Stranger Things Season 4 Volume 1 is darker and more mature than ever before. Terrifying at times, this volume clocks in at just under 9 hours.
Fans have been waiting far too long for Stranger Things Season 4, but the time has finally come and the wait was more than worth it. The season is split into two volumes, with the first being seven episodes, and the second being the final two episodes of the season. Stranger Things Season 4 Volume 1 drops on Netflix May 27th and is nearly 9 full hours of content.
The rating was changed to TV-MA, and for good reason, before being switched back to TV-14. Stranger Things 4 certainly walks that very thin line, so be prepared. This season is darker, more mature, and straight up terrifying. It is horror at it’s finest as it is filled with grotesque deaths, heart pounding suspense, and numerous jump scares. Stranger Things Season 4 Volume 1 is completely unafraid to go balls to the wall with the story, cinematography, score, and visuals.
While fans were patiently waiting, the team behind this show was taking it to a whole new level. It’s intense, frightening, and nightmare inducing. When it comes to the horror aspects, it has a lot to do with the visuals and the villain of the season, Vecna. He isn’t your typical Stranger Things monster.
Think more like Freddie Kruger. Vecna gets in your head and attacks more on a psychological level, which is what makes him so freaking scary. Not to mention the incredible creature design, with parts of his body that slither and move all over him.
This season starts off a few months after we last visited Hawkins. Eleven, Jonathan, Will, and Joyce live in California, and Hopper is is Russia under capture of the Soviets, which sets up three distinct locations for the season. This also means there are a couple of storylines playing out here, although they overlap with each other every now and then.
By the end of episode 2, Spring Break is upon us. Mike has gone to visit El and Will in California, which just helps even the number of characters in each location. Jonathan has a new friend Argyle, who sure to be a fan favorite. He is a typical California teenager — a stoner pizza delivery boy — and provides the majority of the comedic relief.
Back in Hawkins, fans are given another new character, and likely another fan favorite. Eddie is labeled a freak by his fellow schoolmates, and he is the head of the Hellfire Club, an after school Dungeons and Dragons club which, of course, Dustin, Lucas, and Mike are a part of. When things start to get weird around town, people immediately blame the “freak” who likes D&D and heavy metal. This is a great relation to real life, where books are often judged by their covers.
Joseph Quinn, who plays Eddie, is probably the best addition to the cast this season. He is a whole lot of fun, and actually quite charming. He is a bit off, but that is what makes him so lovable.
If it wasn’t for Eddie and his club, their first year of High School wouldn’t be nearly as entertaining. Well, at least for Dustin and Mike, Lucas has joined the High School Basketball team which sometimes pulls him away from his friends.
When strange things start happening in Hawkins, a mystery presents itself that quite possibly has ties to the Upside Down. The friends are separated into two groups, in a time before cellphones, which means they don’t have much contact with each other. While it might be a bit weird at first, it actually works well with the complete story arc that fans are getting.
Speaking of the story arc, this season’s episodes all play out like a movie. There are twists and turns and some completely unexpected directions, but as it all comes together, it should be applauded at how well it works. Not one episode is less than an hour, which can be a bit daunting. Some might say this takes away the bingeability of the season, however there will be fans that dedicate nine hours of their May 27th to Stranger Things 4.
Are the episodes too long? Does it take away from the season as a whole? Absolutely not. In fact, it only helps the pacing and understanding of the season. The length of these episodes allow viewers to become completely immersed in this new mystery. The story only gets scarier the more it unfolds. In regards to predictability, there are some things that can be guessed prior to being shown, however the biggest shocks will be just that — shocking.
One of the best parts of Stranger Things Season 4 Volume 1 is the way it is shot. The cinematography is stunning. There are mirror images of the Upside Down and “real world” that will cause viewers to drop their jaws.
The sweeping shots, the visual callbacks to previous seasons, and the VFX are mind blowing. Add the eerie score to this and fans will have permanent goosebumps throughout the entire season.
Long time Stranger Things fans will be thrilled to hear that we spend a fair amount of time with El in flashbacks. We have seen a bit of the Rainbow Room in the past, however the events of what took place during her training and time there are revealed in detail this season. These moments allow us to understand El better, and connect with her more.
