UPDATED ON MAY '25

The idea for these fanedits is to recut each season of Stranger Things into full-length films like a horror franchise from the '80s. My goal is to create a set of cohesive films to be watched as a recap of each season or as a first-time viewing experience. This project is a product of passion, love and respect for the original material and it is not designed to serve as a replacement for the show.

Stranger Things: The Vanishing of Will Byers

Runtime: 2 hours 45 minutes

Description

What is different/new?

Added samples of the original score throughout the film.

Added Vecna’s clock chime when Will encounters the “monster”.

Combined the two night search parties into one sequence / Intercut with the boys finding Eleven in the woods.

Added flashback of Eleven being locked in the lab closet as a ‘dream sequence’ on her first night at Mike’s.

Added flashback of Eleven killing the guards right after she attacks Lucas.

Added flashback of Eleven in the void as she strolls through the supermarket/Added Vecna breathing/walking towards Eleven sound.

What is removed?

Removed Jim Hopper’s introduction.

Removed Benny Hammond.

Removed Lonnie Byers.

Removed Terry Ives.

Removed Jonathan getting caught for spying plotline.

Removed Eleven recognising Will from the photo in Mike’s room.

Removed cops investigating Barb’s missing.

Removed Hopper finding Eleven’s room in the lab.

Removed Nancy in the Upside Down.

Removed ‘Lando’ running joke.

Removed Will waking up in the hospital.

Removed Steve at the Wheelers at Christmas.

What is cut down?

Cut down school bullies.

Cut down Wheeler family.

Cut down Steve’s entourage.

Cut down Steve/Nancy romance.

Cut down agents looking for Eleven/spying on Joyce.

Cut down Dr Brenner trying to reach the Upside Down.

Cut down Will’s phonecalls.

Cut down Nancy and Jonathan hunting the Demogorgon.

Cut down preparation of the sensory deprivation tank.

Cut down Joyce/Hopper interrogation at Hawkins Lab.

Cut down Joyce and Hopper in the Upside Down.

Is this a plothole?

Why is Eleven wearing the yellow ‘Benny’s Burgers’ t-shirt, instead of her lab gown, when they boys find her in the woods?
Perhaps she didn’t have to wear the gown all the time? Or maybe she disguised herself before escaping from the lab?

Why is Jonathan spending the night at Nancy’s ?
Maybe because they were both very shocked after discovering the Demogorgon in his photos?

How did Hopper find the boys hiding in the school bus?
Perhaps he had already looked elsewhere?

How did the kids know how to build a sensory deprivation tank?
Maybe because they are really good students? Or maybe Eleven knew how to make one.

Do Steve and Nancy get back together?
No, they don’t.

Stranger Things 2: The Mind Flayer

Runtime: 2 hours 43 minutes

Description

‘The Mind Flayer’ covers exclusively the main events of Stranger Things 2, leaving out Eleven’s time outside of Hawkins.

What is different/new?

Eleven’s return as the opening sequence / Rearrange Eleven’s backstory / Intercut with Hopper leaving Ego’s from Season 1

Steve and Nancy not dating since last year, but remain friends.

Demodogs reach Byers’ place shortly after the group’s arrival.

Alternate montage of Dr Brenner as Eleven is closing the gate.

Alternate ‘One Month Later’ montage.

What is removed?

Removed Joyce droping Will at the Arcade.

Removed Murray Bauman at the police station.

Removed Nancy and Steve visiting the Hollands.

Removed Nancy having guilts about Barb.

Removed Halloween party.

Removed Will’s sessions with Dr Sam Owens.

Removed Bob driving Will to the lab / Removed their conversation during Will’s possession.

Removed Eleven asking to go for trick-or-treating.

Removed Hopper being late on Halloween night.

Removed flahback of Eleven killing the squirrel in the woods.

Removed Nancy and Jonathan planning to expose the Hawkins lab and visiting Murray Bauman.

Removed Lucas/Max arguments.

Removed Eleven visiting her mom/finding Eight.

Removed Will’s interrogation in the shed.

Removed Billy visiting Ms Wheeler/brawl with Steve in Byers’ place.

Removed Dustin reuniting with Dart inside the tunnels.

Removed Hopper meeting with Owens at the pub.

What is cut down?

Cut down the boys stalking Max.

Cut down Owens’ activities in Hawkins Lab.

Cut down Hopper investigating the rotting crops.

