16 Not-So-Strange Things That Stranger Things Looks Like
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Netflix's original series have consistently won the Summer TV game (see: Orange Is the New Black), and Stranger Things, the eight-part sci-fi thriller that dropped in mid-July, has proven to be a smash hit. Centered on a small town dealing with the aftermath of a young boy's disappearance, the show pays homage to the films and shows of the '80s and is filled to the brim with hat tips to various pop culture icons — all in addition to being a fresh and original concept unlike anything we've seen before.
It's not always easy to spot the references — and believe us, there are a LOT — so we've pulled out 16 specific things that really just look too much like other things to be an accident and that you should look out for while inevitably rewatching the show.
Steve Harrington = Jean-Ralphio Saperstein From Parks and Recreation
Though I wouldn't go so far as to say that there's a conspiracy afoot, after Steve's hair starts getting gelled up in the second episode, it's hard to deny the resemblance between him and Jean-Ralphio.
Eleven = Furiosa From Mad Max: Fury Road
It's hard to be this fierce, but these are two extraordinarily fierce females. It should come as no surprise that a picture of Furiosa inspired Millie Brown, the actress who plays Eleven, to let them chop all her hair off.
The Quarry = The Quarry in The Walking Dead
To be fair, there aren't a whole lot of quarries that they could be referring to. And the fact that they actually shot it in the same place in Georgia probably helps, too.
The Woods = The Woods in The Walking Dead
Who knew that being in the woods required a sheriff's hat?
Jonathan Byers = Bill Hader
There's no justification needed. They're definitely the same person.
The Sensory Deprivation Tank = The Sensory Deprivation Tank From Fringe
The craziest part is that the sensory deprivation tank serves as the portal to an alternate universe in both shows.
The Boys Riding Bikes = The Boys Riding Bikes in Freaks and Geeks
Cue nostalgic '80s music; those really were the good old days.
The Group of Kids = The Group of Kids in Super 8
There are loads of similarities between the movie and the show, but the faces in both pictures really seal the deal.
Eleven in the Tank = Donnie Darko
Yes, the sensory deprivation tank is more reminiscent of Fringe, but it's hard to deny the similarity between the cry for help in these two side-by-side photos.
The Electrodes on Eleven = The Electrodes in Firestarter
Drew Barrymore doesn't crush a Coke can with her brain, but she does light fires.
The Axe in the Wall = The Axe in the Wall in The Shining
There was someone on the other side of the wall in The Shining, but there was something on the other side of the wall in Stranger Things.
Netherworld = Netherworld in Under the Skin
Watching the show next to the movie is a surreal experience; though these two women have very different intentions, the route they use to get there is identical.
Bully With a Knife = Bully With a Knife in The Goonies
The real message here? Stay away from bullies.
Hazmat Suit = Hazmat Suit in E.T. the Extraterrestrial
There are more than a few ways to deal with the supernatural, but both E.T. and Stranger Things take the same tactic: don't get too close to what you don't understand.
Barb Holland = Molly Ringwald in Pretty in Pink
Eerie.
Joyce Byers = Kate Hewson From Wayward Pines
Both of these women lean toward the hysterical, yet they're more correct about the truth than they could ever possibly know.