Unsolved Mysteries season 1 review – Netflix’s reboot is nostalgic and successful

By Daniel Hart
Published: June 30, 2020 (Last updated: February 7, 2024)
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Unsolved Mysteries season 1 - Netflix's reboot
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Summary

The reboot argues loudly to keep the series going, with Netflix taking a calculated risk that will pay off with the fans.

Unsolved Mysteries season 1, Netflix’s reboot, will be out on the platform on July 1, 2020.

Access all episode recaps.


The famous series was always a risk to reboot. But the good news about Netflix is, they barely hide from judgment, which is what makes their platform difficult to beat in many ways — the trial and error approach gives the opportunity for the likes of Unsolved Mysteries to come back to our screens.

And it doesn’t disappoint; amongst the intrigue and mystery, Unsolved Mysteries navigates the audience through character-driven and real stories. It works by initiating the same ingredients as the original — bringing forth normal everyday people, who have managed to absorb their traumatic events and are ready to relive what happened.

From missing people to UFOs, Netflix’s Unsolved Mysteries keeps the stories interesting — ranging from conspiracies to luminous question marks to what happened to the subject matter. And it remains in your mind as each chapter ends with no conclusive ending which elevates the audience to become armchair investigators, excitably googling any search term that might find an answer.

It’s easy to be cynical while watching Unsolved Mysteries but the format hasn’t outdated itself — being cynical is part of the experience as you question each person interviewed — are they too emotionally involved? Do they know more than they are letting on? It’s easy to consume and debate. That’s the beauty of this type of documentary experience that veers on cheesiness but just about keeps it real.

The reboot argues loudly to keep the series going, with Netflix taking a calculated risk that will pay off with the fans.

Netflix, TV Reviews
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