I love the Netflix TV show Archive 81.
The podcast was fine. It went off the rails in season 2. But the TV show really grabbed me.
I’ve probably re-watched it 5 or 6 times by now.
Here’s the plot according to grok3:
Archive 81 is a supernatural horror series that follows Dan Turner, an archivist hired to restore a collection of damaged videotapes recorded by documentary filmmaker Melody Pendras in 1994. As Dan delves into the tapes, he uncovers Melody’s investigation into a mysterious cult tied to the Visser apartment building, where strange occurrences and disappearances abound. The narrative alternates between Dan’s present-day efforts and Melody’s past, revealing a sinister connection between them as Dan becomes obsessed with uncovering the truth, only to discover that the cult’s rituals and a malevolent entity might still be at play, threatening his own reality. The show blends found-footage elements with psychological horror, culminating in a twist that questions time, identity, and the nature of the tapes themselves.
Why? What do I like.
I think it’s the multi-level narrative.
- Dan’s story in the present.
- Melody’s story in the 1990s.
- Iris’ story in the 1920s.
Again from grok3:
In Archive 81, the multi-level narrative weaves together three timelines:
In the present, Dan Turner, an archivist, restores videotapes from the 1990s while grappling with his own mental state and a growing obsession that pulls him into a supernatural mystery tied to his employer, Virgil Davenport, and the tapes’ contents.
In the 1990s, Melody Pendras, the tapes’ creator, investigates a cult at the Visser apartment building, uncovering rituals, disappearances, and a strange entity called Kaelego, all while her life unravels as she’s drawn deeper into the building’s secrets.
In the 1920s, Iris Vos, a socialite and cult member, conducts an early ritual at the same location to summon Kaelego, setting the stage for the cyclical horrors that echo through the decades, linking her actions to Melody’s fate and Dan’s present-day unraveling as the boundaries between time and reality blur.
Exactly.
And each story/time period is compelling.
The connecting element across the time periods is “Kaelego” (and the cult surrounding him/it) and “tapes/movies” that provide a way to communicate with it. The tapes that dan is restoring, the “snuff film” the cult is trying to track down in the 1990s, the film screened in the 1920s. The comet (“The Ferryman”) that returns now and then where “Kaelego” may reside or catalyst for his rituals.
Kaelego doesn’t “live” in the tapes in a literal sense, but the entity’s presence and influence seem to seep into them, as they serve as a conduit or anchor for its power across timelines. The tapes contain distortions, strange frequencies, and glimpses of Kaelego’s realm, suggesting that the act of recording the rituals imbued them with a supernatural resonance that allows Kaelego to communicate or exert influence through them.
Very cool. Although the “effects” of Kaelego bothering Dan in the present were weak. I got it, but the implementation failed, too cheesy.
The found footage aspect is also clever. Each episode unfolds as Dan restores and then watches one more of Melody’s tapes.
This device works very well, but falls apart when we need to flash back to the 1920s (Ep7). No more tapes :) It doesn’t matter. We’re drawn in as we learn about Iris.
This show has all the things I like and does it well.
I’m also a fan of the soundtrack, specifically the first track shown during the opening credits of the show.
Also, Justin Benson + Aaron Moorhead directed Ep3 and Ep4. I just love those guys. All that they do.
Queue another re-watch!