Is it a True Story? - Stranger Things isn't exactly a documentary, but it does draw eerie inspiration from relics of real-life government experimentation.
Inspiration for Project MKUltra - The show is inspired by the MKUltra program–the CIA's real, top-secret mind control program that happened during the 1950s-70s.
Dr. Brenner's Character - Matthew Modine's Dr. Brenner is said to mirror actual scientists who conducted classified, unethical experiments.
Montauk Project - Before Stranger Things was released as Stranger Things, the Duffer Brothers had it titled Montauk, named after the alleged time travel experiments.
Claims of Telekinesis and Remote Viewing - Similar to Eleven, subjects involved in MKUltra were allegedly trained to have psychic skills, including telekinesis, remote viewing, and mind control.
Secrets of Small Towns Add to the Myth - Hawkins is fictional, but secret government testing in rural American towns? That part is more real than you think.
Government Disavowals and Unclassified Docs - While officials deny that a Hawkins-like lab ever existed, unclassified MKUltra documents confirm many uncomfortable details.
Science of Eleven's Powers While - The Upside Down is pure fantasy, Stranger Things mashes together enough real science to make it creepy and plausible.
Not entirely fiction - The setting, monsters, and Demogorgon are fiction. The paranoia, secrecy, and real life testing? That's all real.