Netflix tries to recapture Stranger Things magic with nostalgic re-release

Netflix just can’t let Stranger Things go. Since the final episode aired on New Year’s Eve there’s been a behind-the-scenes documentary, an animated series that expands the story, and now, on the 10th anniversary of the show’s original release, Netflix has released a new version of the show’s first season. The episodes have all been rendered through a VHS-style filter to make it feel like a true product of the ’80s, and it’s surprisingly convincing — if you’re looking to re-watch the show from the beginning, this might be the best way to do it.

Netflix calls the new version of the show the “VHS Special Edition” and offers the following description on its site: “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.” And I have to say, that’s pretty accurate. It’s not clear exactly how Netflix achieved the effect — it appears to be some combination of filters and cropping — but it’s effective. The scanlines, occasional crackle and visual glitch, and nearly square aspect ratio give off definite ’80s vibes, building on top of everything that already exists in Stranger Things.

It works especially well with Stranger Things’ first season, which is small in scale — at least compared to later seasons — and is absolutely dripping in influences from the decade. The first episode alone features references to everything from Dungeons & Dragons to Poltergeist. There are two things that stand out rewatching the show this way. One is that, at least early on, the production design is so accurate that it really helps create the convincing retro effect. If you didn’t know any better, you might believe this is actually an ’80s production. The other is that the filters actually help mask some of the CG effects, which haven’t aged especially well, but now can hide under a retro glaze. That goes for the slimy, filthy Upside Down as well as that terrifying original Demogorgon that stalks Hawkins, Indiana.

Watching this version of Stranger Things reminds me of playing old games using a CRT filter through gadgets like the Analogue 3D. It’s not exactly the same as popping a tape into a VCR, but the vibes are close enough. And for a show that tries so desperately to replicate the energy of films from the era, it’s especially fitting. It’s impressive just how much of an impact a simple filter can have. Nothing else about the show is changed aside from the visuals, and yet the experience is markedly different. The difference really hit home when a full-screen ad-break appeared with crisp and colorful visuals that are definitely from 2026, providing a stark contrast.

The release does raise some questions about the future of Stranger Things at Netflix. The franchise is still limping along with an impending season of Tales from ’85 and, presumably, an eventual streaming debut for the stage show prequel The First Shadow. Series creators the Duffer brothers, meanwhile, seem to have largely moved on. It’s not clear if anything post-season 1 will be getting VHS-ified, though I would guess that later seasons — particularly the set-piece-filled final season — won’t work quite as well given their much larger scale. It’s hard to imagine a shootout with a skyscraper-sized beast looking like a remnant from the ’80s. What is clear, though, is that despite Netflix largely moving on from the tentpole strategy that defined its early years, the streamer isn’t quite ready to let go of its biggest hit.

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Andrew Webster