Well there are obviously moments where the directors are given the greenlight to do some shit that filmmakers back then were not really even thinking about trying, much less doing, but a large chunk of the show, primarily time spent with the kids getting up to adventuring (and planning adventures) and the adults doing their adult agonizing things - those moments show a restraint that I think people, when they compare Stranger Things to either Ready Player One or Super 8, aren't seeing in those examples. The lack of restraint is what's causing people to put that stuff at arm's length, I think.
Often, Stranger Things has opportunities to shine stuff up, to frame things a little more extravagantly, and more often than not they stick to the basics. That's part of the feel that resonates with me - the filmmaking feels sturdy, for lack of a better word. It's kinda yellowed and beat up but it does exactly what it needs to do.