Cut down Max/Billy interactions.

Cut down Joyce/Bob interactions.

Cut down Dustin/Dart interactions.

Cut down Hopper/Eleven fixing the cabin and setting up the traps.

Cut down Hopper in the tunnels.

Cut down Bob solving Will’s drawings.

Cut down Will hospitalised at Hawkins Lab.

Cut down Dustin and Steve looking for Dart.

Cut down kids at Snow Ball.

Is this a plothole?

Lucas revealing the truth about Will and Eleven to Max off-screen.
Did I really need to include that scene?

How did Dustin find Steve to help him with Dart?
He explains to Lucas he couldn’t find anyone else

How did Lucas find Dustin and Steve?
He got Dustin’s message off-screen

Why did Nancy and Jonathan arrive at Hawkins’ lab together?
Perhaps they were both worried about their brothers’ whereabouts

The kids going to the tunnels despite Steve’s forbidding.
Thank God he’s covering his bruised face

Stranger Things 2: The Lost Sister

Runtime: 59 minutes

Description

‘The Lost Sister’ covers exclusively Eleven’s journey during her absence from Hawkins.

What is different/new?

Police chase in Pittsburg as the opening sequence.

New “flashback scene" of Eleven visiting her mom inside the void.

New “vision scene” of Eleven seeing Will being possessed and the Mind Flayer behind the gate.

Added “Tribulations” by Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein as the ending credits roll.

What is removed?

Removed Eleven referring to ‘the girl her mother was showing to her’ as “different”.

Removed Becky mentioning Joyce and Hopper while talking to the phone.

Removed Eleven’s memory of Max skating around Mike, while focusing her powers.

Stranger Things 3: Τhe Mall Rats

Runtime: 2 hours 56 minutes

Description

What is different/new?

Removed experiments in Russia / New sequence created as a cold open leading to Billy’s car crash as the opening sequence.

Murray Bauman’s introduction as a new character.

Removed Dustin reaching to Suzie for Planck constant / Removed ‘Never Ending Story’ song / Re-purposed Season 4 scene as Suzie’s final reveal.

Embedded stylized English subtitles for Russian dialogues.

What is removed?

Removed Billy/Mrs Wheeler flirt.

Removed Hawkins Post employees.

Removed Billy in the Upside Down.

Removed Joyce at Scott Clarke’s place.

Removed Billy and Eleven/Max at Holloways’ dinner.

Removed the kids investigating Holloways’ place.

Removed Mayor’s place.

Removed Joyce/Hopper/Alexei before they arrive at Murray’s.

Removed hospital fight sequence.

Removed Steve/Robin getting caught by the Russians and Dustin/Erica looking for them.

Removed Steve/Robin romance.

Removed Hopper/Joyce/Murray/Alexei driving to Hawkins.

Removed 4th of July festival.

Removed Dr Sam Owens arriving at Starcourt Mall.

Removed news report and Steve/Robin applying for a job at the video store.

Removed Lucas/Max teasing Dustin at Byers’.

Removed post credit scene at Kamchatka.

What is cut down?

Cut down ‘Scoops Troop’ trying to solve the Russian message.

Cut down Mayor Larry Kline.

Cut down Heather’s plotline.

Cut down Joyce/Hopper romance.

Cut down boys vs girls teen drama.

Cut down Eleven/Max looking for Billy.

Cut down ‘Scoops Troop’ trapped in the elevator/walking through the underground base.

Cut down Joyce/Hopper/Alexei at Murray’s.

Cut down ‘Scoops Troop’ at the movies.

Cut down Joyce/Hopper/Murray in the underground base.

Is this a plothole?

How Billy escapes from his abduction?
The Mind Flayer lets him free so he can complete his plan

Why Nancy and Jonathan return to Mrs Driscoll at night?
Maybe they found a new lead, or maybe they wanted to check on her

Hopper having seen the Russian guy in the Mayor’s office off-screen.
Did I really need to include that scene?

Why isn’t Jonathan with Nancy when she visits Mrs Driscoll at the hospital?
Maybe she went without telling him

How does Hopper get the ‘Todfathr’?
Did I really need to include that scene? His car exploded so he took (or stole) another one

What happens to Alexei?
We last see him at Murray’s, but does it really matter to the plot? At least he doesn’t die in vain

The kids decide to look for Billy in Hopper’s cabin off-screen (and they all made a stop to change their outfits).
Maybe Eleven felt more confortable putting herself in a state like that in her own space

How can the ‘Scoops Troop’ escape from the underground base without being caught?
They are very stealthy. And the Russian guys didn’t seem so smart anyway

Why is Steve’s face so messed up?
Because of his fight with the Russian guard? Although he seems fine when he knocked him out… Don’t bruises and cuts show up after a while?