We get to see a younger version of El, and witness how she was treated by the other numbers and what her life was like before meeting Mike, Dustin, Will, and Hopper. Moments spent with her in the first episode, also give us an insight into how much Hopper meant to her.
Speaking of Hopper, he is a prisoner in Russia and to be honest, we don’t get a whole ton of time with him compared to the other characters. He, Joyce, and Murray sort of have their own storyline going on and while it is by far the weakest of the season, it is sure to have a lot to do with what is to come. There is a reason there isn’t too much time spent on it, likely because the real intense things are going down with the Hawkins kids and the California kids.
Dmitri is another new character and is one of Hop’s guards. Their relationship is an interesting one, that even brings some laughs at times. He is a fun addition to the cast.
Fans will also get to see Robin and Nancy finally spend some time together. There is a bit of tension between the two of them at first, which is common when two girls of the same age share the screen in television or film. However, the two of them have some truly fantastic moments on screen. In an effort to remain spoiler free, we won’t go into detail, but the image above is from one of the best scenes in the season — story wise and acting wise.
Steve Harrington has always been a fan favorite, and that is sure to continue after this season of Stranger Things. He is the world’s best babysitter, after all. His on screen chemistry with the kids is fantastic, and he delivers a lot of the humor this season once again. He and Dustin have always had a complicated relationship and after throwing another older male friend into the mix with Eddie, the fun just doesn’t stop.
As the trailers made it quite clear, Max has a large role to play in this season. We don’t want to spoil anything but let’s just say Sadie Sink is up for that challenge. She has always had a bit of an attitude, but that mixed with what can only be described as pure terror, helps her standout and shine in Stranger Things 4. Max comes face to face with some intense emotions, and the way she handles it is incredible.
Stranger Things Season 4 Volume 1 might be more mature, absolutely terrifying, and one of the scariest shows ever to hit Netflix, but that doesn’t mean it skimps out on the fun and humor. There are laugh out loud moments sprinkled between the hide behind your blanket moments that help break up the intensity.
At this point these actors know their so well that it can be forgiven they look a bit too old for their roles. That said, costume, hair, and makeup does a great job of creating looks that pass for High Schoolers. There is so much going on, and so much to uncover, that the age of the characters is easy to look over.
This season of Stranger Things is truly terrifying. It is leaps and bounds above the previous seasons in maturity and horrific moments. There are scenes in volume 1 that are grotesque (but in a good way). Episode 7 is where it all starts to come together and the ties to previous seasons are revealed. After nearly nine hours viewers will be all in, and begging for the final two episodes of Stranger Things Season 4, which will release on July 1st.
Intense, frightening, and nightmare inducing, this is by far the best season yet. It’s long, but never slows down. Get ready for permanent goosebumps!
Rating: 5 out of 5
NEXT: Stranger Things Season 3 Review
About Stranger Things Season 4 Volume 1
It’s been six months since the Battle of Starcourt, which brought terror and destruction to Hawkins. Struggling with the aftermath, our group of friends are separated for the first time – and navigating the complexities of high school hasn’t made things any easier. In this most vulnerable time, a new and horrifying supernatural threat surfaces, presenting a gruesome mystery that, if solved, might finally put an end to the horrors of the Upside Down.
Stranger Things Season 4 Volume 1 Episode Titles & Runtime
- Chapter One: The Hellfire Club – 76 minutes
- Chapter Two: Vecna’s Curse – 77 minutes
- Chapter Three: The Monster and the Superhero – 63 minutes
- Chapter Four: Dear Billy – 77 minutes
- Chapter Five: The Nina Project – 74 minutes
- Chapter Six: The Dive – 73 minutes
- Chapter Seven: The Massacre at Hawkins Lab – 98 minutes
All 7 episodes of Stranger Things Season 4 Volume 1 drops on Netflix May 27th.
Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. She is also a Freelance Writer. Tessa has been in the Entertainment writing business for ten years and is a member of several Critics Associations including the Critics Choice Association and the Greater Western New York Film Critics Association.