Naturally I Had To Watch The Great Escape After Stranger Things 5 Part 1, And There’s One Reference I Appreciated Most

by

Like a lot of people, I couldn’t wait and immediately binged the first four episodes of Stranger Things 5. I devoured Volume 1 quickly, and I don’t regret it at all. While I’m really looking forward to the remaining episodes coming to Netflix in 2025, I wasn’t left feeling empty after finishing that exciting fourth episode (“Chapter Four: Sorcerer”). It actually inspired me to finally watch the 1963 movie The Great Escape when Robin mentioned it. And it was fantastic! I’m a bit late discovering it, but watching it right after the Stranger Things episode made me notice some cool connections between the two.

If you’ve watched the first four episodes of Stranger Things 5 – and many people have – be warned: this article contains major spoilers, especially as you read further into the discussion about the movie, The Great Escape.

What To Know About The Great Escape If You Haven’t Seen It

If you haven’t seen The Great Escape, it’s a movie starring Steve McQueen about Allied prisoners of war during World War II. These aren’t your average POWs, though – they’re all experienced escape artists! So, naturally, they start plotting a breakout from the German-run prison almost as soon as they arrive.

Widely considered a classic war film, this World War II movie blends humor with intense and often violent scenes. You can watch it for free with ads on Pluto TV or YouTube, or stream it on MGM+ (which I accessed through my Prime Video account).

The Great Escape Reference I Appreciated Most In Stranger Things

Something clever happened in Stranger Things that I didn’t notice until after I watched The Great Escape. When Robin explains the tunnels in Episode 4, the theme music from The Great Escape is playing. If you’ve seen the movie, it’s an obvious connection. I’d heard the music before in other shows and movies, and it just sounded familiar, but I didn’t realize it was the theme from that iconic film. Once I saw The Great Escape, going back to watch Robin’s scene made the connection crystal clear – it’s a really cool reference!

Big spoiler warning for both Stranger Things and The Great Escape in the final section below!

I Couldn’t Help See Other Possible Connections

Let’s assume you’re familiar with both The Great Escape and the first part of Stranger Things 5, or you don’t mind spoilers. While the creators of Stranger Things may not have intended a connection to The Great Escape, I noticed some unsettling parallels after watching the film. Certain events in The Great Escape seemed to foreshadow what happens in the final moments of Stranger Things 5, Episode 4.

Both The Great Escape and Stranger Things feature near-successful escapes that are ruined by a single mistake. In the movie, a prisoner starts the escape too early, alerting the guards. In the show, a slip on a wet floor gives away the plan. Both times, everything was going smoothly until one error brought everything crashing down.

Even though the ending of Stranger Things Season 4 was incredibly intense, with the kids captured by the Demogorgons, nothing could have prepared me for how I felt after watching The Great Escape. The movie was deeply moving and it’s clear why it’s become such a famous and often-quoted war film. I was happy to watch it after finishing Stranger Things, and it’s inspired me to finally check out more classic movies I’ve missed.

Read More

2025-12-08 02:10