Did Stranger Things take influence from the iconic Alien franchise? Details revealed

From slimy monsters and body horror to claustrophobic tension and helpless dread, Stranger Things has always worn its sci-fi influences loudly. Among them, few loom larger than the Alien franchise. The Duffer Brothers have never hidden their love for classic 70s and 80s genre cinema, and Ridley Scott’s iconic horror sci-fi series sits right at the center of that inspiration board.

So did Stranger Things actually take influence from Alien, or are fans just connecting aesthetic sci-fi dots? Here's everything you need to know about both the franchise's similarities, where the influence is real, intentional, and hiding in plain sight.

Is Stranger Things inspired by the Alien franchise?

Yes it is. It's not just fans who have pointed out these similarities and clear influences. The Duffer Brothers themselves have opened up on taking a leaf out of James Cameron's franchise. In a 2017 chat with Hollywood Reporter, they opened up on how the science fiction franchise had an impact and influence on the Netflix show as they said,

“We talked about Aliens because we were looking at the most successful sequels of all time, and Aliens is arguably one of the most successful sequels. I love that people argue over whether Alien or Aliens is better, and I’ve changed my mind a hundred times. It takes a lot of the feelings and a lot of what worked about Alien, and then James Cameron did this amazing pivot almost into another genre. He expanded the scope and made it feel the same but also very different. When you’re looking at where the bar is, I always go to Aliens. Naturally, we wanted to give a couple of nods to it.”

Similarities between Stranger Things and the Alien franchise

The most obvious connection begins with casting. Paul Reiser, unforgettable as the slippery corporate villain Burke in Aliens, plays Dr. Sam Owens in Stranger Things season two. Viewers expect Reiser to betray everyone, just as Burke did. Instead, expectations are subverted. Owens turns out to be far closer in spirit to Bishop, the calm, ethical android from Aliens.

Joyce Byers also gets her Ripley moment. Midway through the season, she unleashes her fury on Hawkins Lab staff in a scene that closely echoes Ripley’s explosive confrontation with Weyland Yutani executives in Aliens. Both moments center on a woman refusing to be dismissed after witnessing unspeakable trauma.

The Hawkins Lab massacre is where the homage peaks. A team of heavily armed soldiers enters hostile territory, underestimates the threat, and is brutally wiped out. The phrase “stay frosty” is even spoken, directly lifted from Aliens. Outside the battlefield, Owens, Hopper, and others watch helplessly through monitors, just like Ripley and the Marines tracking movement on radar.

Creature design and biology is quite similar between both the masterpieces. In Stranger Things, Demogorgons evolve into multiple Demodogs, echoing Aliens' shift from a single monster to a swarm. Both the species gestate through human hosts and mature rapidly. The Mind Flayer’s face latching possession strongly recalls the Xenomorph’s facehugger, while the slimy, organic textures of the Upside Down resemble Alien egg chambers.

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So in conclusion, yes, one of the best science fiction shows in recent years is heavily inspired by one of the best science fiction film franchises and it's not all that surprising really. Aliens has been the foundation for a lot of creature-related science fiction projects that have emerged in recent years, and James Cameron's impact is visible throughout.

Stranger Things is available to stream on Netflix.

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