Why did the adults come to Starcourt?
Perhaps they had looked and couldn’t find the children anywhere else?

With Suzie’s original cameo gone, what happens to her character and the Planck constant she provides?
Murray gives Hopper and Joyce the correct code to open the vault / Suzie’s reveal comes later in the film in a repurposed scene from Season 4 first episode

Stranger Things 4: Τhe Curse of Vecna

Runtime: 3 hours 12 minutes

Description

‘The Curse of Vecna’ covers exclusively the events in Hawkins, Mike visiting Will and Eleven in Lenora and Eleven’s training in NINA.

What is different/new?

Alternate/shorter September 8, 1979 opening scene

Alternate/shorter ‘Letter to Mike’ sequence / Replaced “California Dreamin’” with “Teens” by Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein.

Alternate Crissy’s death scene / Removed Eddie reacting to her being possesed

Alternate sequence of the news coverage of Chrissy’s murder / intercut with Steve/Robin/Jason/Nancy’s reactions / Max visiting Dustin.

New ADR of Max/Dustin/Robin/Steve driving to Reefer Rick’s boathouse explaining how they found out about it.

New introduction of the NINA Project / New Dr Brenner’s re-introduction / Removed Nevada dessert / Removed Eleven interacting with Dr Brenner.

What is removed?

Removed Dr Brenner’s morning routine.

Removed Rainbow Room intro / Lesson’s with Ten.

Removed Eleven being bullied in the classroom.

Removed Steve/Robin driving to school.

Removed pep rally at school.

Removed Eddie at the cafeteria.

Removed Nancy/Fred vs Jonathan/Argyle sequence.

Removed Mike/Dustin searching for Lucas’ replacement.

Removed Crissy/Eddie in the woods.

Removed Tammy Thompson.

Removed Mike landing to Lenora.

Removed Max comparing Eddie to Ted Bundy.

Removed Nancy/Fred driving towards the Trailer Park + interacting with the cop.

Removed millitary men visitng Hawkins.

Removed policemen visiting Jason.

Removed Jason informing his entourage about the Hellfire Club.

Removed the gang finding about Reefer Rick at Family Video.

Removed Fred’s dead familly vision in the woods.

Removed ‘The Massacre at Hawkins Lab’ flashback after the incident at Rink-O-Mania.

Removed kids in Lenora returning home after the incident at Rink-O-Mania / Mike and Eleven fighting / cops arresting Eleven.

Removed Jason and his entourage visiting the kids from the Hellfire Club.

Removed Max visiting the school council at her house + Lucas’ place.

Removed Nancy/Robin visiting Victor Creel at Pennhurst / Creel family backstory.

Removed Max visiting her “mother”.

Removed Dustin’s Freddy Krueger reference.

Removed agents at Wayne Munson’s trailer.

Removed Eleven’s “light bulb training”.

Removed Hawkins Police assembly.

Removed Two being punished.

Removed Robin’s bat rabies comments.

Removed cops interrogating the kids at Wheelers’.

Removed Dr Brenner punishing Two.

Removed Eleven re-entering the tank.

What is cut down?

Cut down Max’s session with the school council.

Cut down basketball final/D&D campaign.

Cut down Mike/Eleven/Will at Rink-O-Mania.

Cut down Nancy/Robin in Hawkins Public Library.

Cut down the Hawkins group at Creel House.

Cut down Jason and his entourage at Rick’s place.

Cut down the Hawkins group searching for Skull Rock.

Cut down the Hawkins group at Lover’s Lake.

Cut down the Hawkins group in Upside Down.

Cut down Stece/Nancy romance.

Is this a plothole?

