Welcome to another installment of 31 Days of Halloween! This is our chance to set the mood for the spookiest and scariest month of the year as we focus our attention on horror and Halloween fun. For the month of October we’ll be sharing various pieces of underappreciated scary books, comics, movies, and television to help keep you terrified and entertained all the way up to Halloween.
Truth Seekers is the latest collaboration between Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. In the past they’ve done their own take on zombie, buddy cop, and apocalyptic films to great success. This time around, the pair tackle the paranormal in the new television series on Amazon Prime Video. Fans who liked their previous ventures of relationship comedies under the guise of genre will not be disappointed.
The story follows Gus (Frost), a broadband installer who moonlights as a paranormal investigator. His job takes him to some creepy and haunted locations throughout the country that he shares on his YouTube channel. He receives a partner, Elton (Samson Kayo), to mentor and show the ropes and who quickly becomes a reluctant participant in ghost hunting. Rounding out the main team is Astrid (Emma D’Arcy), one the first people that Gus and Elton help rid of their supernatural problems.
As mentioned during the Comic-Con@Home panel, Truth Seekers effectively walks that tightrope of horror and comedy without taking away from either. As expected, there are plenty of laughs and sometimes the writing really commits to the jokes and humor. Some of the silliness helps ease the tension of the suspense. What is surprising is how well done the scares are. Early on, the flickering in and out by the ghosts is fear inducing and the setting of the different scenes are so eerie.
The show does a good job of building the overall arc. Though each episode can stand on its own, there are elements peppered in that contribute to the whole narrative. They approach different parts of the mystery and conspiracy and it’s amusing to watch it all brought together and how everything fits. The cliffhanger endings, along with its approximately half hour run time, make Truth Seekers easily bingeable. Plus, all the twists and surprises will keep viewers guessing. There’s a good set up for future seasons with teases of larger machinations and how our protagonists are a cog in the bigger picture.
The cast is really great with the main group of Frost, Kayo, and D’Arcy. They’re all very likeable and you can’t help but grow fond of and invested in them over the course of the season. Their characters come in with their own baggage and you root for them as they work through their issues together creating a real team and found family atmosphere. Some of the drama really tugs at your emotions. Throw in actual family members Richard (Malcom McDowell) and Helen (Susan Wokoma) of Gus and Elton respectively, and you have a strong core.
There are only a few nitpicky criticisms from an enjoyable first season. The horror aspects are so excellent, I kind of wish there was more of it. The series shies away from the scares in the second half as it lays the groundwork for the conclusion and next season. I am also left wanting for more Wokoma. I know she’s more in a supporting role but she’s brilliant in Year of the Rabbit and could have made better use of her talent.
Truth Seekers is a perfectly bingeable show with compelling storylines and characters. It hits the right balance of horror and comedy for an entertaining eight episodes.
Truth Seekers will be released Friday, October 30, on Amazon Video Prime.
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