8 shows to watch while waiting for Stranger Things season 5

Created by The Duffer Brothers, Stranger Things, is an immensely popular sci-fi horror and mystery drama starring Winona Ryder, Millie Bobby Brown, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, and others. The show is set in the 1980s and focuses on the town of Hawkins in Indiana, which gets engulfed by other dimensional creatures after illegal experiments are conducted in the town’s lab.

Now, a group of teenagers and a special girl must fight against the horrifying monsters. The series became a smash hit due to its nostalgic flavour, performances, visuals, and a stunning soundtrack. A pop culture phenomenon, the series will be back for a fifth season this year. But before it arrives, here is a look at some other similar shows that are packed with horror, mystery, and suspenseful thrills.

Viewers who want to experience the same thrills and suspense as Stranger Things can check the below mentioned list for some similarly-themed shows.

Dark, Safe, and other shows to watch before Stranger Things season 5

1) I am not Okay with This (Netflix)

A still from the show (Image via Netflix)

Based on a graphic novel by Charles Forsman, this coming-of-age black comedy stars Sophia Lillis, Wyatt Oleff, and others. Developed by Jonathan Entwistle and Christy Hall, the show is about a teenage girl who has psychokinetic powers and must navigate stages of adolescent life like sexuality and emotions.

Like Eleven in Stranger Things, the protagonist in this show also has telekinetic powers, which she must hone. Similar to the The Duffer Brothers series, I am not Okay with This is also a coming-of-age story at its core, and has a light sci-fi undertone as well.

2) Dead Boy Detectives (Netflix)

Developed by Steve Yockey and based on the DC comics characters by Neil Gaiman and Matt Wagner, this supernatural horror and detective comedy drama revolves around two teenage ghosts who forgo the afterlife to work with a clairvoyant and solve supernatural mysteries, until a witch comes by.

Like Stranger Things, the show delves into the supernatural and revolves around a couple of mystery-solving teens who go through various horrifying adventures like the Hawkins crew. Both shows have stunning visuals, a suspenseful plot, and intriguing moments.

3) Locke and Key (Netflix)

Based on a comic book series by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez, this fantasy drama and supernatural series stars Connor Jessup, Emilia Jones, and others. The show revolves around a family who shift to a mysterious house that has a number of keys that unlock doors and magic, and must save themselves from a demonic entity looking for the keys as well.

Like Stranger Things, the show is about a supernatural and horror adventure undertaken by a group of children. Both shows have themes of the upside down. And both shows have a similarly gripping narrative that hinges on mystery.

4) Safe (Netflix)

Starring Michael C. Hall, Amanda Abbington, and others, this British drama thriller is created by Harlan Coben. The show is about a paediatric surgeon, Tom, whose wife has passed away from cancer, and he struggles to form a bond with his two daughters. But when one of them goes missing, he frantically searches for her.

Even though the show is not about sci-fi or monsters like Stranger Things, it has a similar premise where Tom tirelessly searches for his daughter, like Joyce Byers does for her son. Both shows are gripping and revolve around uncovering mysteries that begin with a child’s disappearance.

5) Dark (Netflix)

Created by Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese and starring Louis Hofmann, this German sci-fi thriller revolves around a town, Winden, where a missing child sets in motion a range of events that encapsulate a mind-bending mystery spanning across three generations of four families.

The show was deemed similar to Stranger Things as it has the same premise of a child going missing in a small and mysterious town. Both shows have complicated plotlines and revolve around a bunch of people who realize that their town has a supernatural phenomenon. Both series have sci-fi concepts as well.

6) All of Us Are Dead (Netflix)

Starring Park Solomon, Park Ji-hu, Lee Yoo-mi, and others, this South Korean coming-of-age zombie apocalypse and horror series revolves around a group of high school students who get stuck inside their school amidst a zombie outbreak and must survive through all odds.

Like Stranger Things, where the Hawkins teens fight against monsters and abnormal creatures, this show similarly revolves around the same plot of a bunch of teenagers fighting against zombies. Both shows have elements of horror, survival, and government conspiracies.

7) Zone Blanche (Amazon Prime Video)

Still from the show (Image via Amazon Prime Video)

Created by Mathieu Missoffe and starring Suliane Brahim, Laurent Capelluto, and others, this French-Belgian supernatural thriller is about a small and isolated town, where a prosecutor arrives to investigate the high murder rate. The town has a mysterious forest that holds many secrets.

Like Stranger Things, the show is about mystery, horror, and secrets that engulf a small town like Hawkins. The show has an atmosphere that resembles the "upside down." Further, both shows are suspenseful, eerie, and have terrifying moments.

8) The Umbrella Academy (Netflix)

The Umbrella Academy (Image via Netflix)

Based on a comic book series by Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá, this superhero comedy drama created by Steve Blackman, stars Eliot Page, Tom Hopper, and others. The show is about a dysfunctional family of adopted superhero siblings who must tackle an impending apocalypse.

Like Stranger Things, the show is about a group of dysfunctional people who fight monsters. This series has similar impressive effects, witty dialogues, moments of camaraderie, a great soundtrack, and themes of sci-fi. Both shows also explore family dynamics.

Viewers are welcome to go through the list and choose a show that is similar to Stranger Things. All the series on the list promise to offer adventure, mystery, and suspense.

Edited by Meghna