8 Shows Like Stranger Things to Watch in Australia

Shows Like Stranger Things: What to Watch Next

Stranger Things captured lightning in a bottle (or perhaps the Upside Down in a bottle?) with its irresistible blend of ’80s nostalgia, supernatural horror, and genuine heart. Whether you’re waiting impatiently for the final season or you’ve just finished a rewatch and need something to fill the void, these shows deliver similar vibes across various Australian streaming platforms.

1. Dark (Netflix)

If Stranger Things is the fun, approachable gateway to sci-fi mystery, Dark is its more sophisticated, brain-melting German cousin. Set in a small town where children start disappearing, Dark weaves together multiple timelines in a narrative that’s staggeringly complex yet ultimately coherent. It’s darker and more demanding than Stranger Things, but if you love the show’s mystery elements and small-town supernatural intrigue, Dark takes those ingredients to extraordinary heights. Three seasons, all on Netflix. Watch it in German with subtitles — trust us on this one.

2. The OA (Netflix)

A young woman resurfaces after being missing for seven years, now able to see despite having been blind. That’s just the jumping-off point for one of the most audacious, polarising, and genuinely original shows Netflix ever produced. It shares Stranger Things’ fascination with alternate dimensions and the bonds between outcasts, but takes those ideas in wildly unexpected directions. Two seasons on Netflix. Be warned: it was cancelled without a proper conclusion, but the journey is worth it.

3. Paper Girls (Prime Video)

Based on the graphic novel by Brian K. Vaughan, Paper Girls follows four 12-year-old paper delivery girls in 1988 who accidentally get caught up in a time-travel war. The ’80s setting, the group of kids on an adventure, the supernatural mystery — it’s got Stranger Things DNA written all over it, but with a distinct identity of its own. It’s a cracking ride with a diverse cast and genuine emotional depth. On Prime Video.

4. Tales from the Loop (Prime Video)

Set in a rural town built above a mysterious underground facility called “The Loop,” this anthology-style series is based on Simon Stalenhag’s hauntingly beautiful retro-futuristic artwork. Each episode tells a self-contained story about the townspeople whose lives are affected by the Loop’s experiments. It’s slower and more contemplative than Stranger Things — think less monster-fighting and more quiet sci-fi poetry — but it scratches the same itch if you love the small-town-with-a-strange-secret vibe. On Prime Video.

5. Locke & Key (Netflix)

After their father’s murder, three siblings move into their ancestral home and discover magical keys that unlock powers and doors to other dimensions. It’s a coming-of-age supernatural adventure that captures Stranger Things’ sense of wonder alongside genuine menace. Based on Joe Hill’s graphic novels, it’s a bit lighter in tone but delivers solid family-friendly thrills across three seasons. All on Netflix.

6. The Goonies… Sorry, We Mean Yellowjackets (Binge)

Yellowjackets is what happens when the coming-of-age adventure goes horribly, horribly wrong. A high school girls’ soccer team survives a plane crash in the Canadian wilderness, and the show alternates between their increasingly desperate survival situation in 1996 and the psychological fallout 25 years later. It’s got Stranger Things’ dual-timeline structure and ensemble cast of teenagers facing extraordinary circumstances, but trades supernatural horror for something arguably more terrifying — what ordinary people are capable of when pushed to the edge. On Binge.

7. Wednesday (Netflix)

Jenna Ortega stars as Wednesday Addams at Nevermore Academy, navigating supernatural mysteries, teen drama, and her own delightfully dark sensibilities. It’s got the teen ensemble, the small-town mystery, the supernatural elements, and a killer central performance — all wrapped in Tim Burton’s distinctive visual style. It’s lighter and more comedic than Stranger Things, but if you love the Hawkins gang’s adventures, Wednesday scratches a similar itch. On Netflix.

8. His Dark Materials (Binge)

Based on Philip Pullman’s beloved trilogy, His Dark Materials follows Lyra Belacqua across parallel worlds in a story that blends adventure, theology, and some genuinely unsettling villainy. The production values are cinematic, the performances (particularly Dafne Keen as Lyra and Ruth Wilson as the terrifying Mrs Coulter) are first-rate, and the themes of childhood, truth, and the fight against oppressive authority will resonate strongly with Stranger Things fans. All three seasons on Binge.

The Bottom Line

The beauty of Stranger Things is that it combines so many things — horror, heart, nostalgia, mystery, friendship — that there’s no single show that captures the whole package. But between these eight recommendations, you can get your fix of whatever element you love most. Start with Dark if you want the mystery, Yellowjackets if you want the intensity, Wednesday if you want the fun, or Paper Girls if you want the full ‘80s-kids-on-adventure experience. All are available across Australian streaming platforms, so you’re well sorted.