It: Welcome to Derry recaptured the magic of Stranger Things season 1

In the mid-2010s, everyone suddenly became obsessed with the 1980s. Stranger Things landed quietly on Netflix in July 2016 and became an overnight mega-hit. A year later, It floated into theaters, offering another coming-of-age ‘80s story in the vein of ETand Stand By Me. The film was a massive hit, earning $719.8 million on a budget of under $40 million. A large part of this success was the mix of excellent casting, sharp filmmaking, and genuinely terrifying moments. But another undeniable facet of the public’s fascination with the both Stranger Things and It was nostalgia for similar coming-of-age stories, where groups of friends rode bikes and played outside until the streetlights came on.