Why Stranger Things season 4 is not for kids

When Netflix’s massive hit Stranger Things first made its debut on the streaming platform, it ran at almost the bare minimum. The Duffer Brothers were more interested in bringing practical effects to life than relying on CGI elements to tell their story. Now of course, with a show of this genre, it is evident that computer enhancement was going to be used, but they kept the cost low during the early seasons by only using the effects when necessary.

Fast forward to 2022, and the Duffer Brothers have earned not only the lee-way to include into the show what they want, but the cash as well. According to Decider, each episode of this newest Stranger Things season comes out to around $30 million. With this increased budget, the crew behind this show is able to go much deeper into the look and feel of the show.

Which, is what they ultimately did. Critics are calling this the most frightening season of Stranger Things yet, and it makes sense. Pushing the boundaries of their TV-14 rating, this show raises the scares to a maximum level. Pulling from classic horror films like Nightmare on Elm Street and The Exorcist, this season is the first time in the show’s run that they decide not to shy away from the brutality. This can be shown early on as you clearly see a number of murdered children just minutes into the first episode.

Stranger Things season 4 is scarier and more brutal than any other season

This is also a show that has seemingly grown with the audience throughout the years. These once kids are now High School sophomores in the late 1980s, and with that comes High School problems. The same kids that were once worried about Dungeons and Dragons still, I guess, are worried about Dungeons and Dragons… but with the added pressure of girls, drinking, and drugs. This show doesn’t display High School as a wonderland, it shows it as it really is, even to a sometimes brutal extent.

Stranger Things Season 4 is easily the most mature season that the show has had, and while I definitely wouldn’t recommend this for children, I think parents should really look at the TV-14 rating seriously before letting their kids watch the show. It is far scarier and more brutal than any of the other seasons, and if there is one thing the Duffer Brothers don’t do, is shy away from difficult subjects and visuals.