Now that Stranger Things has officially wrapped up its massive five-season run, your teenager is probably experiencing some serious Hawkins withdrawal. Fortunately, Matt and Ross Duffer aren't going anywhere—their production company, Upside Down Pictures, has spent early 2026 dropping a brand-new wave of sci-fi and horror projects on Netflix that are designed to fill that exact void.
TL;DR: If your teenager is missing Hawkins, the Duffer Brothers' animated spin-off Stranger Things: Tales From '85 is a fun, TV-PG Saturday-morning cartoon style adventure that's perfect for middle schoolers. For older kids who want that classic Spielbergian "misfits vs. monsters" energy, the newly released sci-fi hit The Boroughs is a home run. If they are hardcore horror fans, the slow-burn psychological thriller Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen delivers genuine dread, but it’s strictly for the high school crowd.
To hear the brothers talk about how they wrapped up their flagship show and transitioned to this new era, check out this retrospective interview:
If your kid isn't ready to let go of Eleven and the gang, this animated spin-off is the ultimate comfort food. Released in April 2026, the series rewinds the clock to the winter of 1985, planting itself right in the sweet spot between Season 2 and Season 3. It's designed to capture the cozy, low-stakes feel of a Saturday-morning cartoon, but with a gorgeous modern animation style that blends 2D and 3D elements.
The best part? It brings back the original middle school crew—Eleven, Mike, Dustin, Lucas, Will, and Max—to fight localized, weird-but-not-too-terrifying monsters. It's a fantastic onboarding ramp if you have younger kids who want to understand the Stranger Things hype but aren't quite ready for the intense body horror of the live-action series.
That said, if your teen is a hardcore purist, prepare for some complaints. The show features an all-new voice cast and introduces a pink-mohawked punk kid named Nikki, who is never mentioned in the main series. Showrunner Eric Robles has clarified that the show isn't strictly 100% canon, so tell your kids to turn off their lore-brain and just enjoy the ride. It’s rated TV-PG, keeping the horror cartoony and focused on teamwork and friendship.
This is the sleeper hit of the season. Created by Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews (the brilliant minds behind The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance) and executive produced by the Duffers, this show takes the classic "unlikely heroes vs. otherworldly threat" formula and transplants it into a sun-drenched retirement community in New Mexico.
Instead of middle schoolers on bikes, we get Alfred Molina, Geena Davis, Alfre Woodard, and Bill Pullman driving golf carts. When a grieving newcomer named Sam Cooper notices a monstrous force stalking the neighborhood—literally trying to steal time from the residents—he recruits a ragtag group of fellow misfits to fight back.
It is an absolute gem of a show. It has the exact same heart, humor, and found-family adventure that made early Stranger Things so magic, but with a deeply moving layer of emotional depth. It handles themes of aging, grief, and making the most of your remaining days with incredible grace, all wrapped in a killer '80s soundtrack featuring Bruce Springsteen and Bill Withers. It’s a perfect family co-watch for anyone in middle school or high school.
Do not put this on for Sunday night family viewing with your ten-year-old. Created by Haley Z. Boston and executive produced by the Duffers, this is a slow-burn psychological horror miniseries that is strictly for the high school crowd.
The premise is simple but deeply unsettling: a young couple (played by Camila Morrone and Adam DiMarco) are preparing for their wedding, but the bride is consumed by a creeping, inescapable dread that a curse is going to ruin everything. As the wedding day approaches, the atmosphere of dread gets under your skin, culminating in a genuinely terrifying climax.
This isn't a show about fun monster-slaying or nostalgic pop songs. It’s a heavy, atmospheric exploration of family trauma, commitment anxiety, and fate. If your older teenager is a film buff who loves slow-burn horror like Midsommar, they will appreciate the masterclass in tension-building. But because of its heavy psychological themes and graphic moments, it earned its TV-MA rating.
If your teen is a true cinema nerd who wants to track how the Duffer Brothers developed their signature style, you can guide them toward their earlier, lesser-known projects:
Hidden (2015)
Before they pitched Hawkins to Netflix, the brothers wrote and directed this claustrophobic, post-apocalyptic thriller starring Alexander Skarsgård. The story follows a family hiding in a bomb shelter from mysterious "Breathers" outside. It's a tight, highly effective exercise in single-location suspense that shows exactly how good the Duffers are at building tension out of thin air.
Wayward Pines (2015)
The brothers wrote and produced four episodes of the first season of this Fox mystery series (executive produced by M. Night Shyamalan). It’s got that classic "weird town with a dark secret" vibe that served as the perfect warm-up lap for Stranger Things.
In late 2025, the Duffer Brothers signed a massive, exclusive four-year deal with Paramount that officially kicked off in April 2026. This means their era of making exclusive TV shows for Netflix is winding down, and they are transitioning to creating "large-scale theatrical films" for the big screen.
While we don't have titles or trailers yet, their upcoming slate under this new deal is expected to focus on big-budget, cinematic sci-fi and horror blockbusters. We will see their first major theatrical releases roll out over the next few years, and if their track record is any indication, they are going to be major cultural events.
The most useful pro-tip when navigating the post-Hawkins landscape is to ignore the "Duffer Brothers" brand name when deciding what is appropriate for your family. Because the brothers now run a massive production company (Upside Down Pictures), their name is stamped on projects with wildly different tones.
Don't assume a show is a fun, PG-13 adventure just because their name is on the poster. Instead, look at the actual showrunner attached. If it's a project led by Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews (like The Boroughs), you’re getting Spielbergian heart and fun sci-fi. If it’s led by Haley Z. Boston (like Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen), you are getting intense, psychological TV-MA horror.
Q: What age is Stranger Things: Tales From '85 appropriate for?
It is rated TV-PG and is great for kids aged 10 and up. It keeps the horror relatively light and cartoonish, making it a much gentler entry point than the live-action series.
Q: Is The Boroughs okay for middle schoolers?
Yes, The Boroughs is highly appropriate for middle schoolers (around 11-12 and up). While it features some sci-fi monsters and supernatural tension, it leans heavily into humor, heart, and a fantastic cast of heroic retirees rather than graphic violence.
Q: Is Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen too scary for teenagers?
For younger teens, yes—it's a heavy, slow-burn psychological horror series rated TV-MA. However, for older high schoolers (15+) who are already fans of atmospheric horror films, it's a great, thought-provoking watch that avoids cheap jump scares in favor of deep tension.
If you're looking for more age-appropriate television for your family, check out our best TV shows for kids list. For kids navigating the middle school years, dive into our digital guide for middle school. If you want to find more atmospheric sci-fi or horror movies, explore our best family movies list.
