When you think of great directors in the horror thriller genre, who do you think about?

Alfred Hitchcock, Wes Craven, James Wan, and even Steven Spielberg may come to mind.  These men defined what it meant to take a “thrill ride” when they released a movie, and for good reason.  From “Psycho” to “Saw,” they knew what would bring viewers back for more or what would keep them awake at night.

When directors release a new television series of the same genre, standards are high.  That being said, expectations were shattered by Netflix’s most recent series, “Stranger Things.”

Directed by the Duffer Brothers, this ’80s science fiction thriller pays homage to other movies during the same time period, with a special nod to Spielberg’s “E.T. the Extra Terrestrial.”   There is no friendly alien, but there is a strange girl with similar powers who befriends the main characters.

The parallels are spread healthily throughout the series in the form of government conspiracies, kids hiding people in their house, and even a bike chase.

This is where the parallels end and the true story begins.  The first episode starts when a monster escapes a secret government laboratory.  In the same town, a group of middle school boys is playing Dungeons and Dragons but get cut short by Michael’s mom.

The other boys decide to race to their houses, but one, Will, gets separated and feels like he is being followed.  He arrives to his empty house and hides in his shed, only to disappear into thin air. From there the story escalates with strange happenings around the entire town and the appearance of a mysterious girl with a shaved head and hospital gown.

The boys take her in and learn they are in danger.  Through multiple disappearances, supernatural powers, investigation into a CIA cover-up and the possibility of other dimensions, “Stranger Things” suspends disbelief like no other.

With superb writing and an ending that will leave you with more questions than answers, season two cannot come soon enough.