The Duffer brothers name their three “endlessly rewatchable” desert island movies
Matt and Ross Duffer may have created the most popular TV show of the last decade with Stranger Things, but their biggest influences come from film, not television. With classic movie references woven throughout all five seasons, it’s no surprise the Duffer brothers have strong opinions on what makes great cinema.
Stranger Things is a unique project that is unlike anything else before in television history. Even if there were big-budget, spectacle-driven shows in the past like Lost and Game of Thrones, the sporadic release and intense hype behind each season of Stranger Things has made it feel like a true blockbuster event.
Unsurprisingly, the show’s creators had clear picks in mind when asked about the most “endlessly rewatchable” films that they would take with them on a desert island.
No one would be surprised that they picked The Empire Strikes Back, given that it’s one of the most universally agreed upon films that’s listed as one of the best ever made. There’s plenty of Star Wars references made by the characters in Stranger Things, and fans of the show have been quick to point out comparisons between some of the main characters; if Mike (Finn Wolfhard) has the altruistic goodness that makes him feel like the “Luke Skywalker of Stranger Things”, Steve (Joe Keery) has the wise-cracking charisma that would draw comparisons to Harrison Ford’s Han Solo.
Given how immersed Stranger Things is with the aesthetics and vernacular of the ‘80s, it would be pretty shocking if they didn’t list Back to the Future as one of their picks. Beyond being a perfect time travel movie and having one of the best high-concept science fiction premises ever, Back to the Future presented an aspirational image of what an ‘80s teenage hero would look like.
It seems like all of the main heroes are trying to channel their inner Marty McFly (Michael J Fox) in some way or another, and the first half of Stranger Things’ fifth season even included a stunt involving electrocution that evokes comparisons with the iconic clock tower scene in the original Back to the Future.
While the references in Stranger Things would make it feel more likely for the Duffers to pick something like Gremlins, Ghostbusters, The Goonies, or A Nightmare on Elm Street as their last pick, they swerved to select Heat, the Michael Mann masterpiece from 1995. Heat couldn’t be further in tone and style from Stranger Things, as the crime thriller of obsession and madness was regarded as one of the most brutal, intensive character studies of its era.
Nonetheless, the Duffers clearly respect greatness, and Heat is the rare film that has only grown in estimation since it was released. Although it received modest reviews and box office when it first debuted, Heat has gone on to be regarded as one of the greatest achievements in Michael Mann’s career, which is no small statement when considering how many classics he’s been involved in.
Interestingly, Mann originated as a television showrunner who created Miami Vice, and then started directing films. Now that the Duffer brothers have decided to avoid a Stranger Things reboot and start making theatrical films, it’s possible that they’ve looked at Mann as an inspiration.
