Duffer Brothers launch ‘polarizing’ Netflix horror series as first project since Stranger Things
The Duffer Brothers have become synonymous with Netflix, with the streaming giant and dynamic duo being shackled together through a decade of Stranger Things. While the dust has settled on Hawkins (for now), Matt and Ross Duffer aren't sitting back on their laurels, due to a packed schedule that’s keeping them busy.
Despite Stranger Things season 5 dividing fans and critics alike, it was still a verified hit for Netflix. Even though the Duffers are set to depart their four-year streaming deal at Netflix for a new one under Paramount in April 2026, they've still got a few TV projects under their belt.
It's already been confirmed that their planned adaptation of Stephen King and Peter Straub's The Talisman, but in a bumper 2026, they're still serving as executive producers on Stranger Things: Tales from '85 and The Boroughs – with the latter being described by some as 'Stranger Things with adults'.
What is Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen about?
Up first is Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen, which we previously reported stars Camila Morrone's Rachel and Adam DiMarco's Nicky as an engaged couple who face some terrifying hurdles before making it down the aisle.
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Stranger Things was praised for balancing its horror and sci-fi elements, whereas Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen looks like a much darker outing that also stars Annihilation's Jennifer Jason Leigh and The Silence of the Lambs' Ted Levine.
Matt Duffer has previously asked Stranger Things fans to cut him some slack in the aftermath of the finale, and while Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen doesn't quite have the same rabid viewers as Stranger Things, it's apparently similarly 'polarizing'.
The reviews are slowly trickling out, with the eight-episode miniseries already earning an impressive 85% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes. Still, despite Stranger Things' somewhat maligned final season, it still boasts a 90% cirtic score as a whole show.
Collider's Jasneet Singh was especially impressed with the latest Netflix offering as she wrote: "Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen is easily Netflix's creepiest horror show since The Haunting of Hill House, with the same atmospheric terror, mind-bending reality, and scenes so gruesomely twisted they're impossible to look away from."
What are fans saying about Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen?
Over on Reddit, fans who've binged their way through the series also shared their thoughts, as one wrote: "I've watched two episodes. I will say it'll be polarising as it's quite David Lynch like and not straight horror."
Comparing it to other obscure horror hits, another added: "It's nothing like The Menu or The Invitation but it aims for the same anxiety vibe."
A third said: "It's not bad but it should have been 5-6 episodes...I think Netflix is stretching out these things telling writers to bloat their content. Better pacing would have made it 10/10."
Someone said they binged the whole thing in one day because they were 'hooked', although it seems there’s a common complaint that Game of Thrones fans will be used to. Many grumbled that Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen is simply too dark to watch. Highlighting this issue, someone said: "Am I blind? I know the dark shots are probably to add to the horror vibe but I can barely see whats going on :/."
Another concluded: "Idk it’s just slow, I had to speed it to 1.25 or more so that they move faster in the dark."
Whether your next Netflix obsession or one to skip, having the name of the Duffers attached has clearly piqued some people's interest.