Sadie Sink, best known for her role as Max Mayfield in Stranger Things, has opened up about her deep emotional connection to the iconic 1980s song Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God), which became a defining element of her character’s journey in the hit Netflix series.
The Kate Bush track was memorably featured in season four as Max’s favorite song and served as an emotional lifeline when the character was trapped inside Vecna’s (Jamie Campbell Bower) mind lair. The song played a crucial role in grounding Max and helping her fight to escape the dark realm.
In season five, the song makes a powerful return, playing on a loop during scenes involving Max, who remains trapped in the mind lair and lies in a coma. As Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) desperately reaches out to her, the song once again becomes a symbol of hope, connection, and survival.
Despite hearing the track repeatedly throughout the series, Sink revealed that she hasn’t grown tired of it. Speaking in an interview with SFX Magazine, the actress said, “I’m still able to listen to it.”
“I mean, I don’t voluntarily listen to it in my free time, but it’s such a hit and a really good song,” Sink explained. “I’m not tired of it, but it’s definitely one of those songs that feels very emotional now because it’s so connected to the show.”
She went on to describe the powerful memories the song evokes, saying it always brings back “big feelings.” Sink recalled returning to the same set years later, wearing the same costume she had first worn at 17, now at age 22, and once again standing in the red void of the mind lair.
“Even though the circumstances were different, coming back to that song again was a moment of, ‘Wow, we’re really back here,’” she said. Sink added that revisiting the running scenes after the song’s massive cultural resurgence felt strange yet meaningful.
In Stranger Things season five, volume two, Max ultimately escapes the mind lair and awakens from her coma with the help of the song and Lucas’ unwavering care.
The fifth and final season of Stranger Things is now streaming on Netflix, marking the end of the beloved sci-fi series.