When it comes to sci-fi and fantasy, the debate between computer-generated effects and old-fashioned makeup and prosthetics never ends. There are some that find any CGI to be unconvincing and unrealistic, and others that see digital effects as the only ones worth doing. Those fans of practical effects just had a huge name join their ranks.
The beloved Netflix series Stranger Things has brought some of the best and most horrific monster designs in modern TV to the small screen. Before the most recent season and its new massive threat, the series has primarily sent CGI monsters after its beloved main characters. Vecna is a new development in many ways.
Vecna, like most of Stranger Things' monsters, is inspired by a Dungeons and Dragons creature by the same name. In D&D, Vecna, the Whispered One, is an archlich who resembles an animated corpse wearing ornate robes. Once a human wizard, Vecna grew obsessed with discovering the secrets of magic and relentlessly pursued forbidden knowledge at all costs. As a lich, Vecna grew to godhood and sought to dethrone all other deities and attain ultimate power. Stranger Things creators the Duffer brothers took elements from the evil D&D deity and combined them with some of their favorite horror sources to create a spellbinding new nightmare.
While notably nude, the TV iteration of Vecna still resembles a long-dead human form. The most immediate inspiration seems to be A Nightmare on Elm Street's Freddy Krueger. The sickly pinkish-red color of Vecna's deeply unpleasant flesh resembles raw meat or exposed muscle. It looks somehow unfinished, or indeed long beyond a gruesome death. From its human form extend a mass of writhing tentacles, which evoke countless cosmic horror figures like those of Lovecraft, whose creations almost always featured a few tendrils. The movement of these additional limbs is immediately evocative of Pinhead's chains from Hellraiser. Like almost every other aspect of Stranger Things, a bit of the original It also leaks through his characterization.
Given the pedigree behind his inspiration and the weight he carries in the narrative, Vecna needed a suitable team to bring him to life. The one and only Barrie Gower, along with his company BGFX, was responsible for the makeup and prosthesis that went into Vecna's design. Gower has done makeup work on a ton of major franchises, but the biggest jewel in his crown was undoubtedly the Night King from Game of Thrones. He and his company also had a hand in The Green Knight and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Gower and BGFX are unsung heroes in the film industry, a look through their credits will reveal countless examples of excellent practical effects work. It's unfair to judge, but Vecna easily belongs among the high echelon of their outstanding catalog.
Vecna looks outstanding, but the previous monsters of the series aren't without their merits. The Demogorgon, its smaller canine companions, and the massive Mind Flayers all look incredible, despite being computer generated. The lesson here isn't that practical is always better than CGI, but that both styles have different applications. There's a place for huge CGI effects and a place for more small-scale makeup and glue. Vecna should be crafted with practical effects because it communicates so much about the newfound nemesis through a simple glance.
Vecna looks immediately different from any of the monsters that came before him, and that helps to mark him out as an even greater threat. As a sort of final boss, Vecna stands out and claims the spotlight. Lining up all the series' iconic designs, a newcomer would be able to pick out Vecna as both unique and especially threatening. Additionally, it ties the character back to its aforementioned inspirations. Freddy Krueger and Pinhead were groundbreaking practical effects at the time, and they remain iconic today. Stranger Things is heavily built around references and homage, so it helps to visually evoke its inspiration. It also serves the character's lore. Like the character's source material, Vecna was once a mortal man. He didn't always look like this, and the deformities and new extremities that make up his new form are unique to him. Vecna should look like a regular person covered in bizarre extraneous detail, because he is a regular person forever altered by the Upside-down.
Stranger Things could have gotten by using the same type of CGI for every enemy that its heroes face, but they went the extra mile to do something special for the finale. Vecna is an incredible design, and the simple choice to create the character with a different technique forever changed his impact. Stranger Things is a fan favorite for a reason, every detail of the show's unique blend of drama, comedy, and horror is where it belongs. Fans will just have to wait and see how Vecna grows and changes in Season 4 Volume 2.