Sometimes you begin a television binge and find your mind wandering for the first few episodes. Then, as if in a trance, you watch six episodes in a row because you absolutely have to find out what happens next.
That was my experience watching “Archive 81,” the locally filmed horror series that begins its first season Friday on Netflix. The show is based on the found-footage horror podcast of the same name and was the first major production to begin filming in Pittsburgh after the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown in March 2020.
While the early episodes can feel like a slog as the characters are introduced and the central mystery is laid out, it becomes more gripping with every new revelation. My investment in the show’s narrative followed the same pattern as its protagonist’s — mild curiosity leading to increased interest and finally undivided attention as the season reaches its thrilling conclusion.
“Archive 81” follows Dan Turner (Mamoudou Athie), a museum archivist who specializes in restoring old and damaged tapes. He is commissioned by the rich and shady Virgil Davenport (Martin Donovan) to see what he can do with some recently recovered tapes recorded by a resident of a New York City apartment building that burned down in 1994.
Dan quickly develops a fascination with documentary filmmaker Melody Pendras (Dina Shihabi), the tapes’ main subject whose original purpose for being at the Vissser apartment building is slowly overtaken by strange, cult-like behavior among its tenants. The show follows both Melody’s attempts to unravel this tangled web in the ’90s and Dan’s sleuthing to figure out what happened to Melody and why he was hired for this job.
Most of the show’s eight-episode first season takes place either inside the apartment complex or at Davenport’s remote compound where Dan is staying, so there isn’t much in the way of Pittsburgh scenery. There are a few exterior shots that show Downtown, the North Side and other local neighborhoods transformed to resemble New York City. A very small portion of one storyline is actually set in the Steel City.
What makes the first few “Archive 81” episodes drag a bit is that it’s not particularly interesting to watch someone staring at old footage. Sure, the audience gets to see higher-resolution versions of past events than what’s on tape, but a lot of the early going is just Dan fixing and viewing Melody’s footage. It all fits together well in the end, but it’s not the most compelling entry point.
Luckily, it doesn’t take long for things to pick up, and that’s mostly thanks to the collection of eccentrics who call the Visser home. When folks like the charming Samuel (Evan Jonigkeit), shifty Cassandra (Kristin Griffith) and clearly knows-too-much Tamara (Kate Eastman) show up, “Archive 81” kicks into high gear.
It should be noted that this series is not for the squeamish and involves quite a bit of graphic bloodshed. There’s also occult and supernatural elements at play, which may not be for everybody. “Archive 81” is ultimately less focused on eliciting jump scares than it is in making you question your reality. A demon probably won’t pop out of your screen, but you won’t want to take any chances.
This series revels in the power of visual storytelling. The tapes Dan watches so tangibly affecting his real life isn’t a subtle metaphor, but it does raise questions about whether certain things should be forever captured on film. There are also fun homages to older styles of filmmaking that begin every episode and tie into the overall plot.
A lot of the emotional heavy lifting is done by Athie and Shihabi, whose characters form a bond across time and space. Athie does well as the straight man with a traumatizing past, but he’s at his best when playing directly off Shihabi or his buddy, Mark (Matt McGorry), who often brings much-needed levity to some extremely dark situations.
Shihabi imbues Melody with a sense of wide-eyed wonder and genuine desire to keep those she cares about safe, especially young, impressionable Jess (Ariana Neal) and her roommate, Anabelle (Julia Chan). Chan deserves a shoutout for taking a pretty one-note, quippy friend character in a surprising direction.
The last two episodes are so well-paced that I couldn’t help powering through to the end. Most lingering questions are answered, and the relationship between Dan and Melody proves strong enough to warrant further exploration in a season two. And make no mistake, the finale will leave you breathless and feeling like there’s plenty of story left to tell.
Fans of the “Archive 81” podcast will hopefully appreciate the TV show’s attempts to visually realize its audio creations, though it would be understandable if some diehards are rankled by losing the podcast’s found-footage structure. For everyone else, “Archive 81” manages to overcome a slow start and build momentum until you’re just as sucked into this strange new world as Dan is.
Joshua Axelrod: jaxelrod@post-gazette.com and Twitter @jaxelburgh.
First Published: January 14, 2022, 11:00 a.m.
