Stranger Things: Tales From '85
Netflix | Release Date: April 23, 2026
CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
52
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 17 Critic Reviews
Positive:
5
Mixed:
8
Negative:
4

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
60
EmpireLeila LatifApr 23, 2026
Season 1 Review: While this animated spin-off makes little sense as part of the established Stranger Things canon, as a stand-alone story with twists aplenty, it’s a witty, vibrant hoot. Read full review
60
The GuardianJack SealeApr 23, 2026
Season 1 Review: It’s not helpful that the scripts are, predictably but not inevitably, not as funny as the parent show, so there’s nothing to offset the feeling of going round in circles. But eventually, the peril intensifies, the intrigue goes deeper. Read full review
60
IGNTara Bennett Apr 23, 2026
Season 1 Review: Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 is a colorful but underbaked addition to the Stranger Things universe. Read full review
50
TheWrapJesse HassengerApr 23, 2026
Season 1 Review: “Stranger Things: Tales From ‘85” has its high points. It just seems like maybe the show’s creators aren’t fully aware of what they are. Read full review
50
San Francisco ChronicleZaki HasanApr 23, 2026
Season 1 Review: While the scares are softer and the humor broader, the emotional through line remains intact. Read full review
50
IndieWireBen TraversApr 23, 2026
Season 1 Review: “Tales from ’85” illustrates a good idea that’s still hamstrung by a devotion to the show’s preexisting lore. Read full review
50
Screen RantKara HedashApr 23, 2026
Season 1 Review: While Tales from '85 may struggle to justify its own existence, it will be interesting to see if another chapter of the animated show will come into fruition since the finale doesn't completely close out the story. Read full review
40
The Hollywood ReporterAngie HanApr 23, 2026
Season 1 Review: I suspect viewers content to settle for a diet version of Stranger Things, whether because they’re too little for the real thing or too fanatical to pass it over, will find little to object to in the spinoff’s faithful if watered-down recreation of the original’s appeal. But I can’t imagine most of them finding much to adore about it, either. Read full review
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