Way back in 1988, NBC began airing Unsolved Mysteries, a weekly TV series that examined the strange events behind cold cases and paranormal activity. The show was transferred to CBS in 1997, then canceled; picked up by Lifetime in 2001, then canceled; repackaged by Spike in 2008 and then — less than two years later — canceled. And still, the series kept drawing back audiences. Was it the intriguing stories? The dramatic reenactments? The open-ended conclusions? Whatever it was, it was enough for Unsolved Mysteries to be given a complete reboot from the original creators, debuting on Netflix July 1.
The first six episodes of the new Unsolved Mysteries are as chilling as those in the original series. Five of them focus on missing persons and murder cases. The first tells of a man who ran away in a hurry one night only to be discovered dead in an abandoned conference room at the Belvedere Hotel days later. Another investigates the disappearance of a Black man who is suspected to have been the victim of a hate crime at a party. Others focus on the murder of a hairstylist and the disappearance of a young woman after she's asked to testify against her mother in court.
While the original Unsolved Mysteries spent most of its time in America, the reboot adds international cases to its mix. The last missing persons case of the five uncovers the secrets of a family found buried under the terrace of their house in France. The subtitles require viewers to stay more focused, but the frightening narrative makes it worth the effort. In fact, "House of Terror," as it's called, is perhaps the best of the initial Netflix episodes.
Then there's the episode that recounts the Berkshire Massachusetts UFO sighting in 1969. As the only paranormal story to appear in the first half of Season 1, it feels like an outlier, especially because it relies on testimonies as opposed to physical evidence. Because of this, "Berkshires UFO" runs a little slow, but it's still likely to mesmerize viewers who came knowing Shawn Levy (executive producer of Stranger Things) helped reboot Unsolved Mysteries.
Image: NETFLIX
While the episodes' content varies, their format is uniform. They each open with an anecdote that foreshadows the mystery to come. Next there's an eerie opening sequence, featuring a revamped version of the classic theme song. And then, the details of the mysteries begin to unfold.
Though the original show was hosted by Robert Stack from its inception through 2002, the new Unsolved Mysteries skips a narrator and instead relies on a series of interviewees to tell the tales. The talking heads are accompanied by cinematic reenactments, old photographs, archival news footage, and animated dimensions and timelines. Though the stories can at times be a little tedious due to their extended lengths (between 39 and 52 minutes), they're packed with interesting characters that add depth. Yes, this does mean you'll have to stay attentive to keep up with the cases. Unsolved Mysteries is not a background show.
Each episode builds up to a conclusion that — by the very nature of the show — is incomplete.
Each episode eventually builds up to a conclusion that — by the very nature of the series — is incomplete. It's called Unsolved Mysteries because as the title implies, the stories are left unsolved. While a lack of conclusion can at first feel frustrating, this might be the exact thing that will keep you watching. At the end of every episode, viewers are directed to report any details they have about the discussed crime or strange occurrence to locations including the website unsolved.com, adding a collaborative element to the show as well as a practical resource. In fact, over 260 cases, like the murder of journalism student Brook Baker and the disappearance of 16-year-old Kari Lynn Nixon, have been solved over the years as a result of the series. And while viewers can no longer dial a phone number to share tips after a live broadcast, the digital era of Unsolved Mysteries might create even more opportunities for cases to close yet again.
Netflix's Unsolved Mysteries might not be fast-paced or groundbreaking and unique, but it is interesting. If you're fascinated by crime or just looking for a new watch that's unsettling and engrossing, it might be your ideal next binge. You won't get perfectly wrapped-up endings, but in a way, that's the entire point. It's up to you (and other viewers) to solve the unsolvable.
Unsolved Mysteries is now streaming on Netflix.
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