- Network: Netflix
- Series Premiere Date: Apr 23, 2026
Critic Reviews
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Who’s the audience for this infantile, animated take on an indelible series? Only diehards and dimwits need apply.
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Tales From ’85 tries to appeal to both longtime fans of the live-action series wanting more of this universe and also kids who aren’t old enough to watch Stranger Things. That divide impacts every aspect of the show, from the visuals to the tone to the story—and not for the better.
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Every chance to do something inventive and interesting in “Tales from ‘85” is ignored for lazy fan-fic writing, slack plotting, and inconsistent characters.
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Without the liability of actors whose voices will deepen and heights will shoot up over time, Netflix can continue to exploit this IP as long as its audience desires, looking ever-more-solipsistically inward rather than branching out. I’ll give “Tales From ‘85” this much credit: it’s as creepy and unsettling an idea as this horror-adjacent franchise has produced in years.