We hope you have your Eggo waffles and Surfer Boy Pizzas, because it’s time to watch the final installment of Stranger Things, beginning on November 26, only on Netflix. Eleven, Mike, Will, Dustin, Lucas, Max, and more will appear on your screens just in time for Thanksgiving weekend for four episodes. Then, the second half of season five is due out on December 25, with the official series finale premiering on December 31.
Needless to say, we know that the conclusion of this saga will leave your watchlist feeling empty. But rest assured, there are sci-fi thrillers, superhero-themed, horror-tinged series to binge next. Here are six shows you need to watch after Stranger Things wraps up.
Wayward
Comedian Mae Martin stuns in this new Netflix show as the lead adult protagonist and the show’s writer, creator, and executive producer. If you’re drawn to Stranger Things for the coming-of-age tales of teen rebellion, young love and loss, and outsmarting the old people in the storyline, then Wayward is the show for you. Brand new to the streaming platform, Wayward focuses on a troubled teen school in Vermont—an already disturbing setting—and slowly, but surely reveals the surrounding town’s dirty secret. Our fingers are crossed that season two is announced soon.
IT: Welcome To Derry
Currently airing on HBO, IT: Welcome To Derry melds Stephen King’s iconic horror character Pennywise with a new batch of kiddos to torment. And between us gal pals, the ways in which he scares these children are significantly more upsetting than those of the recent 2017 and 2019 IT films. Taking place in 1962, Bill Skarsgård reprises his terrifying role and haunts Derry, Maine; however, a young Richard “Dick” Hallorann (the same character from The Shining) is using his gifts to hunt down this entity. The show is set to have its finale on December 14, 2025.
The Midnight Club
Horror icon Mike Flanagan adapted writer Christopher Pike’s young adult thriller books to craft an instantly beloved series on Netflix, The Midnight Club. Uniquely, the series takes place in an end-of-life care facility for terminally ill young people who tell spooky stories every day when the clock strikes 12. Set in the ‘90s, they explore the supernatural and uncover secrets about the hospice center they’re inside. Unfortunately, Netflix canceled season 2, seemingly because Flanagan signed a deal with Amazon. The showrunner tied up loose ends with fans by sharing all the deets of his writing plans.
However, you really can’t go wrong with any Flanagan show, including his hits The Haunting Of Hill House, The Haunting Of Bly Manor, Midnight Mass, and The Fall Of The House Of Usher. Plus, stay tuned for the arrival of his rendition of Stephen King’s Carrie mini series, set for release in 2026.
Gen V
If you are craving more super-human storylines in the same vein as Millie Bobby Brown’s Eleven, Gen V is brimming with superhero (and villain) young characters. As a spin-off of Amazon Prime’s The Boys, the show follows the first generation of college kids who have artificially-created superpowers. Each character boasts fantastical, powerful, or downright disgusting abilities, including blood manipulation, magnetism, mind control, and beyond. Admittedly, if you’re looking to invest time in an entirely new world, Eric Kripke’s violent, gory sci-fi thrillers The Boys and Gen V are the ones to explore. The show just aired season two, and hopes to be renewed for a third.
Hemlock Grove
Basically, any show or movie with Bill Skarsgård could quite possibly fill the Stranger Things-shaped hole in your heart. Complete with small-town mysteries, supernatural phenomena, and teen drama, this Eli Roth-directed horror series has it all. You can watch all three seasons on the Roku Channel for free.
The Umbella Academy
Whether you’re a hardcore My Chemical Romance fan or a casual Black Parade listener, we can all agree that this Netflix series, based on lead singer Gerard Way‘s comic books, The Umbrella Academy, is bingeable as hell. When seven adopted siblings with unique superpowers reunite at their extremely wealthy adoptive father’s funeral, they soon realize they have to stop the end of the world from coming. You can catch all four seasons on Netflix.
