‘Stranger Things’: The Complete Series Deluxe Edition 4K UHD Blu-Ray Review – A 5-Star Release For A Landmark Series

A love letter to the ’80s classic genre films that captivated a generation, STRANGER THINGS is a thrilling drama set in the seemingly normal Midwestern town of Hawkins, Indiana.

After a boy vanishes into thin air, his close-knit group of friends and family search for answers and are pulled into a high-stakes and deadly series of events. Beneath the surface of their ordinary town lurks an extraordinary supernatural mystery, along with top-secret government experiments and a dangerous gateway that connects our world to a powerful yet sinister realm. Friendships will be tested and lives will be altered as what they discover will change Hawkins and possibly the world — forever.

Netflix and Arrow Video are proud to present all five seasons of STRANGER THINGS for the first time on home video. This definitive, dimension-splitting Deluxe collection features brand new artwork, more than five hours of bonus features, a 148-page artbook plus memorabilia from across the STRANGER THINGS universe.

For thoughts on Stranger Things: The Complete Series, please check out my thoughts on No Streaming Required:

Video Quality

The 4K UHD Blu-Ray of Stranger Things: The Complete Series is presented with a 2160p Dolby Vision/HDR transfer which maintains a consistent level of top-notch quality with this superior format. Each season is given multiple 4K UHD Blu-Ray discs, never sacrificing quality by allowing every episode to breathe. Supplemental features are exclusive to a Blu-Ray disc provided for each season. This package does not contain any accompanying Blu-Ray discs with the episodes, leaving us unable to compare the two formats. There is a separate Blu-Ray option for this if you have not made the format upgrade. What we can easily compare is the physical 4K UHD Blu-Ray presentation to the 4K UHD stream on Netflix, and the benefits of a physical disc are easily noticeable when it comes to stability in compression and detail in shadows.

This transfer transcends when it comes to depth, clarity, and stability within the frame. The range of locales visited around the town every season is memorable as they deliver texture that makes you feel more grounded in the space of the series. The discs bring out a cavalcade of texture from the period production design, costumes, and environments. One of our favorite aspects of this viewing is how colorful things get, as the Dolby Vision unlocks all of the hues within the mall, the upside down, and other memorable locales. The HDR opens up the visual possibilities in really spectacular ways. Black levels are practically perfect, staying deep and inky with great detail. Highlights are firm with no moments of blooming on our radar. We are eternally grateful that Arrow Video provided the series with a 4K UHD presentation. 

Audio Quality

This 4K UHD Blu-Ray set comes with a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track and a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio stereo option for the first three seasons, along with a fantastic Dolby Atmos presentation for the final two seasons. This full-force experience consistently impresses sonically from episode to episode. All dialogue comes through clearly in the center channel without bleeding into other channels or being overshadowed by any sound effects or score. The memorable theme and series music provide the perfect atmosphere for this experience, filling the speakers well. 

The series escalates with bigger set pieces as it barrels towards the end, which never fails to bring excitement to the listening experience. The track has a fantastic sense of directionality with sounds always flowing from the appropriate point in the room. One of the fun benefits of an Atmos track in the later seasons is the addition of height channels that aid in fleshing out this world into a fully three-dimensional space. The low end also digs deep with quite a bit of wall-shaking when necessary. This is the type of show where you want A+ audio, and Arrow Video delivered the goods. Optional English SDH subtitles provided. 

Special Features

The Arrow Video 4K UHD Blu-Ray Deluxe Edition set of Stranger Things: The Complete Series includes a 148-page artbook, five double-sided posters, a double-sided fold-out map, and other memorabilia from across the Stranger Things universe. You can find a full overview at the unboxing above. The on-disc special features are as follows: 

Season One

• Blooper Reel (1:27)

• Interviews: An array of brief promotional interviews from the original release of the season is provided here. There is nothing too in-depth here, but it is nice to watch them nonetheless. 

• • The Duffer Brothers (5:46)

• • David Harbour (5:06)

• • Millie Bobby Brown (2:28)

• • Finn Wolfhard (2:36)

• • Gaten Matarazzo (2:59)

• • Finn Wolfhard, Gaten Matarazzo & Caleb McLaughlin (3:25)

• • Shawn Levy (2:39)

• Image Galleries & Trailers

• • Official Trailer (2:26)

• • “Eleven” Teaser Trailer (0:50)

• • Behind the Scenes Image Gallery

• • Official Stills  

Season Two

• Blooper Reel (2:03)

• Brazil Comic-Con Introduction: An amusing minute-long filmed introduction with the kids explaining why they could not attend the convention in person. 

• Featurettes: A series of brief videos from the original release of the season in which the cast and creative team explore topics related to this second outing. 

• • Behind the Scenes Featurette (2:06)

• • Millie Bobby Brown (3:55)

• • Noah Schnapp (4:10)

• • The Look (5:17) 

• Interviews: An array of brief promotional interviews from the original release of the season is provided here. There is nothing too in-depth here, but it is nice to watch them nonetheless. 

