One last trip to Hawkins, and this time, the cameras turn inward. Netflix will release a never-before-seen behind-the-scenes documentary, One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5, on January 12. The film takes viewers inside the creation of the final season, chronicling the cast, creators, and crew as they reflect on a decade of storytelling and share unseen production footage.

This announcement comes as the world still digests the Stranger Things Season 5 finale, which concluded the series on December 31, 2025. The documentary dives deeper into how Season 5 came together, from large-scale production challenges to the personal goodbyes shared on set after nearly a decade. It offers essential context for how Hawkins’ final chapter was crafted and why the ending resonated so strongly with fans.

The trailer reinforces that intent, offering raw, emotional moments from the final days of filming. Footage shows Finn Wolfhard and Noah Schnapp visibly overwhelmed while reading their final lines. The existence of the documentary was first confirmed by Netflix in early January, with director Martina Radwan spending over a year filming on set.

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However, after a finale that left many frustrated, one may question the need of a documentary to make sense of Stranger Things’ ending.

Despite being one of Netflix’s most anticipated conclusions, Stranger Things Season 5’s finale left a large portion of the fandom unsatisfied. On Rotten Tomatoes, the audience score for Season 5 dipped to around 56 percent, marking the lowest fan rating in the show’s history and a considerable fall from earlier seasons that scored above 85 percent.

Many fans described the finale as predictable and anticlimactic, or leaving too many loose threads unresolved, with some comparing it unfavorably to other divisive TV finales like Game of Thrones.

 Unresolved lore, rapid plot resolutions, and a perceived lack of stakes, such as the ease of defeating Vecna, the main villain, fueled discussions about whether the narrative payoff matched the years of buildup. Some fans argued that the long-teased mythology and emotional arcs were underutilized.

Then there were scenes intended to be meaningful, but instead felt rushed or disconnected. The sheer volume of disappointment and debate highlights a fundamental divide over how the Duffers chose to conclude a decade-long saga.

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Will this behind-the-scenes farewell change how you see the final season of Stranger Things? Share your thoughts below.