Prime Video’s 87% RT Sci-Fi Gem Is the Perfect Show for ‘Stranger Things’ Fans

It’s been a decade since Stranger Things debuted on Netflix, instantly capturing audiences with its “Steven Spielberg meets Stephen King​​​​​​” vibes and ’80s nostalgia. Despite its polarizing ending, Stranger Things has evolved into a full-blown franchise, including the stage play Stranger Things: The First Shadow and the upcoming animated series Stranger Things: Tales from ’85. Very few streamers have a series that can match the concept or the allure of Stranger Things, but Prime Video would deliver an unlikely successor in Tales from the Loop.

Based on the art book by Simon Stålenhag, Tales from the Loop takes place in the small town of Mercer, Ohio. What makes Mercer stand out from other small towns is that it is home to a host of unexplained phenomena, including time travel, robots, and strange stones that defy gravity. To study these events, the scientists at the Mercer Center for Experimental Physics have created an underground facility known as the Loop, where they try to “make the impossible possible.” Tales from the Loop stands out from Stranger Things and other sci-fi shows thanks to its stunning visuals and deep themes.

‘Tales from the Loop’ is Both a Cerebral and Visual Masterpiece

A unique aspect of Tales from the Loop is that, while each episode is set in the same small town, each tells a different story with a sci-fi theme. The episode “Transpose” features two friends switching bodies, while “Parallel” features a guard in the Loop encountering his alternate universe self. Each episode often builds on the events of the previous one, particularly regarding Cole (Duncan Joiner), a young boy who lives in Mercer. Cole not only watches his mother, Loretta (Rebecca Hall), encounter her younger self, but he also ends up leaping through time himself and reflecting on his life. This allows Tales from the Loop to explore themes of family, mortality, and identity through a sci-fi lens. It also drew some top-notch directors, including Ti West (X) and Andrew Stanton (WALL-E), to bring those themes to life.Tales from the Loop is also infamous forbringing Simon Stålenhag’s art to life with some truly dazzling visuals, delivering a retro-futuristic landscape that will stick with viewers long after they finish the series. Whether it’s the strange dome-like devices surrounding the Loop, a man gaining a robotic arm, or hovering tractors, Tales from the Loop features technology with one foot in the past and the other in the future. VFX producer Andrea Knoll spoke about how she brought Tales from the Loop to life with Deadline, ironically noting how her work on Stranger Things brought her to the project:

“A very good friend and colleague recommended me for Tales from the Loop. We had worked on Stranger Things together, and he knew my quality of work and work ethic…we wanted to maintain a painterly quality throughout the season, and we wanted the visual effects to preserve the feeling that is present in Simon’s book—that while there are these unique, magnificent sci-fi structures and elements in this town, they don’t overtake the story.”

Knoll’s work would net Tales from the Loop a pair of Emmy nominations for Outstanding Cinematography and Outstanding Visual Effects. It would also net an 87% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with mixed-to-positive reactions all around. Some loved the series’ approach, while others noted that they walked away confused. Regardless, Tales from the Loop ​​​​​​is the kind of series you can’t ignore.

Following ‘Tales from the Loop’, Netflix Adapted Another Simon Stålenhag Book with a ‘Stranger Things’ Alum

Tales from the Loop wouldn’t be the only Simon Stålenhag book brought to life by a streaming service. In the same year, it was announced that Joe & Anthony Russo would direct The Electric State, based on Stålenhag’s graphic novel that detailed the aftermath of a war between humanity and artificial intelligence. It moved from Universal to Netflix, and eventually cast Millie Bobby Brown as the lead, hoping to draw in Stranger Things fans. Unlike Tales from the Loop, The Electric State would receive ridicule for how it adapted Stålenhag’s work and its astronomical price tag.

Whether you were disappointed by how Stranger Things ended or looking for something to fill the Upside Down-sized hole in your heart, Tales from the Loop should be your next watch. Much like Hawkins, Mercer is a town full of mystery, and it demands your attention.