Since 2016, fans have been waiting for this moment when Netflix drops the finale of the mega-hit series Stranger Things.
It ran for 2 hours and 8 minutes, and for the first time, the show’s episode is released in cinemas, which begs the question: what are critics saying about it?
Writing in Empire Online, reviewer Leila Latif opines, “Big, heartfelt and impeccably made, Stranger Things’ finale is solid but oh so safe, favoring comfort and closure over terror, devastation and the boldness its mythology promised.”
Echoing her overall view on the show, The Wrap’s critic Bob Strauss pens, “Matt and Ross Duffer’s magnum opus came to a satisfying enough finish, while leaving room for the countless millions who care deeply enough about it — itself quite the accomplishment in our atomized pop culture era — to nitpick the thing to death. The creators probably know that’s fun or cathartic, depending on how much the show meant to you.”
In Nerdist, Michael Walsh, an author, reviews, “This final chapter ended this party’s campaign with a satisfying farewell. But like the rest of Stranger Things 5’s few bewildering decisions and some weird pacing kept Stranger Things’ series finale from true greatness.”
However, not every critic is impressed by the finale. For example, critics Angie Han and Daniel Feinberg. In The Hollywood Reporter, they both share their views on the last outing of one of Netflix’s most-watched series.
“This final extravaganza just hammered home for me why I’ve been so exasperated by this show lately, and so eager to see it end already,” Angie says.
Sharing her thoughts, Daniel likewise adds, “I also had some disappointment that they went back to the Mind Flayer well again, especially since the ‘giant spider” of it all made me think back to the miniseries adaptation of It and the giant spider that blew all the good will that came before.”
In a sum-up, critics have been mixed about Matt and Ross Duffer’s finale of the globally popular Stranger Things.