Stranger Things: Tales From '85' Review: Netflix's Animated Spinoff Misses Its Potential

In the realm of optional streaming spinoffs, an animated companion to Stranger Things might seem like an easy win. Many contemporary animated supplements resemble upgraded versions of retro Saturday morning cartoons, and that nostalgic appeal aligns perfectly with the show’s 1980s setting. Even the potential drawbacks—such as animation that resembles caricature rather than faithful character replication or the absence of principal cast members—can be seen as nostalgic throwbacks, akin to series like The Real Ghostbusters or Back to the Future: The Animated Series.

These limitations could have been part of the charm: embracing the show’s whimsical elements without rigidly adhering to established lore or the live-action aesthetic. However, Stranger Things: Tales From '85 squanders its title almost immediately. Rather than delivering episodic adventures featuring kids on bikes during a time jump from the original series, the show presents a condensed Stranger Things season set in early 1985, between Seasons 2 and 3, complete with chapter-style episode titles.

The opportunity for unpredictable side quests focusing on different characters is largely overlooked. Instead, the story follows Mike (Luca Diaz), Dustin (Braxton Quinney), Lucas (Elisha Williams), Will (Ben Plessala), Max (Jolie Hoang-Rappaport), and Eleven (Brooklyn Davey Norstedt) as they team up with a new Hawkins transplant, the punky Nikki (Odessa A’zion), to defeat a Upside Down-spawned threat.

A still from Stranger Things: Tales From ’85. (Netflix)

For devoted fans of the original series—or even casual enthusiasts of ’80s-style Amblin Entertainment pastiches—this isn’t entirely unwelcome. The later seasons of the live-action show featured an increasingly sprawling cast, making it rare to see the core younger characters together. This animated format allows characters like Steve, Nancy, and Hopper to appear without obligatory check-ins, giving the core cast more breathing room.

A’zion lends her distinctive scratchy voice to the likable Nikki, continuing a family tradition as her mother, Pamela Adlon, voices Bobby on King of the Hill. Less prominent characters like Max and Will receive more screen time, though in the world of Stranger Things, that often translates to increased bickering.

These issues could have been mitigated with a different approach to the animated adaptation. The decision to forgo a true Tales format is baffling—especially since the show finds its strongest moments when