Archive 81

Wasn't sure what to expect from this series as it has quite a few great reviews, and quite a few bad (which mostly complain that its slow and boring). Well, I watched it anyway and Glad I did.

I thought it was one of the better Mystery / Sci-fi thrillers I've seen in quite a while. I don't really consider it Horror, but it is very suspenseful, creepy, and a bit anxiety inducing. I love creepy cult movies, and lots of Victorian architecture, artworks, and sculpture eye candy and Long Creepy Labyrinthian Hallways and eerie basements and such. So scored quite a few points from me just for that. I love Dante's Inferno too.

If you have the focus and attention span of a Mayfly, then this is NOT for you. If your a person who grew up in the 60's and 70's as a kid and are used to tension being built up slowly, then you May well enjoy this like I did.

I just binged 1st season and Loved it and Hope they get a season 2. Can't wait. ;D.

I actually enjoyed the actors, and while I didn't recognize a lot of the actors, seeing Matt McGorry as a secondary character and comic relief was quite fun.

So, if your unsure still, give the 1st episode a chance. You may well find a new series to add to your future watchlist. :D.

Daniel Turner works as a restorer of damaged film and video tape. One day he is approached by Virgil Davenport who wants him to undertake a project for him. It will involve working in a remote house in the Catskill Mountains; here he is to restore a set of fire damaged Hi-8 video tapes. They were shot in 1994 by PhD student Melody Pendras. She was working on a project concerning the inhabitants of the Visser Building. She is now missing but it is assumed that she died in a fire that destroyed the building. As Dan works through the tapes he learns more about Melody, the Visser Building, its inhabitants and a strange cult active their... he starts to feel a connection to Melody and even feels that somehow he may be able to save her!

I rather enjoyed this series. In the early episodes I was intrigued to see which way it would go; especially after Melody discovered the cult... would the cultists be misguided or would they be tapping into something supernatural; and if so what. The way the series switched between Dan's work in the present and Melody's in 1994 was effective; it would have got irritating if we'd only seen her footage of her research. There are some impressively creepy moments and a few shocking scenes; nothing too disturbing though. The cast is solid; especially Mamoudou Athie; who is frequently in scenes by himself as Dan and Dina Shihabi who impresses as the increasingly perturbed Melody. Overall I'd certainly recommend this to anybody who likes a good chiller. I hope we get a second season.

Finally great supernatural horror drama. Yes, it is slow and definitely not for people with short attention span. Also, not for people who look for gore or silly jump scares. But it is super creepy. I started to watch at night and had to stop because felt uncomfortable alone in apartment with this show. Finished the next day when sun was shining. It is well done, the atmosphere is intense, actors are great. Highly recommended for people who like slow burn mystical shows.

Archive 81 is the most watchable series I have come across for some time. It manages to combine so many genres into 8 very different, but very entertaining episodes.

We are given sci fi, horror, thriller and surreal elements, no two episodes are alike, it really is the most incredibly varied show.

For me, this peaks in the middle, where they really deliver several scares, in the last few parts it takes you on a somewhat different journey.

Very nicely acted, with two very strong leads, it's very well presented, with some nice special effects. Part 7 in particular looks great.

You could easily lose interest part way through episode 1, but stick with it, it takes a little time to open up, by episode 3 you'll be binge watching it.

It seems likely we'll be getting a second series.

Overall, a very good watch, 8/10.

I really liked the grainy 80s aesthetic and oppressive, isolated atmosphere. The show starts out very strong with a slow mystery revealing itself reminding me a lot of Lost (2004), the framing of the story, largely through replaying of VHS tapes is clever and disorienting leaving you questioning the reality you're seeing. The 2 leads and very good as is the best friend character and there is a strong emotional undercurrent as well as paranormal and horror elements. However, as I often find with shows like this, it is exceptionally difficult to deliver on the mystery. As the show builds to conclusion I felt some level of repetitiveness as well disappointment as more is revealed and the subtlety is gradually replaced with propulsive action and characters become more archetypal. That said, overall I still really enjoyed it and love that stuff like this is being made with a good budget behind it.