Stranger Things: 15 Best Easter Eggs (So Far)
4. E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial
A small town setting, a supernatural entity and a heart-warming relationship between a boy and an outsider on the run from government officials; there were so many subtle nods to E.T. in the first season of Stranger Things, that it's practically impossible to point them all out. But some of the best ones were the more stylistic offerings.
The shot of the boys discovering Eleven in the woods is identical to how Elliot stumbles upon E.T. the 1982 film. Similarly, the boys' bid to outrun Brenner's agents on their bicycles only for Eleven to telekinetically flip one of the vans owes a lot to the film's awe-inspiring final act.
The influences are clear, but they never feel redundant, as each and every one of them enhance the product, aiding the show in its bid to recreate the heart-warming nostalgia of '80s science fiction.