TV Series Review: Archive 81

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Archive 81

Atomic Monster Productions/Sonnenshine Productions

Netflix

#whatonwhatsgood Express Review (by: Jovin Tardif)

The drama/horror/mystery series Archive 81 on Netflix is about a video archivist, Dan Turner (Mamoudou Athie) who is hired by CEO, Virgil Davenport (Martin Donovan) to restore a series of old tapes by himself in a secured and isolated compound for 100K. 

At first, Dan was hesitant but his friend Mark (Matt McGorry) convinces him to take the job.

At the compound, he has no internet access and very little cell reception. 

His only job is to uncover what’s on those tapes.  

On the recordings, Dan discovers that they are recording of a young woman, Melody Pendras (Dina Shihabi), in 1994 in an apartment called Villers. Dan's job is to figure out how the fire happened in the 
building. 

In the 1994 video cassettes, we learn that Melody is trying to learn about the community and her birth mother.  We watch as Melody interviews apartment residents including 14-year-old Jess (Ariana Neal), Samuel (Evan Jonigkeit), her girlfriend Anabelle (Julia Chan), and more.

The longer she is there, the more she discovers.

Was the neighborhood involved in a cult? Where is the singing and chanting coming from?  What's happening on the sixth floor?  What is really going on in this building? 

Each tape uncovers the truth behind what actually happened.

If you are a horror fan, this show is definitely worth watching.

Based on

Archive 81 by Daniel Powell and Marc Sollinger

Developed by

Rebecca Sonnenshine

Starring

Mamoudou Athie as Daniel "Dan" Turner

Dina Shihabi as Melody Pendras

Evan Jonigkeit as Samuel Spare / Alexander Davenport

Julia Chan as Anabelle Cho

Ariana Neal as Jessica "Jess" Lewis

Matt McGorry as Mark Higgins

Martin Donovan as Virgil Davenport

Charlie Hudson III as Steve Turner

Kate Eastman as Tamara Stefano

Eden Marryshow as John Smith

Georgina Haig as Iris Vos

Music by

Ben Salisbury and Geoff Barrow

Executive producers

Rebecca Sonnenshine, Rebecca Thomas, James Wan, Michael Clear, Paul Harris Boardman and Antoine Douaihy

Producers

Bobak Esfarjani and Amanda Kay Price

Cinematography

Julie Kirkwood, Bobby Bukowski, and Nathaniel Goodman

Editors

Tyler L. Cook, Michael Scotti Jr., Amelia Allwarden, Patrick J. Smith, and Joel T. Pashby

Season 1

Episode 1 Mystery Signals

14 Jan. 2022

My Rating 8/10

#whatonwhatsgood Fan Club Rating 74%

Episode 2 Wellspring

14 Jan. 2022

My Rating 8/10

#whatonwhatsgood Fan Club Rating 77%

Episode 3 Terror in the Aisles

14 Jan. 2022

My Rating 8/10

#whatonwhatsgood Fan Club Rating 71%

Episode 4 Spirit Receivers

14 Jan. 2022

My Rating 8/10

#whatonwhatsgood Fan Club Rating 87%

Episode 5 Through the Looking Glass

14 Jan. 2022

My Rating 8/10

#whatonwhatsgood Fan Club RaTing 75%

Episode 6 The Circle

14 Jan. 2022

My Rating 8/10

#whatonwhatsgood Fan Club Rating 86%

Episode 7 The Ferryman

14 Jan. 2022

My Rating 8/10

#whatonwhatsgood Fan Club Rating 79%

Episode 8 What Lies Beneath

14 Jan. 2022

My Rating 8/10

#whatonwhatsgood Fan Club Rating 87%

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