty survival elements of the later seasons, Yellowjackets is a perfect match.
The story follows a high school girls' soccer team whose plane crashes in the remote wild, leaving them to survive for nineteen months.
It jumps between their time in the wilderness and their lives twenty-five years later.
Much like our favourite Hawkins crew, these characters are forced to deal with trauma and supernatural undertones while trying to maintain their friendships.
It has that same addictive "what actually happened" mystery that keeps you clicking next episode.
Paper Girls
Based on the popular comic book series, "Paper Girls" feels like a spiritual cousin to the early seasons of Stranger Things.
Set in the late 1980s, four young girls out on their paper routes on the morning after Halloween get caught in a conflict between warring factions of time travellers.
It hits all the right notes for fans of the Duffer Brothers because of its retro aesthetic, focus on bike-riding kids, and the heavy emphasis on the bond between outcasts.
It deals with the sci-fi chaos of the future while remaining grounded in the emotional reality of being a kid in the eighties.
Locke and Key
If you enjoyed the whimsical yet dangerous "magic house" energy of the Creel House or the Byers' home, you should check out "Locke and Key."
After their father is murdered, three siblings move into their ancestral home only to discover it is filled with magical keys that grant different powers.
However, a demonic entity is also hunting for them. It balances the "kids on an adventure" trope with genuine stakes and high-concept fantasy.
It is a bit more focused on the supernatural than the scientific, but the sense of family and the discovery of a hidden world feel very familiar.
From
For the fans who stuck around for the pure horror and the mystery of the Upside Down itself, "From" is the series you need to start tonight.
It centres on a nightmare town in middle America that traps everyone who enters.
As the residents search for a way out, they must survive the terrifying creatures that come out of the surrounding forest at night.
It captures that feeling of being trapped in a hostile, alternate dimension better than almost anything else on television right now.
The stakes are high, the monsters are scary, and the central mystery is deep enough to keep you theorising for weeks.