• Release year: 2024–
• Directors: Ben Klein, Alexandra Lazarowich, Lukas Cox, Ramona Emerson, Salima Koroma, and Dolly Li.
• Producer: M. Elizabeth Hughes.
• Story Consultant: Meghan Walsh.
• Cinematography by: Ronan Killeen.
• Music by: Logan Stahley.

Shotgun Commentary: Finally, one documentary series about the supernatural that really tries to get to the source of each “phenomenon”.

Review

Out There: Crimes of the Paranormal is a documentary I stumbled upon while rummaging through the Disney+ catalogue. As a fan of anything supernatural and mysterious, it was a matter of time until this work came to me, and so it has.

The series is divided into eight stories, each with their own lore and very real consequences. Do they support the existence of any creature in particular? No, but they showcase something a lot more important: how people interact with the paranormal and exploit it for gain.

All stories are based in the US, although some have consequences beyond this country. Still, the main takeaway is how supernatural stories can often expose the darkest, most shameful parts of a country. Those that are better off covered by a bogus tale about monsters instead of exposed as the societal mistakes that they are.

The first episode, “Web of Lizard People”, starts the series off with a literal and figurative bang. In this chapter, the documentarians investigate a deadly explosion in Nashville that took place as the tragic result of a growing paranoia in an unstable mind. This narration explains clearly and concisely how urban legends and conspiracy theories are born and spread, both in pre-social-media times and their rapid escalation with the use of socials.

Unmasking the villain

However, this is not the most interesting part of the story. Once you look past the lizard people, there is one unexpected villain in this story: sexism. As it turns out, a woman did notify the authorities of the very real possibility that a man was making bombs in his house.

In return for her bravery and putting her life in danger to save other people’s lives, she got accused of being insane, hysterical, suicidal, and in need of professional help. Furthermore, when a bomb did go off in Nashville at the hands of the man she reported, she got accused of being an accomplice and hounded by the FBI for months. Not to mention the impact that having her face plastered all over the news, branded as “the ex that drove a man to blow himself up”, had on her social life and that of her family.

This is one of at least three episodes in which the villain turns out to be sexism, but they have them of all flavours. It is a bit like watching a version of Scooby-Doo in which the unmasking uncovers a universal issue instead of an individual. Sexism, racism, corruption, education deficit… They have all shapes and flavours in this eight-episode series. A short but clear look into what rots a country from within.

All in all, Out There: Crimes of the Paranormal is the kind of show you watch expecting a simple spooky documentary and instead leave with a cold shower of reality. It is one of the most insightful documentary series I have ever watched, particularly with this kind of topic, and probably the only “paranormal” documentary I would totally recommend to anyone regardless of their supernatural interests.

Advice to take from this movie:

• Scooby-Doo had it right; there tends to be a very real *sshole behind most apparently supernatural occurrences.
• Humans are usually the real monsters.
• There are serious issues in the US legal system.

What’s your take? Have you watched Out There: Crimes of the Paranormal? Don’t hesitate to let me know your thoughts in the comments section below, or leave a message on my contact page! For more reviews and cinema-related articles, check out the rest of my blog! 😀