There’s nothing quite like sitting down to a new documentary series, and if stories of alien abduction, haunted lakes and other unexplained phenomena are of interest to you, Files of the Unexplained shouldn’t disappoint.
With the majority of documentaries falling into the very popular true crime genre, it’s really refreshing when something’s released that incites mystery and intrigue in the viewer. Each episode is dedicated to a different mystery or phenomena and feature accounts, with two episodes covering events that took place in Washington. It’s well worth a watch.
Episode 1: The Pascagoula Alien Abduction
This is the story of two men who claim to have been abducted whilst fishing in Mississippi in 1973. The encounter garnered massive media coverage and, in turn, a lot of public scrutiny. I vividly remember my Papa telling me about this story as a child, so seeing the original interviews and media coverage, as well as interviews with the family of those affected, was really interesting.
Episode 2: Ghosts of Myrtles Plantation
Built in Francisville, Louisiana in 1796, Myrtles Plantation is considered one of America’s most haunted homes and has been the subject of a number of paranormal TV shows. Staff members and visitors detail some of their eerie experiences and delve into the complex history of the plantation.
Episode 3: Missing Yuba County Five
In February 1978, five young men aged between 24 and 32 vanished after attending a college basketball game at California State University. Before heading out, the men were excited about competing in their own basketball game the following day, an event they had never, or would never miss, according to the families. 40 years later, they are still looking for answers.
Episode 4: Government’s UFO Conspiracy
In April 2023, Pentagon officials revealed they were tracking over 650 reports of UFO’s, many of which were reported by official military personnel. This episode features first-hand accounts from former air force members on their strange experiences with UFO’s, how this affected their physical and mental health, and how they felt silenced in the years following.
Episode 5: Haunting of Lake Lanier
With over 680 miles of shoreline, 90 parks, boat ramps and camping grounds, Lake Lanier in Georgia is a popular spot for recreational activities. Despite its beauty, this man-made lake has claimed more than 200 lives since 1994, causing many people to believe there may be something supernatural going on in the waters.
Episode 6: Mysteries of Mt. Shasta
A truly magnificent sight, Mt. Shasta is a potentially active volcano located in Siskiyou County, California. Attracting visitors from far and wide who want to enjoy the various hiking trails and waterfalls, and take in all its beauty. Mt. Shasta has also attracted those looking for more spiritual enlightenment. As well as exploring its deep Indigenous history, this episode details many tales and legends of hidden cities, Lemurian people and more.
Episode 7: Bizarre Blobs of Washington
Following a series of rain showers in 1994, residents of Oakville, Washington were confused to find hundreds, if not thousands of small, gelatinous blobs on the ground. In this episode, we hear from some of the locals on their experience, as well as those who decided to take samples and try to work out what caused this strange phenomena, which hasn’t happened since.
Episode 8: Floating Feet of Salish Sea
Since August 2007, over 20 severed human feet have washed up on the shores of Washington State and British Columbia, causing massive concern with locals, who are often the ones finding them. Theories range from serial killers and mafia hits to accidental deaths and suicide.
As an avid documentary watcher, I really enjoyed this series. Whilst for me, some of the episodes may seem a little bit too far-fetched, I felt the audience is given a fairly balanced perspective of the mysteries and phenomena being covered, and I couldn’t help but further research many of the topics immediately after watching!
