When it comes to big TV shows over the last ten years, it really doesn’t get much bigger than Stranger Things. Debuting on Netflix in 2016, it quickly became a phenomenon well beyond hardcore sci-fi and horror fans. After five seasons, the show concluded its run with an epic-sized final season in 2025. Fans can, of course, revisit the show any time they wish so long as they’re subscribed to Netflix. However, that is no longer the very best way to watch Stranger Things.
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Netflix broke a big rule and has let the folks at Arrow Video give Stranger Things the 4K and Blu-ray treatment, bringing the complete series together in one pretty incredible box set, which is available to own as of July 28. It’s pretty darn rare that any Netflix original gets a physical release of any kind, let alone one this impressive. I was fortunate enough to get my hands on 4K Deluxe Edition and I can say with confidence, this is the release that one of the biggest shows of the 2010s/2020s deserves.
Just to put my cards on the table, I was not a huge fan of the show. I watched the first season and enjoyed it well enough, but fell off quickly. I’m not a big TV guy. That said, I watched a fair amount of it off and on with my wife during its run and, especially in the later seasons, Netflix spent crazy money to bring the Duffer Brothers’ vision to life. This is movie quality stuff in a lot of cases.
The problem with streaming is that, even when you’re paying for a 4K plan, the image is still compressed. It’s still limited by one’s internet connection. The blacks are never as rich as they potentially can/should be. The sound is never as impressive as it can/should be. 4K Ultra HD discs allow this show to be presented in a way that streaming could never allow, offering a better experience to fans. Even the Blu-rays are going to offer a much-improved viewing experience compared to what is on offer via Netflix right now.
I own a lot of expensive box sets. Stranger Things: The Complete Series Deluxe Edition easily stands toe-to-toe with anything else on my shelf in terms of sheer quality, not to mention bells and whistles. It looks great and is loaded with extras, including posters, a full-on game and outstanding box art, as well as a very thorough making-of booklet. Even as someone who wasn’t along for the ride with this show, it frankly blew me away.
As for the price? This isn’t the cheapest way to watch the show, that much is certain. The Deluxe Edition on 4K currently goes for $215 on Arrow’s website, but it retails for $270. The Blu-ray version goes for $200. The standard 4K is priced at $175, while the Blu-ray goes for $160. So this is aimed at more hardcore collectors, but it’s a 25 disc set loaded with special features (which you can find a full breakdown of below), housed in impressive packaging. That money isn’t run of the mill price gouging. Considering a standard 4K movie goes for anywhere from $20 to $40, give or take, the 42-episodes of television at this price with all of the bells and whistles starts to make a little more sense.
To be crystal clear; I’m not saying this is the easiest way to watch Stranger Things. Nor am I saying this is necessarily the most convenient. It’s hard to beat a few clicks of a button in that department. What I am saying, however, is that the superior viewing experience is without question the 4K or Blu-ray versions now on offer from Arrow. For hardcore fans of the show, this is a better way to watch it.
My main takeaway is that I wish Netflix would allow companies like Arrow to do this for other movies and TV shows they control. There are plenty of great Netflix originals, but they generally can only be viewed on Netflix. What I wouldn’t give for a Midnight Mass box set of this caliber. I would kill for a 4K Ultra HD copy of The Ritual made with this same level of care. In my humble opinion, Stranger Things fans are extremely lucky to have the option to add this to their shelf.
Arrow Video does killer work and they brought their A-game to this box set. This is a show with a passionate fanbase and unquestionably, there’s an audience out there for this set. It’s not for casual viewers but for those who absolutely adore Eleven and the gang and want to preserve Hawkins and the Upside Down beyond the Netflix paywall, this is a tremendous way to do just that.
Stranger Things: The Complete Series is available now at ArrowVideo.com
Stranger Things: The Complete Series bonus features
- 4K (2160p) Ultra HD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision of all forty-two episodes across five seasons and twenty-five discs
- Original DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround and stereo audio for all episodes plus additional Dolby Atmos for Seasons 4 & 5
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- Optional audio description tracks
- Deluxe packaging including brand new wraparound box artwork by Juan Ramos
- Interviews with the cast and crew
- Behind-the-scenes featurettes
- Set tours
- Bloopers
- Palace Arcade coin
- Self-adhesive Hellfire Club patch
- Exclusive Hellfire Club d20
- Twenty-five artcards from all five seasons
- Five double-sided posters featuring original artwork by Kyle Lambert
- Reversible sleeves featuring brand new artwork by Juan Ramos and original artwork by Kyle Lambert
- Double-sided fold-out Hawkins map
- 148-page perfect-bound artbook including original design sketches, concept art, storyboards and new writing from the Duffer Brothers, Shawn Levy, Andrew Stanton & more
