‘Stranger Things 2’: What Were Nancy & Steve’s Halloween Costumes

Much like the first season, the second season of Stranger Things was full of pop culture references, with a Halloween-set episode marking the perfect opportunity to pay tribute to touchstones of the early ’80s. Younger viewers might not have made the connection, but Steve (Joe Keery) and Nancy (Natalia Dyer) paid their respects to one of Tom Cruise’s biggest hits with their costumes inspired by his film Risky Business.

In Risky Business, Tom Cruise plays a high school student with the house to himself for the weekend. His first instincts are to play Bob Seger in his living room and dance around in his underwear, becoming one of the most famous musical sequences of the decade. From there, he goes on to have an encounter with a prostitute (Rebecca DeMornay), with the two going on to begin a relationship.

Tom Cruise may have earned thirty years’ worth of recognizable characters since Risky Business, but with the show being set in 1984, the subtle costumes could have only been recognized as the two characters from the film.

These weren’t the only costumes in the series that referenced other properties that were popular in the early ’80s, with the main heroes of the story all dressing as members of the Ghostbusters, one party member dressing as a member of the Cobra Kai from Karate Kid and another character wearing a Michael Myers mask from Halloween.

Much like the characters in the series paying tribute to their favorite pop culture icons, people have also been honoring Stranger Things by dressing up as them for Halloween. Given that the show takes place in the ’80s, virtually all you need is your most authentic vintage gear, but some costume companies have gone a little too far.

One costume, deemed the “Upside Down Honey,” drew criticism for its ruffled chest and short skirt. While the outfit doesn’t necessarily claim to be a “sexy,” costume, it is inspired by a character played by a 12-year-old, which many have deemed an inappropriate interpretation of a character that shouldn’t be sexualized.

The second season of Stranger Things is now available on Netflix.

[H/T Entertainment Weekly]