Why Netflix’s ‘Unsolved Mysteries’ Lives Up to the Original Series
If you’re a fan of The Innocence Files, you’ll love this one.
After running for more than 20 years on broadcast television, fans were begging for more of Unsolved Mysteries, the true crime show highlighting cases that have yet to be solved. Finally, Netflix has come out with a reboot of the widely loved series.
It’s almost a true crime lover’s dream: being presented with a modern-day case that is still being examined allows viewers to put their investigative skills to work and come up with conclusions of their own. Younger generations who are aware of the BuzzFeed Unsolved online series can expect a similar, but more in-depth, experience with this Netflix adaptation.
If you love mysteries, cliffhangers, or are just a passionate true crime fan, Unsolved Mysteries is definitely the show for you. Read below for seven reasons why it will satisfy your craving for a suspenseful crime docuseries.
A modernized approach to an old favorite
The television show ran for nine seasons on NBC and then four more on CBS and Lifetime. It was a fan favorite, which is why the show was on the air from 1987 to 2010. While the premise is the same, providing details on cases that still don’t have answers, the Netflix version boasts much higher quality visuals and a more organized approach to presenting the case. It’s clear that this time around, more time was put into seeking out individuals who knew the victims or were involved in investigating the crimes to speak on camera.
Each episode is like a full documentary
Each episode is almost an hour long. With the amount of information and number of people involved, so much is packed into each. After you hear about each case, it feels like you know every little piece of information about it. That’s the whole point: these cases are still developing, and because most of them have been unsolved for dozens of years, the stories are jam-packed with details, and any of those small pieces could eventually become part of the answer they’re looking for.
Actual portrayal of locations and events
The realistic portrayal of the featured stories as they’re recounted by the people involved or related to the victim only adds to the excitement that viewers get from watching a true crime series. There are plenty of clips of archived news footage included from the day of or days after the crime. Filming also took place at the actual locations of events, such as the real homes where the victims lived, or the cameras followed family members as they visited the scene of the crime. The inclusion of more videos as opposed to pictures adds to the eerie effect that makes viewers realize that these cases are not only very real, but still need answers.
The presentation of events
In the original, the crime was often presented at the beginning of the episode, followed by the background and steps taken in the investigation. The spinoff starts with the background, along with other small pieces of information, and events are presented in chronological order. Not only does this conscious decision create more of a “cliffhanger” effect, but it also allows the viewer to feel like they knew the victim prior to their incident. This way, those who knew nothing about the case prior to the episode receive an unbiased introduction to the victim, which allows them to form their own opinions about what happened.
The ‘unsolved’ element adds excitement
Similar to The Confession Tapes, audiences are encouraged to draw their own conclusions as facts are revealed throughout the episode. Viewers can (and have) come up with theories as to what actually happened in each case. They are also encouraged to submit any tips or information they might have that could help the ongoing investigations. Audiences were known to submit useful tips when the original series was on the air, so the same will certainly be expected this time around.
Far less artificial reenactments
The original series was notorious for its reenactments, which often received minor criticism for being “cheesy” or taking away from the realness of the story. This time, those reenactments are rare. Instead, real archival footage is used or interviewees are taken to the exact location as they tell the story. This is another feature of the remake that adds to the excitement of the true stories.
There’s still more to come!
While there are currently only six episodes up on Netflix, the entire reboot consists of 12, which means there are more cases to come. While there is no official release date for the second volume, it will be up before the end of the year. Fans of the show, get ready for more!
From TV Guide Magazine
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