This Netflix Horror Miniseries Proved TV Can Do Found Footage Too

Ever since The Blair Witch Project, found footage has been a successful horror storytelling device that aims to immerse the audience into the narrative. Although quality varies in these films, the uncertainty of what you might discover from frame to frame works on many levels. But, besides some rare examples like American Horror Story: Roanoke, the thrills of found footage horror have been limited to the big screen. In 2022, Netflix introduced another contender series that split its narrative between regular storytelling and found footage. That’s how Archive 81 became one of the most engaging experiences of the streaming platform.

The series is an adaptation of the podcast of the same name, created by Daniel Powell and Marc Sollinger. Developed for television by Rebecca Sonnenshine, it also has horror master James Wan as one of its producers. Archive 81 tells the story of Dan (Mamoudou Athie), a conservator who is hired to restore some moldy tapes that chronicle Melody’s (Dina Shihabi) discoveries while documenting the history of an apartment building called The Visser. Though it doesn’t solely rely on the found footage technique, it succeeds in making the tapes an essential element of the show, allowing its time-displaced characters to communicate. Since it was canceled prematurely, we never got to see the end of Dan and Melody’s journey, but it stands as an example of what can be achieved when using found footage on a TV show.

Archive 81

An archivist hired to restore a collection of tapes finds himself reconstructing the work of a filmmaker and her investigation into a dangerous cult.

Release Date

January 14, 2022

Main Genre

Mystery

Seasons

1

While Archive 81 doesn’t make found footage its main storytelling device, it does use it as the backbone of the show’s narrative. Cleaning tape after tape, and playing each one of them, Dan starts his journey as part of the audience. That is, until he begins to realize that his getting this job isn’t a coincidence at all. The tapes slowly uncover several details behind the mystery of Melody’s disappearance, the fire that engulfed The Visser, and even the involvement of his father, Dr. Steve Turner (Charlie Hudson III), in the shady story. That’s how Dan goes from spectator to protagonist in this elaborate web. Most found footage films apply this storytelling device as the sole way to present what’s happening to the characters, with the risk of some details getting lost along the way. Archive 81 goes a bit further by using found footage as an introduction, to let the audience know that the following multi-camera angle scenes are part of what Dan’s seeing in the tapes. It’s like diving into Melody’s world along with Dan, bringing a successful immersion into the main elements of the show.

Being an eight-part story, Archive 81 has time to dabble in many horror tropes that might not have been possible had it been a feature film. While many found footage films choose between centering on ghosts, possessions, or the unearthing of inhuman creatures, Archive 81 spins a web in which a handful of horrors are involved. Melody’s tapes document a cult whose base of operations is The Visser itself. They recite chilling demonic chants by night, while a group of addicts on the building’s sixth floor keep them going during the day. Melody’s discoveries also lead to an attempt of an exorcism on Jess (Ariana Neal), a girl she befriends at The Visser. Perhaps the most frightening recording is a séance that goes awry, ending with the medium ripping her face off.

The scares are achieved thanks not only to Melody’s tapes, but other pieces of found footage discovered along the way. An ancient and gruesome snuff film details the origins of the cult — known as the Vos Society — which venerates the demon Kaelego and is actively trying to bring him to Earth from his dimension. We soon learn that the mold on the tapes is not just a humidity inconvenience, but a type of invasive fungus from Kaelego’s dimension. As Dan progresses in removing the mold from the tapes, the dimensional walls start thinning, allowing for him and Melody to meet.

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Other pieces are not frightening per se but succeed in creating an unsettling atmosphere, like a commercial for an auction of antiquities which are all related to the cult. A revealing news section leads to the discovery of Father Russo’s (Martin Sola) murder by cultist Samuel (Evan Jonikgeit), proving the former did have the best intentions when trying to exorcise Jess. That way, Archive 81 balances between jump scares and a feeling of uncertainty that brings more chills as it moves forward.

‘Archive 81’s Cancellation Cut Dan and Melody’s Story Short

Archive 81 was a great addition to the Netflix horror catalog and its lineup in general. Though it had a strong start (racking up 129 million hours watched in its first three weeks) – securing a place on Netflix’s Top 10 for three weeks – its drop in viewers by 50% after its second week most likely damaged and ultimately eliminated its renewal possibilities. In the end, forces stronger than Kaelego led Netflix to not take Dan and Melody’s story further. The show was canceled in March, barely two months after its release. Its cliffhanger ending left many unresolved mysteries. While Dan is able to rescue Melody after being stuck in Kaelego’s dimension, the two end up being time-displaced once again, now with Melody in the present, and Dan in the past. Showrunner Sonnenshine commented that the intention was always to have a Season 2 to answer all or most of the questions posed in Season 1.

Regardless of Archive 81’s cancellation, the show’s formula proves that found footage shouldn’t be reserved for film. While the concept might be tiring when spreading it over episodes, Archive 81 demonstrates that a blend of horror topics can create great narratives with twists and turns. Though we might never know whether Dan finds his way home or what comes after Melody meets her mom, Archive 81 is a horror show worth checking out and a strong reminder that more series should incorporate found footage into their narratives.

Archive 81 is available to stream on Netflix in the U.S.

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