Netflix drops retro ‘VHS Special Edition’ of ‘Stranger Things’ on its 10th anniversary
Can you believe that it’s officially been a decade since the bike-riding gang of preteens ventured out to save Hawkins in Stranger Things on Netflix? Well, neither can we. But that doesn’t change the fact that it has truly been a long time.
So, in the wake of the hit sci-fi show’s 10th anniversary, Netflix just dropped a bombshell, catching the entire fan base off guard with a brand new “VHS Special Edition” of the debut season.
If you were already planning to rewatch Stranger Things, Netflix just gave you another good enough reason to get going. For those curious, the streaming giant has given the eight-episode first season a complete overhaul with retro audio-visual.
The official synopsis invites Stranger Things fans to “rewind and relive the first season with a video store vibe that’s glitchy, grainy, and gloriously vintage – just like you’d have rented it in 1983.” This means that rather than watching the original episodes in 4K HDR, fans can expect potential colour bleeding, visual distortion, tracking lines, and the audio crackle usually found in retro VHS tapes.
The story, the characters, the arc, and the twists remain exactly the same. But instead of coming across as a trip down memory lane, the VHS Special Edition of Stranger Things season one feels like a physical travel through time. And just so you know, all eight episodes have been uploaded in that very format.
The streaming giant already stepped up in more ways than one to celebrate Stranger Things’ 10th anniversary. It kick-started the morning with an anniversary special poster featuring art across five seasons. But if you think that’s all, well, you might be proven wrong once the day comes to an end.
According to What’s on Netflix, eager fans have been eyeing a few more surprise announcements, such as the rumours surrounding Stranger Things: Tales from ’85 and the possible taping of Stranger Things: The First Shadow.
Although viewers might have to hold their horses a little longer for the same, the VHS Special Edition of Stranger Things is available for streaming on Netflix until then. Don’t forget to make it count!