Stranger Things: Tales From '85
Season 1 Premiere:
Apr 23, 2026
Metascore
Mixed or Average
52
User score
Mixed or Average
5.3
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Metascore
Mixed or Average
52
29% Positive
5 Reviews
5 Reviews
47% Mixed
8 Reviews
8 Reviews
24% Negative
4 Reviews
4 Reviews
Apr 23, 2026
80
Mounted by showrunner Eric Robles, it’s a streamlined, supercharged telling, stripped of the soap operatics that occupied more of the original series than you might remember. It’s a classic kids-versus-monster adventure from which adults are largely absent, which in its own way makes this a superior “Stranger Things.”
Apr 23, 2026
70
Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 is good enough that franchise completists aren’t going to cringe while watching it, and it may be a good way to introduce younger kids to the franchise. But we just wish it was a little scarier, and the character animation a little less weird.
User score
Mixed or Average
5.3
46% Positive
13 Ratings
13 Ratings
18% Mixed
5 Ratings
5 Ratings
36% Negative
10 Ratings
10 Ratings
Apr 23, 2026
10
I actually ended up enjoying it more than I expected. The biggest thing is just how you go into it. If you’re expecting it to feel exactly like the live-action show, it’s probably not gonna land the same. But if you treat it like bonus time with the characters and just let it be its own thing, it works a lot better. Animation is a totally different lane, and they don’t try to hide that. The mix of 2D and 3D with those ‘80s-inspired touches feels kinda off at first, but by the end of the first episode it started to click for me. One of the highlights is definitely the voice acting. Eleven and Dustin stand out the most to me, they actually feel real and not like watered down versions, and Eleven still brings that emotional depth that makes her character hit. The rest of the cast kind of goes back and forth between sounding spot on and a little different, but nothing bad. It’s not going to match whatever perfect version of the original you have in your head, but that’s kind of the point. If you just meet it where it is and enjoy the vibe, it’s a good time. Being open to it makes all the difference.
Apr 25, 2026
9
I thought it was really cool. It’s not better than the live-action. It’s a great way to expand this universe without affecting the main story. The beginning is a bit slow, but from a certain point it gets into a really good rhythm that brings back the roots of Stranger Things.
What I also liked is how it slowly builds tension instead of rushing things. At first it feels like it’s just setting up characters and atmosphere, but then it starts layering that familiar mystery feeling again—like something is always slightly off in the background
And once it clicks, it really clicks. The pacing becomes more engaging, the stakes feel clearer, and it starts to feel like that classic mix of friendship, curiosity, and creeping danger that made the original series so strong.
Another cool thing is how it can explore ideas that the live-action can’t really do as freely. The animation style lets them push visuals, weird moments, and concepts from the Upside Down without worrying about realism or production limits. That opens a lot of space for creativity while still respecting the main storyline.
Overall, it feels less like a replacement and more like a “side layer” of the universe—something that deepens it, fills gaps, and keeps that Stranger Things feeling alive in a different format
Apr 23, 2026
60
While this animated spin-off makes little sense as part of the established Stranger Things canon, as a stand-alone story with twists aplenty, it’s a witty, vibrant hoot.
Apr 23, 2026
50
“Stranger Things: Tales From ‘85” has its high points. It just seems like maybe the show’s creators aren’t fully aware of what they are.
Apr 23, 2026
50
While Tales from '85 may struggle to justify its own existence, it will be interesting to see if another chapter of the animated show will come into fruition since the finale doesn't completely close out the story.
Apr 24, 2026
35
Who’s the audience for this infantile, animated take on an indelible series? Only diehards and dimwits need apply.
Apr 23, 2026
30
Without the liability of actors whose voices will deepen and heights will shoot up over time, Netflix can continue to exploit this IP as long as its audience desires, looking ever-more-solipsistically inward rather than branching out. I’ll give “Tales From ‘85” this much credit: it’s as creepy and unsettling an idea as this horror-adjacent franchise has produced in years.
Apr 26, 2026
7
Stranger Things: Racconti dal 1985 non è una semplice appendice della serie Netflix, ma un’ operazione che si inserisce perfettamente nel "vuoto" narrativo tra la seconda e la terza stagione. Ambientata nel cuore dell’inverno del 1985, circa un mese dopo l'iconico Ballo della Neve, l'antologia esplora quella fragile tregua che precede l'estate caotica dello Starcourt Mall. Quello che però mi ha colpito di più è il comparto e lo stile grafico usato per raccontare **** so quanti di voi qui siano gamers appassionati anche di videogiochi come me, ma se lo siete, magari qualcuno di voi avrà notato che lo stile grafico usato richiama molto i titoli della Telitale Games, in particolare The Wolf Among Us. Un uso della tecnica dell’inchiostro che definisce molto bene i ****. La gestione del colore poi è il vero fiore all'occhiello. Gli autori giocano con una palette Neon-Noir che contrappone il bianco freddo della neve dell'Indiana a toni acidi e saturi, come il viola elettrico e il blu profondo, tipici delle intrusioni del Sottosopra. In sintesi mi è piaciuta molto ma è comunque scontato che escano altri episodi e alte stagioni vista la conclusione del finale, e/o anche per spiegare meglio la scrittura di alcuni **** che rimangono un po’ (almeno per me), un punto di domanda.
Apr 30, 2026
6
A somewhat pointless show with uninspired, generic animation, that still entertains from time to time.
