Netflix is known for releasing a constant stream of new shows and films, and recent to join the fray of originals is the horror series “Archive 81.” This new addition to Netflix’s growing line of self-produced content is by far the most exciting, as “Archive 81” is based on the acclaimed horror podcast of the same name, leaving many excited to see how much the company is expanding the traditional notions of TV or film adaptations.
The podcast follows archivist Daniel Powell, voiced by co-creator of the same name, as he undertakes a job for a conspicuous company archiving a series of mysterious tapes that survived a disastrous fire 20 years prior. Taking the premise of found footage horror films, “Archive 81” uses tape recorders as its method of storytelling, creating a compelling and incredibly unique form of horror that is shared by very few. A notable compatriot of this niche being Rusty Quill’s acclaimed horror podcast “The Magnus Archives.” The Netflix series seems to be following the same plot, with only differences so far being the lead’s surname and what is the most fascinating and apt decision of them all, the translation from using tape recorders to VHS.
It’s not unheard of for adaptations between different mediums of storytelling to occur. In fact, it’s the most natural thing in the entertainment industry, some of the biggest names in television and film have been adaptations of already existing pieces of literature. What sets “Archive 81” apart from all the usual forms of adaptations is its origins; fiction podcasts are often specifically tailored to their medium, meaning the very story they tell is often intertwined and even thrives within the limitations that a fully auditory medium set before it. Much of the horror heard in “Archive 81” would not work as well in a visual medium as it does within the confines of earbuds or a speaker. Eldritch horror is a tricky genre of fiction that focuses on the horror of the vast unknowable, beings so far beyond human comprehension and understanding that to look upon their face is to know true fear, and to possibly go mad. How do you show this? The answer is that you don’t. By using incredible sound scaping and hair-raising auditory effects, the creators of “Archive 81,” Daniel Powell and Marc Sollinger, created the perfect concoction of noises to convey the unconveyable.
The very bones of the story itself, in both meta and non-meta narratives, rest on the fact that this story is being told through audio tapes, through a podcast. Netflix solved this issue with the change from audio tapes to video tapes, but the question of exactly how the horror will be portrayed is still up in the air, and something that concerns many fans. It’s not an impossible task, one of Netflix’s most popular horror films, “Bird Box,” hit the nail on the head when it comes to eldritch horror. I can only hope Netflix’s adaptation of “Archive 81” receives the same out of the box thinking, and if it does, then viewers are in for ride they will certainly never forget.
“Archive 81” premieres on Netflix on Jan. 14 and the podcast can be found wherever you tune in to get your audio drama fix.
