Netflix’s creepy list has a new addition with the release of Archive 81, a time-bending American horror thriller by Rebecca Sonnenshine, best known for her work in The Vampire Diaries and The Boys. Written by Paul Harris Boardman, the series started streaming on Netflix on January 14th, 2022. The show is inspired not by a novel or another series, but by a fictional podcast of the same name.

Archive 81 is a slow-burner, with eight episodes that keep the viewer with the pace of the show to find satisfying answers to their queries. However, the show is at a top pace on its race to Netflix’s top 10 charts. The show has already surpassed popular shows like Emily in Paris, Cobra Kai, The Witcher, and Dark Desire. And we believe the show has full potential to be number 1 with enough recommendations and well-branding.

The synopsis of Archive 81 on Netflix

The podcast, Archive 81, describes itself as, “found footage horror podcast about ritual, stories, and sound”, and we believe the show is definitely moving in that dimension. Meanwhile, the plot of the series centers on archivist Dan Turner, who recently took up a new job of restoring a collection of damaged videotapes from 1994. Slowly, but surely, Dan’s obsession over the tapes and their contents grew, as he is pulled into documentary filmmaker Melody Pendras’ investigation.

The cast of Archive 81

The cast of the television series includes:

• Mamoudou Athie as Daniel “Dan” Turner
• Dina Shihabi as Melody Pendras
• Evan Jonigkeit as Samuel Spare
• Julia Chan as Anabelle Cho
• Ariana Neal as Jessica “Jess” Lewis
• Matt McGorry as Mark Higgins
• Martin Donovan as Virgil Davenport

Critics review and fan reactions

Archive 81 is quite intense with a dense backstory and has already received positive reviews from critics. The show has already scored 95% from the critics on Rotten Tomatoes. However, the audience score is still 68%, which we can expect to increase in the near future as more people stream the show.

Los Angeles Times reviews Archive 81 as, “amateurish in spots, and not in a self-aware way. … But the long-haul effects of “Archive 81” are worth the time spent on this series. Unlike many a mystery streamer, there is a satisfying payoff at the end of the analog mystery.” 

Decider gave a ‘Stream It’ review for the show while praising the actors, “We’re still wondering if Archive 81 can effectively put its timelines together into a coherent thriller. But it’s off to a promising start, due to good performances from both Athie and Shihabi.”

Fans are equally crazy over the new Netflix thriller, as evident in the Twitter storm that followed the release,

https://twitter.com/MarcSollinger/status/1482006502210772992?s=20

From the looks of it, Archive 81 is your next thriller binge. Have you watched the series yet? Let us know what you think of the Netflix show.