7 Must-Watch Coming Of Age Shows for Fans of Stranger Things!

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Summary

  • Stranger Things is Netflix’s flagship show, transcending boundaries with its coming-of-age story and action-packed episodes.
  • Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Veronica Mars share similarities with Stranger Things, focusing on mystery, supernatural elements, and high schoolers.
  • Other shows like The Midnight Club, All Of Us Are Dead, Paradise, I Am Not Okay With This, and Freaks and Geeks offer unique takes on high school-centered stories rich with mystery and supernatural themes.

From its inception over a decade past, Stranger Things has ascended to become Netflix’s marquee series, consistently offering thrilling action and heart-pounding spectacle with each new season, as Eleven and her companions continue their battles against the sinister forces lurking within The Upside Down.

In the 1980s, set in a small town named Hawkins, the adventure of Mike, Will, Dustin, Lucas, Max, and Eleven unfolded, marking a cultural shift in pop culture. This story, much like Stranger Things, has crossed borders, striking a chord with millions worldwide due to its heartfelt coming-of-age tale. Similar to Stranger Things, many coming-of-age stories have found a comfortable niche on television, sharing commonalities with the Netflix phenomenon.

7. Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Cult Classic Following The Adventures Of A High School Monster Hunter

In the 90s, few television shows left as deep an imprint as “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” a supernatural high school drama that set the stage for what would later become popular in series like “Stranger Things” and the streaming era. As its title implies, Buffy is a high school student who transforms into a vampire slayer, fighting against an ever-present evil in Sunnydale, alongside her friends known as the Scoobies. Together, they confront and vanquish all manner of supernatural foes, from ghouls to demons.

Despite not being Demogorgons, the powerful supernatural adversaries Buffy faces pose persistent challenges for her character, encompassing anxieties, teenage struggles, and questions of identity. These themes echo strongly in the series Stranger Things, a show that continues to thrive on its enduring popularity nearly two decades after its debut.

6. The Midnight Club

Terminally Ill Teenagers Hold A Scary Story Club That Brings Unwanted Terrors

Among the numerous productions by Mike Flanagan for Netflix, this acclaimed horror director created “The Midnight Club”, a chilling teen horror series. It revolves around eight terminally ill teenagers residing in a hospice who band together as friends and form The Midnight Club at midnight. Here, they share ghost stories that eventually seem to manifest in their lives.

In a chilling fashion reminiscent of Flanagan’s signature horror style, the young characters find themselves tormented by eerie events. Simultaneously, they grapple with themes such as mourning, suspicion, and unity, their relationships and secret group sharing resemblances to the beloved gang from Stranger Things, including characters like Mike and Dustin.

5. Veronica Mars

High School Student Who Becomes A Top-Notch Detective

In contrast to their distinct storylines and settings, “Veronica Mars” and “Stranger Things” share surprising similarities under the surface. Both series revolve around enigmatic plots, hidden secrets within seemingly ordinary towns, and adolescents finding themselves in perilous situations that exceed their experience levels. Following the demise of her closest friend, Veronica Mars, a multifaceted high schooler, becomes relentlessly dedicated to unraveling persistent mysteries within the small coastal town of Neptune.

In Kristen Bell’s remarkable role as Veronica, the character carries a significant portion of the series, given its unique blend of neo-noir elements set within a high school environment, offering a novel perspective on the genre.

4. All Of Us Are Dead

Korean Zombie Mayhem Featuring High Schoolers

Amidst the increasing popularity of Korean entertainment in the Western world, highlighted by shows like “Parasite” and “Squid Game”, “All of Us Are Dead” follows suit, delivering a thrilling high school narrative infused with horror elements due to its engaging zombie concept. By refreshing the conventional zombie narrative, “All of Us Are Dead” opts to portray a zombie outbreak from the viewpoint of a group of Korean teenagers, with its high school setting providing an unending stream of action and excitement.

In addition to typical school relationships, romances, and minor conflicts, this popular series shares a similarity with another network sensation, Stranger Things, as it centers around a group of teenagers fighting terrifying and ruthless creatures.

3. Paradise

Spanish Sci-Fi Show That Finds Teenagers Trying To Find Missing Girls

In simpler terms, the Spanish series “Paradise” appears to have drawn influence from “Stranger Things”. It shares the same supernatural theme and incorporates the story of teenagers involved in an engaging sci-fi plotline. Following the vanishing of three girls, a gang of curious friends join forces to uncover the secrets hidden within a coastal town, which seems to conceal numerous supernatural enigmas.

For enthusiasts of “Stranger Things” who crave more adventures involving teens and supernatural entities, they might discover “Paradise” to be equally captivating, although it presents these elements in another language.

2. I Am Not Okay With This

High School Girl Learns To Deal With Superpowers And Love

Apart from “Stranger Things”, Netflix also showcases another high school narrative intertwined with supernatural elements, titled “I Am Not Okay With This“. The series revolves around Sydney Novak’s journey through high school, as she grapples with various challenges, including self-discovery, relationships, the manifestation of extraordinary abilities, coping with loss, and the ups and downs of adolescence.

In the series, it is revealed that Sydney’s telekinetic abilities are connected to her feelings, particularly her romantic attraction towards Dina and the loss of her father. These intense emotions often lead to a lack of control, similar to Eleven’s experiences in Stranger Things.

1. Freaks And Geeks

Iconic Springboard Show Featuring Future A-Listers

In the early days of their careers, actors such as Seth Rogen and James Franco first appeared on the scene in the one-season television series called “Freaks and Geeks”. Created by comedic talents Paul Feig and Judd Apatow, this show focused on a group of underdog high school students who found themselves in the limelight. Their complicated and unvarnished school and social experiences were portrayed, offering a raw and authentic look at their lives.

Despite being terminated after just one season, “Freaks and Geeks” has garnered legendary status for its portrayal of high school outcasts, offering an authentic glimpse into the complexities of school existence and the chaos that accompanies adolescence, much like how “Stranger Things” depicts growing up.

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2025-04-26 18:38