OUR RATING:
Making You Check Under Your Bed Since 2016
Ever wanted to combine the soothing voice of a British narrator with stories that will make you sleep with the lights on for a week? Well, get ready buttercup, because “Unexplained” is here to fulfill that oddly specific desire you never knew you had. Created and narrated by Richard MacLean Smith, this podcast explores those delightfully disturbing incidents that science has collectively shrugged at and said, “Yeah, we’ve got nothing.” It’s like “Unsolved Mysteries” but with more existential dread and fewer reconstructions featuring actors with questionable haircuts.
Smith delivers each episode with the calm, measured tones of someone discussing tea varieties rather than, say, a family who spontaneously combusted or a man who may have slipped through a crack in reality. His soothing British accent somehow makes the horrifying seem almost quaint, like he’s serving nightmare fuel at a garden party. “Would you care for some finger sandwiches and a tale of inexplicable disappearance? How delightful.”
The production quality is impeccable, with atmospheric music and sound design that will have you checking over your shoulder even while you’re sitting against a wall. It’s quite the achievement to make ambient noise terrifying, but Smith manages it with aplomb.
“Unexplained” lives in a crowded podcast genre, but distinguishes itself mostly through its thoughtful approach. This isn’t your typical paranormal show where every creak is a ghost and every shadow contains Bigfoot’s second cousin. Smith examines each case with the thoroughness of a detective and the philosophical curiosity of someone who stayed awake during college philosophy courses.
He’ll take you through the rational explanations before gently leading you to the edge of understanding and then pushing you right off that cliff into a sea of “what the actual f**k?” The effect is all the more unsettling because you’ve been lulled into the false security of logic before having it yanked away like a paranormal rug-pull.
If you’re wondering where to start in this labyrinth of the unexplained, look no further than the Dyatlov Pass incident episodes (S01E14-15, “Mountain of the Dead”). Nine Russian hikers found dead in the snow in 1959, their tent cut open from the inside, some partially undressed, some with inexplicable injuries, and one missing a tongue?
Smith handles this infamous case with such methodical detail that you’ll find yourself theorizing about Soviet experiments and Yeti attacks with complete seriousness while waiting in line for coffee.
The two-parter on the Somerton Man (S03E01-02, “Out of the Ordinary”) will have you scrutinizing random codes and checking strangers’ ears for peculiarities, while “The Bleeding House” (S02E05) might make you side-eye your walls with newfound suspicion.
For those who enjoy a good haunting, “When the Light Fades” (S01E03) explores the famous Enfield Poltergeist case with enough depth to make you question whether that teenage girl really could have been that dedicated to an elaborate hoax.
And if you’re in the mood for something truly bizarre, “The Lost Valley of the Damned” (S07E06) combines a deadly air crash with psychic premonitions in a way that would make even Fox Mulder raise an eyebrow.
What’s particularly enjoyable is Smith’s ability to connect these strange incidents to broader human experiences and philosophical questions. He’ll start with a ghostly encounter and somehow end up discussing the nature of consciousness, making you feel intellectually stimulated while simultaneously checking if your doors are locked. It’s like attending a fascinating university lecture that occasionally makes you want to hide under the desk.
Of course, no podcast is without flaws. Smith’s measured pacing might test the patience of listeners accustomed to the rapid-fire delivery of other shows. There’s no breathless “AND THEN WHAT HAPPENED?!” energy here, instead, a deliberate unfolding that sometimes makes you want to shout, “Get to the unexplained part already!” The show’s commitment to ambiguity can also be frustrating if you’re the type who needs closure. If definitive answers are your jam, prepare to be perpetually unsatisfied. Smith isn’t here to tell you it was definitely aliens or definitely ghosts, he’s here to leave you uncomfortable with uncertainty, like an existential itch you can’t scratch.
The sound design, while usually brilliant, occasionally veers into the territory of “we get it, this is spooky” with its ominous tones. There might be moments when you’re not sure if that creaking sound is coming from your house or the podcast, leading to unnecessary adrenaline spikes and suspicious glares at innocent household appliances.
Ultimately, “Unexplained” is the thinking person’s scary podcast, perfect for those who want their chills served with a side of philosophy and a garnish of “but what does it all mean?” It’s like having a deeply unsettling conversation with your most erudite friend who may or may not believe in ghosts but definitely believes in asking really uncomfortable questions about reality.
You’ll come for the creepy stories, stay for the existential crisis, and leave with a newfound wariness of fog, old houses, and the general fragility of what we call “reality.” Sweet dreams!
Where to listen to Unexplained
Episodes.fm | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Overcast | Pocket Casts | Castro
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