The shocking 80s film every Stranger Things fan absolutely needs to watch first

If you’ve ever found yourself missing the chills, the laughs, and the power of childhood friendship that defined Stranger Things, you’re not alone—and fortunately, there’s an essential 80s film waiting to fill that Hawkins-shaped hole in your heart. Before you start rewatching, counting down days to upcoming spin-offs, or considering a phone call to the Duffer brothers (they’re probably busy, sorry!), it’s time to revisit a legendary cinema adventure that inspired Stranger Things: The Goonies.

The Stranger Things Void: What Now?

With Stranger Things now a beautifully wrapped-up chapter—at least for now—fans are faced with a trio of options worthy of an existential Dungeons & Dragons debate:

• Rewatch Stranger Things from the very beginning, reliving every Demogorgon encounter and Eggo theft.
• Wait (im)patiently for the forthcoming spin-offs Matt and Ross Duffer have cooking in their creative laboratory.
• Or, turn to the vast universe of movies and series that inspired the Netflix phenomenon in the first place.

If that last choice makes your nostalgia senses tingle, you’re in for a treat. The Duffer brothers have openly drawn from a rich well of film and TV history, especially from the eighties. And nowhere does this legacy shine more than in one particular classic: The Goonies.

Stranger Things: An 80s Movie in Disguise

The creators themselves have described Stranger Things as “an 80s movie split into episodes”—which means there’s no better cure for Hawkins withdrawal than to trace the show’s DNA straight back to its origins. The influence of cinematic giants like John Carpenter, Stephen King, and Steven Spielberg dances through every shadowy hallway and bike ride in Stranger Things. These icons crafted the tone, storytelling, and unforgettable characters that shaped a decade—and, decades later, inspired our modern sci-fi fantasy.

If you look close enough, you’ll find Stranger Things’ fingerprints in movies like:

• E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
• Firestarter
• A Nightmare on Elm Street
• Even Poltergeist

But when it comes to spirit, style, and a rowdy team of kids with big hearts, nothing comes closer to Stranger Things than a certain Richard Donner film. Yes, the one with the infamous pirate map, a booby-trapped underground journey, and, let’s face it, more treasure than mere mortals should handle.

Why The Goonies?

The Goonies is not just any adventure film—it’s a full-blown reference point for 80s adventure cinema. Directed by Richard Donner from a story dreamed up by Steven Spielberg and adapted for the screen by Chris Columbus, The Goonies landed right in the middle of the 1980s, ready to capture the imagination of a generation (and several more after!).

The story? A group of friends from a small American town stumbles across a treasure map leading to the legendary pirate One-Eyed Willy. With a greedy developer threatening to turn their neighborhood into a golf course, these kids embark on a wild search for hidden loot, aiming to save their homes—and maybe score a little glory along the way.

Sound familiar? If you’ve spent any time with Mike, Will, Lucas, and Dustin, you’ll recognize the DNA. The parallels go beyond just the adventure—they’re baked into the values. Both tales are told from the perspective of young protagonists who live every moment to the fullest, powered by strong values of love, friendship, and mutual support. Stranger Things’ beloved group of friends shares more than a few things in common (from quick wits to quirky nicknames) with Mikey, Data, Mouth, and Chunk—the original Goonies core. And, lest we forget, both crews have a trio of older teens reluctantly roped into their hazardous antics.

Watching The Goonies is like stepping onto the creaky floorboards of a familiar, delightfully haunted house. The streets may not be Hawkins, but the spirit is the same—and the adventure, just as heart-pounding.

Still Hungry for Adventure?

If you’re mourning the end of Stranger Things, don’t just linger at the edge of the Upside Down, waiting for those promised spin-offs. Dive into the unforgettable world of The Goonies. Revisit the laughs, the scares, the genuine friendships forged in the fire of the wildest summer ever encountered by a small-town crew. After all, adventure is timeless—and The Goonies shows us that saving your neighborhood (and maybe the world) is best done alongside the people you love.

So grab your (figurative) treasure map and gather your own crew—you never know when your next epic story might begin.