If you watch only one Netflix show this year, please let it be this one. In the surprise hit of the decade, this 80s-style instant classic has swept the streaming world as the big must-see series.

A nostalgic throwback to the good old days of offbeat sci-fi thrillers, Stranger Things had me hooked from the opening scene. There's a bit of Dark Angel (the good parts with the young X5s, not the cheesy Jessica Alba parts), there's a lot of Silent Hill, and elements of The Goonies are sprinkled around like fairy dust.

The result is a strong and riveting series that captures not only the recent past but the style of storytelling that so often defined it. It's the perfect blend of funny and unsettling, dark yet whimsical humor with that classic feeling of creeping, undefinable horror lurking in every corner.

The characters are flawed, unpredictable and intriguing, with solid performances from the adults and older teens. However, the younger kids are, hands down, the highlight of the show.

These five child actors are absolutely awesome - "toothless wonder" Dustin in particular is a real gem - and have some of the most natural on-screen interactions I've ever seen. The whole group of them hit it out of the park but I doubt that anyone would disagree that young Millie Bobby Brown steals the screen as the long-suffering superpowered runaway, Eleven.

The premise, while not completely unique, is done so perfectly that you have to wonder why no one got it quite right before. It starts out eerie and intense, progressing slowly but persistently to a highly dramatic finish. Although much of the story is resolved, new questions are posed by the cliffhanger ending and a few things in particular set the stage for what everyone is hoping will be an even better second season.