- Network: Netflix
- Series Premiere Date: Apr 23, 2026
Critic Reviews
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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.
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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.
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Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 is a colorful but underbaked addition to the Stranger Things universe.
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“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.
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While the scares are softer and the humor broader, the emotional through line remains intact.
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“Tales from ’85” illustrates a good idea that’s still hamstrung by a devotion to the show’s preexisting lore.
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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.
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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.