The Netflix series Stranger Things has come under scrutiny by critics comparing the age of the actors to their on-screen counterparts.
First released back in 2016, Stranger Things has gone on to become one of the biggest commercial successes in the history of the streaming service. Making a name of the likes of Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Noah Schnapp and Sadie Sink, the show also elevated the profiles of such esteemed stars as David Harbour, Winona Ryder, Matthew Modine and Sean Astin.
Ever since the series started in 2016, there has been a growing disparity between the age of the actors and the growth of their on-screen characters.
Snapping back at such critics, the writers of the show, who share a Twitter account, shared a vintage video in response showing a bunch of high schoolers from 1989, shot on grainy home video. The caption for the video read: “to everyone who says our actors look too old to play high schoolers”.
Indeed, the high school students of the 1980s do indeed look far more mature than contemporary pupils, with wild hairstyles and smart clothes that don’t make the older Stranger Things cast look out of place at all.
Due to the recent SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes, season five of Stranger Things is facing considerable delays in production. The Hollywood strikes are the biggest of their kind since 1960.
Take a look at the social media clip posted by the Stranger Things writer below.