Details from IMDb:
One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5
An inside look at the production process of Stranger Things 5 with Director Martina Radwan, who spent a full year on set documenting the creation of the final season.
Initial Thoughts:
I really enjoyed “Stranger Things” and, despite other opinions, thought the end was well done. I was curious about this documentary, so I decided to give it a watch today (on Netflix, of course).
Main Points:
“Stranger Things” was a great show. I think the final season was padded (and even slow at times), but the documentary makes it clear that the Duffer brothers were under pressure from Netflix to finish it, so I will cut them a little slack. That said, as with last season, I thought this documentary was a little long. I understand they wanted to show how much effort the production staff put in, but still, a little more editing wouldn’t have gone astray. I found myself getting a little bored for the last 20-30 minutes. I had forgotten that 95% percent of the show was done with practical effects and involved a huge amount of set design/construction. With CGI and AI becoming more of a part of the entertainment business than ever, I thought this was a great stance they took, and it led to some wonderful set pieces/scenes.
I really enjoyed seeing all of the actors say goodbye to their characters, and it was encouraging to see how the Duffer brothers allowed so much input/feedback from everyone involved. I liked seeing some history with the Duffer brothers as well, including the many movies/writers that influenced them and the show. Of course, I have always loved the D&D aspect of the show and quite enjoyed the making of those scenes and got some feels when everyone started to cry after the final scene was filmed, like they said it can be hard to say goodbye to a part of your life, but you have to, life goes on.
Final Thoughts:
Despite some tensions with the production design (not having final scripts before set design/being asked to do very big, difficult scenes must have been stressful), it was great to see everyone so friendly with each other. As they said, I imagine working on a show for 10 years builds a lot of connections. The Duffer brothers complain several times here about the pressure from Netflix/stress, and while I’m sure it was there, I also think they were a little unrealistic. If you direct a massively popular/important show, of course, the owners will pressure you; the entertainment industry is a lot of things, but it still comes down to money 9/10 times. I also really connected with the idea of not having many friends growing up (and how being a geek/nerd was tough 30 years ago), and how difficult that is for some people. I would recommend this if you’re a big fan of the show and really want to see all the behind-the-scenes content; others may not enjoy it much. 7.5 out of 10 for me, please don’t let your kids watch this, coarse language and some mature themes, ages 14+. While I know there is more “Stranger Things” coming, I’m not sure if I’ll continue. I’m glad I saw this, though, and any film that hits me in the feels is worth a watch.