Details from IMDB:
Behind the Curtain: Stranger Things – The First Shadow
With special backstage access, see how the cast and crew of “Stranger Things: The First Shadow” race against time to prepare for this groundbreaking theatre premiere in London’s West End, amid public and critical expectations.
Initial Thoughts:
I had completely forgotten that “Stranger Things” had an original story performed as a play. I was just scrolling through Netflix and saw this, and as I wanted a break from reading comics and writing, I decided to watch it last night (plus it was less than 1.5 hours, which is always a bonus!).
Main Points:
I guess with “Stranger Things” over, I’ve been consuming any content I can find related to it, so I was happy to find this. I haven’t been to a play in a long time, and this one really looks incredible! I enjoyed this documentary, as it showed the massive amount of work that goes into a stage production. I can only imagine how hard it was for the actors (and everyone else involved) to have the script changed so many times, while also avoiding spoilers for season 5 of the show and dealing with pressure from Netflix executives.
I thought it showed every aspect of the production really well, and it made me want to see the play. I think it’s wonderful that people still care about live theatre, and I can only imagine the energy and dedication it takes to perform a show like this 8 times a week! I found that the time went by really fast, and I really liked how it showed not only how well it did (great reviews, record numbers of people showing up), but also how it would be performed in NYC.
Final Thoughts:
I find that you can always learn something from a documentary, like how important previews are for a large/important production like “First Shadow”. Little tidbits of knowledge, like you know you need to cut/change a scene when you can hear people start to cough or how you know a scene is great when everyone is so rapt with attention that no one makes a sound. There is a little bit of coarse language here and possibly some disturbing costumes/props, so I would say ages 14+. I enjoyed this documentary and gave it a solid 7.5 out of 10. Perhaps I would have been better off watching the play first, so if you worry about spoilers, this certainly has them (for the play, they actually beep out spoilers for the show!).