How do we know that Jason and Chrissy were dating?
Although it’s not very obvious, there’s a shot in the basketball game where Jason points at Chrissy after scoring and she blows him a kiss

How did the Hawkins group know where to find Eddie?
They were trying to contact Eddie’s friends, from whom they got the information that Rick was Eddie’s supplier

How did the group gather at the Trailer Park the morning after Fred’s death?
They bumped into Nancy by chance on their way home from visiting Eddie

Where is Joyce?
Jonathan mentions that she is heading to Alaska, presumably on a business trip

How did Eleven end up back in Hawkins Lab?
The objective of removing NINA’s location is to create a similar level of confusion to that experienced by Eleven. Maybe Dr Owens drugged her on the way to the silo, or maybe she fell asleep in the car

No Victor Creel???
The group gathers the necessary information about Vecna’s connection to the Creel House from Nancy and Robin’s research

How did Dustin knew they had to play Max’s favorite song?
He just… assumed it might help, based on Will’s connection with music during his time at the Upside Down. TBH, Victor’s narration didn’t give a more convincing explanation to the significance of music

Why did Steve/Nancy/Robin/Eddie go to the Wheelers’ house in the Upside Down?
Nancy told them about her guns off-screen

Stranger Things 4: The Monster and the Superhero

Runtime: 1 hour 45 minutes

Description

‘Τhe Monster and the Superhero’ covers exclusively Hopper’s storyline in Russia, Joyce and Murray’s adventures and the boys against Lt. Colonel Jack Sullivan’s attempts to locate Eleven.

What is different/new?

Embedded stylized English subtitles for Russian dialogue.

Stranger Things 3 post credit scene at Kamchatka as the opening sequence.

Lt. Sullivan visiting Dr Owens in Nevada right after the title sequence.

“Teens” by Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein playing as Joyce receives the package from Russia.

Hopper surviving the explosion / being captured and tortured by the Russians / being transferred to Kamchatka flashback just after Joyce discovers the letter.

Brief montage of the aftermath of the Rink-O-Mania incident just after Joyce and Murray leave the house.

Shortened sequence of Suzie getting NINA’s address.

Hopper’s storyline concludes with him reuniting with Joyce and finding the ‘monster lab’.

The boys’ storyline concludes with them finding the military tyre tracks.

Lt. Sullivan’s stoline concludes with them arriving at the bunker.

Clip of Eleven waking up right before the ending credits.

What is removed?

Removed the “elephant” scene.

Removed “Enzo’s” thirsty comments about Joyce.

Removed Joyce/Murray scenes traveling to Alaska.

Removed “Enzo’s” ‘odds to success’ guesses.

Removed Mike talking to Will about his fight with Eleven.

Removed Yuri lying about not being Yuri.

Removed ‘Neverending Story’ reference.

Removed Suzie’s father and siblings.

Removed Joyce/Murray/Yuri in the church.

What is cut down?

Cut down Yuri’s cringiness.

Cut down Argyle’s silliness.

Cut down Murray’s obnoxiousness.

Stranger Things 4: Τhe Mind Lair

Runtime: 2 hours 29 minutes

Description

‘The Mind Lair’ covers exclusively the events of the final two episodes of Stranger Things 4.

What is different/new?

Young Eleven passing out / waking up in the bunker as the opening sequence.

Shortened Vecna inside Nancy’s mind sequence just after the title sequence, tying in with Dr Brenner explaining Henry’s intentions to Eleven.

New color grading of Henry discovering the Upside Down.

What is removed?

Removed the Hawkins group planning and going to the weapons store.

Removed Dr Owens telling Eleven that she is free to go.

Removed Steve’s ‘dream family’ narration.

Removed Yuri sabotaging his plane / Joyce and Hopper talking about their date / Hopper speaking with Agent Stinson.

Removed the Hawkins group preparing for battle.

Removed helicopter pilot’s dialogue.

Removed Eleven explaining about ‘the piggyback’.

Removed Argyle making a pizza while the others prepare the sensory deprivation tank.

Removed “pineapple on pizza” debate (it’s good, get over it).

Removed Will/Jonathan conversation while preparing the tank.

Removed the “I piggybacked from a pizza dough freezer” line.

Removed ‘Benny’s Burger t-shirt’ reference.

Removed Robin/Vickie making PB&Js.

Removed Nancy/Jonathan talking at Hopper’s cabin.

Is this a plothole?

How did Eleven come up with the idea of using the sensory deprivation tank to contact Max?
Although it’s not really explained, while Eleven was listening to the Hawkins group’s plans to kill Vecna, she realised that Max was in danger, and since she was already familiar with the practice of contacting someone through the Void, she told the boys that she needed a sensory deprivation tank off-screen, so Argyle drove to the nearest place he knew they could find something useful

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