But to me at least, I Am Not Okay with This was a coming-of-age story about Sydney’s maturation and sexuality, while Stranger Things is a full-on genre series embracing large-scale conspiracies, otherworldly dimensions, a large ensemble cast, and other larger-than-life elements that justify its existence as one of Netflix’s most popular original series going into Season 4.
Not to mention the fact that both Sophia Lillis and Wyatt Oleff starred alongside Stranger Things’ Finn Wolfhard in the two IT films.
That’s somewhat understandable, with Sydney and Stranger Things’ Eleven (played by Millie Bobby Brown) do share some similarities in the “look what I can do with my mind” department.
That kind of storytelling requires a budget big enough that it could also incorporate extra COVID costs, while Entwistle’s show worked beneath that benchmark.