• • Andrew Stanton (4:35)

• • David Harbour (11:17)

• • Millie Bobby Brown (8:22)

• • Shawn Levy (5:09)

• Image Galleries

• • Behind the Scenes Image Gallery

• • Official Stills  

Season Three

• Blooper Reel (3:55)

• Shot By Shot – Underground Fight: A nearly eight-minute video in which Gaten Matarazzo, Maya Hawke, and Joe Keery watch a key scene together and reflect on the process of filming it. 

• Season 3 Table Read Featurette: A minute-and-a-half look at the team assembling to read for the new season. 

• Interviews: An array of promotional interviews from the original release of the season is provided here. These are getting more in-depth compared to the first couple of seasons. 

• • Maya Hawke (10:06)

• • Dacre Montgomery (10:26)

• • Millie Bobby Brown (4:53)

• • David Harbour (20:57)

• • Gaten Matarazzo (5:51)

• • Caleb McLaughlin (3:40)

• • Natalia Dyer (10:56)

• • Charlie Heaton (7:45)

• • Noah Schnapp (4:54)

• Image Galleries

• • Behind the Scenes Image Gallery

• • Official Stills  

Season Four

• Blooper Reel (3:54)

• Beyond the Screen – Dungeons & Dragons: A ten-minute guide to Dungeons & Dragons for those who are new to the game. 

• Dungeons & Dragons – The Shocking Real History: A six-minute overview of the history of Dungeons & Dragons and its many unusual twists and turns. 

• Becoming Vecna: A nine-minute piece that looks at the transformation of Jamie Campbell Bower into the big bad. 

• Ending Explained – The Duffer Brothers: A new four-minute conversation with the creators about the shocking ending of the season. 

• Kiss, Marry, Kill?: A two-minute game with Joe Keery, Maya Hawke, and Joseph Quinn. 

• Behind the FX: A nearly six-minute look at how the visual effects brought an important sequence to life. 

• Geeked Vol. 1 Unlocked Featurette: A 45-minute special hosted by Felicia Day, who speaks to the cast and creative team. Some of the previous featurettes were excised from this special. 

• Geeked Vol. 2 Unlocked Featurette: A 55-minute continuation of the previous special that covers the second half of the season. 

• Image Galleries & Trailers

• • Trailer (1:14)

• • Behind the Scenes Image Gallery

• • Official Stills  

Season Five

• Animatic Previs

• • Mac-Z Battle (10:55)

• • The Rightside Up (10:15)

• Set Tour with Jamie Campbell Bower: A nine-minute tour of a key set from this season from the actor who plays Vecna. 

• Mac-Z Battle Set Tour: Another nearly three-minute set visit, this time hosted by Noah Schnapp.

• Chapter 4 – Sorcerer Table Read: A 62-minute look at the table read for the fourth episode of the season. 

• Stranger Scenes: The cast and creative team take you through some major moments from the season with some fun insights provided. 

• • Will in the Upside Down (9:26)

• • Karen vs Demogorgon (11:37)

• • The Rightside Up (18:56)

• Behind the Episodes: Each episode is explored in pretty decent detail by the cast and creative team with insight into both the production and the narrative decisions. 

• • Chapter One – The Crawl (14:29) 

• • Chapter Two – The Vanishing of Holly Wheeler (11:47) 

• • Chapter Three – The Turnbow Trap (12:05) 

• • Chapter Four – Sorcerer (13:58) 

• • Chapter Five – Shock Jock (10:46) 

• • Chapter Six – Escape From Camazotz (14:20) 

• • Chapter Seven – The Bridge (13:33) 

• • Chapter Eight – The Rightside Up (18:58) 

• Cast Rewatches: The cast reflects on the experience of making this series once again, only this time they have the benefit of growing up and knowing where the journey has ended up. 

• • Season 1 (17:28) 

• • Season 2 (20:35) 

• • Season 3 (15:16) 

• • Season 4 (32:07) 

• • Season 5, Vol. 1 – Sadie Sink (4:26) 

• • Season 5, Vol. 2 – Sadie Sink & Maya Hawke (4:46) 

• Image Galleries & Trailers

• • Date Announcement Trailer (1:53)

• • Vol. 1 Trailer (1:22)

• • Finale Trailer (1:27)

• • Vol. 1 Official Stills  

• • Vol. 2 & Finale Official Stills  

• • Behind the Scenes Image Gallery

Final Thoughts

Stranger Things is one of the landmark series of our time, using nostalgia to lure us into a tale of throwback, grand sci-fi storytelling that is driven first and foremost by our connection to the characters. The journey was a little bumpy at times, but the Duffer Brothers made us invest deeply in these storylines. The series became a highlight of any year we got a new season, and it is one that we plan to revisit often to relive all of the (mostly) highs and lows. Arrow Video has astounded with a physical media release sporting an impeccable A/V presentation and some fun special features. This set is a dream come true for fans of the series. Essential 

Stranger Things: The Complete Series is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray and Blu-Ray in Standard and Deluxe Edition configurations. 

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Arrow Video has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.