Most horror stories are limited to the screen, large or small. There are a few standout books, like the works of Stephen King or House of Leaves. A large portion of people believe that not being able to see the horror makes it far less effective.
This story can blow those thoughts out of the water.
The Magnus Archives, often abbreviated to TMA, is a podcast distributed by Rusty Quill, the first episode released to YouTube in 2018. The basic concept follows Jon Sims, newly appointed Head Archivist of the Magnus Institute, in London. Deeply upsettingly for him, the previous Head Archivist, Gertrude Robinson, left the archives, where statements of paranormal events are kept, in complete and utter disarray.
Jon now has to properly record and digitize the archive, with the help of assistants Tim Stoker, Sasha James, and Martin Blackwood. However, a small problem appears. Some of the statements cannot be recorded digitally, and appear to be required to be recorded on analog media.
Luckily for the archives team, there are several tape recorders readily available, and it is through these tapes that we as the audience are able to experience the story. This will be an attempt at a spoiler-free review of the podcast, though there may be spoilers up until the second season of all five.
TMA begins as a sort of anthology series, with a multitude of stories throughout season one. Nearly every episode has a statement, a story of supernatural encounters. Even in the earliest seasons, you can see a multitude of memorable characters, not just limited to the assistants.
The givers of live Statements, such as Naomi Hearne, Antonio Blake, and Melanie King, are all memorable characters, with each of them having a fairly sizable section of fans. Even characters that never appear on the tapes, like Agnes Montague and Emma Harvey, have clear and interesting personalities and stories.
Of course, the characters in these tales are not what most horror fans focus on, and TMA delivers across the board. A common joke in the fandom is that TMA has an episode for everyone, meaning an episode with something that seems to terrify you specifically.
The series is a slow build, with it seeming to begin as a simple, (although well written,) anthology series, with no greater connection between episodes, other than the narrator. However, observant viewers may notice repeated names or terms, as well as similar phenomena, with the story coming to (at that point) a head with the season one finale. Unlike other series, however, exactly what is going on remains unknown to both the viewers and the characters alike for multiple seasons. The characters sometimes overpower the horror, but every episode was known to send a chill down the viewer’s spine.
The show enjoys playing in the space of what are known as ‘primal fears’, fears that nearly any human can have. Fears such as disease, heights, small spaces, the Dark, and fire are just a few of the many ways that the show can scare you. From feeling like there was something just a bit off about the person you walked past, to there being something off about you, TMA can find a way to look into your mind and See what you’re afraid of, and use it to great effect.
On a slightly related note, episodes have trigger warnings in the beginning of transcripts, and it is highly recommended for viewers to take a look at them before listening.
The show has well-developed characters that are ripe for interpretation, and a multitude of intricate storylines, all weaving together to make an incredible tapestry of the best that much of the horror genre has to offer. The show is not extremely in the public eye, but to those that are aware, they have almost nothing but praise for this incredible series.
