Stranger Things: Tales From '85 Rotten Tomatoes Score Revealed As Animated Prequel Hits Netflix

Stranger Things: Tales From '85 Rotten Tomatoes Score Revealed As Animated Prequel Hits Netflix

Netflix's animated prequel series, Stranger Things: Tales From '85, is now streaming, and we have an early Rotten Tomatoes score along with the first round of reviews...

By MarkCassidy - Apr 23, 2026 10:04 AM EST
Filed Under: Stranger Things
Source: Via Toonado.com

Stranger Things wrapped its fifth and final season last December, but fans can now return to Hawkins to reunite with Eleven, Mike, Lucas, Dustin, Will, Max, Hopper, and the others in a new animated series set between the events of seasons 2 and 3.

Tales from '85 is now streaming on Netflix, and the first reviews have landed. Though quite a few critics seem to have enjoyed the show overall, even the more positive reviews do highlight some issues.

The animation receives high praise (Odessa A’zion's new character, Nikki Baxter, is also said to be a standout), but many reviews mention that Tales From '85 is cynical and uninspired, and several critics seem to feel that the show exists for the sole reason of milking as much content as possible from this franchise.

Even so, the series is currently sitting at an impressive 80% on Rotten Tomatoes. This is based on just 10 reviews, however, so we could see that score fluctuate over the next couple of days.

Have a read through the reviews at the links below, and we'll continue to update as more come in. Have you watched any of Stranger Things: Tales from '85 yet? If so, what did you think?

Producing alongside Robles are Matt and Ross Duffer, Hilary Leavitt via Upside Down Pictures, Shawn Levy via 21 Laps, and Dan Cohen. 

The main show's cast will not return to voice their respective characters, with Brooklyn Davey Norstedt taking over as Eleven, Jolie Hoang-Rappaport as Max, Luca Diaz as Mike, Elisha “EJ” Williams as Lucas, Braxton Quinney as Dustin, Benjamin Plessala as Will, Brett Gipson as Hopper, Jeremy Jordan as Steve, as well as Janeane Garofalo and Lou Diamond Phillips.

Welcome back to Hawkins in the stark winter of 1985, where the original characters must fight new monsters and unravel a paranormal mystery terrorizing their town in Stranger Things: Tales From ’85, an epic new animated series.

About The Author:
MarkCassidy
Member Since 11/9/2008
Mark Cassidy is a writer, photographer, amateur filmmaker, and Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic from Dublin, Ireland.
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Reginator
Reginator - 4/23/2026, 10:21 AM
milk it for all you can
TheJok3r
TheJok3r - 4/23/2026, 10:22 AM
meh.
Kadara
Kadara - 4/23/2026, 10:27 AM
I really don't understand how this site thinks anyone cares about Rotten Tomatoes. Didn't Mario movie embarrass them recently.
@joshwilding
@natebros

Want to put up a voting pole for this?
MarkCassidy
MarkCassidy - 4/23/2026, 10:45 AM
@Kadara - Strange that... since pretty much every comic book movie or series Rotten Tomatoes article does great numbers. That's a lot of clicks from people who don't care.
String
String - 4/23/2026, 10:39 AM
This series needs to die off already. Knowing how principal characters ended up in the live-action finale, I have no intention of ever supporting this franchise. They ruined the best friendship this series had in the early seasons which made it special. Now, it's just another supernatural show with a bad legacy. It won't age well, especially with some folks.
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 4/23/2026, 10:45 AM
Cool , glad to see fairly positive reception so far thus hope it continues…

This looks like a fun (albeit perhaps not needed) adventure within the world of Stranger Things so might give it a shot , if not now then down the line tbh!!.
slickrickdesigns
slickrickdesigns - 4/23/2026, 11:25 AM
This show was definitely skippable.

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