Netflix’sStranger Thingsis a unique addition to the sci-fi genre, butfans of the series would love watching a brand-newStephen Kingadaptationthat has surprisingly never been adapted before. Given howStranger Thingsis also about to end its run soon on Netflix, it is about time viewers needed a worthy sci-fi replacement.
Not allStephen Kingadaptationson the big and small screens end up performing well. In fact, in the last couple of years, almost no TV shows based on King’s works have been able to land in critics' good books. Many had high expectations from2020’sThe Stand, but that, too, failed to leave its mark.
Despite the mixed reception received by most adaptations of the King of Horror’s works, new TV shows and movies based on his books keep emerging almost every year. A new show based on his six-year-old book also takes the same risk and, interestingly, seems similar toStranger Thingsin more ways than one.
Stephen King’s The Institute Is A Great Sci-Fi Horror To Watch If You Like Stranger Things
The Show Shares Many Narrative & Thematic Parallels With The Netflix Series
Perhaps the biggest similarity betweenStranger ThingsandThe Instituteis thatboth portray young characters with telekinetic and telepathic abilitiesas their main leads. InStranger Things, all thesubjects of the Hawkins Lab, including Eleven, have supernatural powers. Meanwhile, inThe Institute, the children who end up in the titular facility share the same abilities.
In both narratives, the children are held captive in mysterious facilities against their will and are forced to endure inhumane experiments. The people who put them through these experiments represent evil organizations and are morally bankrupt to the point where they care little about the children’s well-being.
UnlikeStranger Things,The Institute, as its title suggests, primarily focuses on the central evil organization and does not extend its narrative beyond its titular facility. However,similar to the Netflix series, it dabbles with themes surrounding the power of friendship and the disruption of childhood innocence. With so many similarities between the two, it is fair to say thatStranger Thingsfans will likely enjoy watchingThe Institute.
The Institute Can Provide A TV Replacement For Stranger Things After The 2025 Finale
If All Ends Well For The Institute, It Could Fill The Void Stranger Things Will Leave Behind
Almost a decade after its premiere on Netflix,Stranger Thingsis finally endingits run with one final season. As confirmed,Stranger Things' final installment will be divided into three parts. Whilethe first one is scheduled to land on Netflix on June 11, 2025, the second one will be available for streaming on December 25. This will finally be followed by the series finale on December 31.
The Instituteseems to have the potential to become its worthy replacement if all goes well for the Stephen King adaptation.
SinceStranger Thingshas been around for so long, it has amassed a massive following and will seemingly leave a void in the sci-fi genre once it ends its run.The Instituteseems to have the potential to become its worthy replacement if all goes well for theStephen Kingadaptation. Hopefully, it will turn out to be as good as the Netflix series (if not better) and eventually become equally scalable in sci-fi.
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The Institute
A kidnapped prodigy with special abilities, Luke, ends up at The Institute, while Tim, a former cop, seeks a new life in a nearby town. Their fates are inevitably linked.
Stranger Things
Cast
Stranger Things is a Netflix series set in the 1980s, where the mysterious disappearance of a young boy leads a small town to uncover secret experiments and supernatural forces. A significant focus is on a peculiar girl who may hold the key to the unfolding mystery.
